Traditional authorities and the Mozambican Civil War in </i>Ventos do apocalipse</i>, by Paulina Chiziane

Abstract

Ventos do apocalipse, by Paulina Chiziane, deals with the Mozambican civil war. After the independence of Mozambique, the party-state Frelimo adopted a government of socialist orientation, reflecting an organizational and European political apparatus. It turned out that the old local leaders, dissatisfied with the loss of power and the neglect of traditions, took advantage of the unpreparedness of Frelimo to govern the local communities, and organized themselves around the Renamo party, worsening the social crisis that followed independence. The confrontation between Frelimo's national project and Renamo's traditional leaders outlines an apocalyptic scene in the novel. Chiziane discusses the role and the place of tradition in the context of creating a national identity which downplayed the political, economic and cultural legacy.