Some Zimbabweans say the late historian professor Terrence Ranger, who died at the age of 85 in his sleep a day ago in Britain, played a key role in writing the country’s history.
Dr. Ibbo Mandaza of the Southern African Political and Economic Series, says Professor Ranger will be remembered by scholars, politicians and others as one of the people who challenged the ills of the white minority settlers.
Mandaza says the late professor had close ties with liberation movements like Zapu and Zanu in the 1970s but fell out of favour when he started criticizing them soon after Zimbabwe’s independence.
The late academic was deported from Rhodesia for supporting freedom fighters. He came back to Zimbabwe soon after independence and worked in the history department of the University of Zimbabwe where he initially focused on the history of Mashonaland.
He wrote a book about Matabeleland region titled Memory and Violence: 100 Years in Matabeleland Darkness. This was before he wrote another one titled Voices From the Rock: The History of Matabeleland South.