Abstract: | Independence and majority rule came to Zimbabwe through a bitter war of liberation. Postwar Zimbabwean writing examines the meaning of the liberation achieved through the sacrifices of the combatants and the plight of the ordinary people. This article compares three novels and a collection of short stories which were published in Zimbabwe after independence, viz. 'Nehanda' (1993) by Yvonne Vera, 'Goatsmell' (1992) by Nevanji Madanhire, 'Bones' (1988) by Chenjerai Hove, and 'Effortless tears' (1993) by Alexander Kanengoni. It shows that for these writers victory and liberation have a hollow ring. The war has not solved even the problem of land. Their focus is on the performance of those who now hold political power and on whose integrity, or otherwise, depends the plight of the ordinary people whose lives are the central occupation of these works. Bibliogr. |