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Between Remorse and Nostalgia: Haunting Memories of War and the Search for Healing Among Former Zimbabwean Soldiers in Exile in South Africa

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Book cover Healing and Change in the City of Gold

Part of the book series: Peace Psychology Book Series ((PPBS,volume 24))

Abstract

This chapter explores how former Zimbabwean soldiers who deserted or resigned from the Zimbabwe National Army journey between two seemingly contradictory spaces in search of healing: the space of camaraderie in the political association of the former soldiers in exile namely Affected Military Men of Zimbabwe Association (AMMOZA) and Pentecostal churches in Johannesburg where many of these former soldiers participate. In the former the men reaffirm their military past, keep it alive, and use it to justify who they are in their post-combat life in South Africa. In the churches, in contrast, the men are guided to reconstruct their perspective on the past in terms of expiating remorse and guilt and to obtain forgiveness, presuming that this will liberate them from the haunting effects of hope dzakaipa or ukucubungula meaning bad dreams. From the men’s narratives it emerges that to come to terms with their past and find some sort of reconciliation between their two contradictory perspectives in dealing with the past, the men would require political amnesty by the Zimbabwean government. This would ensure they would be recognised as former soldiers who served the nation and could reconcile with their families and friends, and openly present themselves to civilians. This chapter is primarily based on interviews with 10 of the 44 former soldiers who participated in a larger study on members of the Zimbabwean army who deserted or resigned and are in exile in South Africa.

The Social Science Research Council’s Next-Generation Social Sciences in Africa Fellowship, with funds provided by Carnegie Corporation of New York, are acknowledged in the supporting this publication.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology and Sociology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa

    Godfrey Maringira

  2. Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Annemiek Richters

  3. Amsterdam School for Social Science Research, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Annemiek Richters

  4. Department of Sociology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Lorena Núňez

Authors
  1. Godfrey Maringira
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  2. Annemiek Richters
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  3. Lorena Núňez
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Godfrey Maringira .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Witwatersrand African Centre for Migration and Society, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Ingrid Palmary

  2. International Conflict Research Institute (INCORE), University of Ulster, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

    Brandon Hamber

  3. Sociology, University of Witswatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Lorena Núñez

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Maringira, G., Richters, A., Núňez, L. (2015). Between Remorse and Nostalgia: Haunting Memories of War and the Search for Healing Among Former Zimbabwean Soldiers in Exile in South Africa. In: Palmary, I., Hamber, B., Núñez, L. (eds) Healing and Change in the City of Gold. Peace Psychology Book Series, vol 24. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08768-9_5

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