Against The Grain

by Geoffrey Nyarota

Geoffrey Nyarota was the editor of the Daily News, Zimbabwe’s only independent newspaper, for four years. In this time, he chronicled the decline of the country under Robert Mugabe’s ZANU-PF-controlled regime. As a young man, Nyarota fervently believed that his children would know the freedom of democracy that he himself had been denied in colonial Rhodesia before Mugabe became independent Zimbabwe’s first head of state in 1980. But when he discovered that the returned war heroes were more interested in enriching themselves than in uplifting the poverty-stricken millions, he unflinchingly began to expose the wholesale corruption and greed, nepotism and fraud perpetrated by the Mugabe government. It took state-planted bombs, torture and intimidation, costly legal fees and, finally, a contract on Nyarota’s life before he fled his homeland at the beginning of 2003 to go into exile.

Genres: Africa

432 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2006

About the author

Geoffrey Nyarota was a Zimbabwean journalist and human rights activist. Born in colonial Southern Rhodesia, he trained as a teacher before beginning his career with a Zimbabwean state-owned newspaper, The Herald. As editor of the state-owned Bulawayo Chronicle in 1989, he helped to break the "Willowgate" scandal, which resulted in several resignations from the cabinet of President Robert Mugabe.
When Nyarota was subsequently removed from his post, he spent several years teaching in exile before returning to open the independent Daily News. Bearing the motto "Telling it like it is", the Daily News swiftly became Zimbabwe's most popular newspaper. However, the paper also suffered two bombings, allegedly by Zimbabwean security forces. Nyarota was arrested six times and reportedly was the target of a government assassination plot. After being forced from the paper by new management in December 2002, Nyarota left Zimbabwe.
In exile in the United States, he began The Zimbabwe Times, an online newspaper. His memoir Against the Grain, Memoirs of a Zimbabwean Newsman was published in South Africa in 2006.

Reviews

[Tafadzwa Kwaramba · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I picked up the book I expected it to be biographical but it was more a collection of a description of events that the author partook in. The book describes and discusses the process that took place at the chronicle during the revelations of the Willowgate scandal which resulted in some cabinet ministers resigning and others committing suicide. This is a far cry from modern Zimbabwe where corruption scandals are regularly unearthed but there appears to be no consequence. The most captivating section of the book is a section where the author talks about his time at the DailyNews, the author insinuates that, while ZANU PF persecution and cashflow problems brought the paper to its knees, the final death knell was rung by Joshua Nkomo and Strive Masiyiwa via Sipepa Nkomo. Throughout the book, the author brings up the name of Joshua Nkomo in certain corrupt transactions that took place within government, which was a revelation to me given the pristine image of him that I had. The scale of looting through the war veterans disability funds is also highlighted and discussed in detail. The book can almost be read as a history of corruption in Zimbabwe since 1980 as well as the politics of the media in post-independent Zimbabwe.

[Blessing · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give this books five stars. I love the detailed account of events during and post colonial period! Some parts are brutal and the vivid imagination is set in the mind of the reader, so much I had to put it down for a while to digest.
What stood out for me is that most of the what is relayed in the memoir are full accounts of bits and pieces of stories we used to hear about or were not allowed to talk about growing up. Geoffrey adds flesh and critic to all these stories. It feels like walking back in time, for me, the text was history experienced!
I am a literature fanatic hence I love the use of strong language in the text, the diction is intense for emphasis- although it might be a bit strong for laymen readers.
Over and above! If you're looking to understand the history of Zimbabwe during the Mugabe regime, this is your book!

[Rosslee Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

an open window to what it was like being a neutral journalist in Zimbabwe

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nyarota was the founding editor of the Daily News, one of the last independent newspapers in Zimbabwe. He is currently living in exile in the U.S. The book chronicles his career as a newspaper writer and editor in Zimbabwe from 1978 until he fled the country in 2003. He's a decent writer, although he sometimes doesn't not relate events in strict chronological order and that can be a bit confusing. He could have benefited from a better editor, I think. Still, if you have interest in the political situation in Zim, this is a good book.

[Catherine Jarvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is helpful because although it is a memoir it is also a history of Zimbabwe. Geoffrey Nyarota blends both personal stories with politcal climate. I admire him greatly because of the dangers and sacrifices he had to make as a journalist that was one of Mugabe's enemies. Well written but perhaps needed a bit of editing.