Description: A comparative study of identity shifts in two large ethnic groups in Matabeleland, Zimbabwe.
Review Quotes: In the same way that Msindo demonstrates the endurance of certain identities and their coexistence with new ones, Ethnicity in Zimbabwe observes and fulfills longstanding themes in Zimbabwe's historiography, while successfully highlighting new areas of research deserving of attention. AMERICAN HISTORICAL REVIEW Ethnicity in Zimbabwe makes valuable contributions to Zimbabwean social and political history. Scrupulously researched, drawing from pre-colonial primary sources and oral histories, it reveals how common Africans--not just colonialist Europeans or opportunist African elites--played a key role in the creation of Ndebele and Kalanga identity. ----Timothy Stapleton, professor of history, Trent University