HISTORY DEPARTMENT HOSTS DR ZOE GROVES

On 20th July, 2022, the history department hosted Dr. Zoe Groves, a lecturer in Modern Global, Colonial and Postcolonial History from the University of Leicester, as she gave a talk at the Faculty of Law boardroom, focusing on her recent publication Malawian Migration to Zimbabwe, 1900-1965: Tracing Machona. The book has been published by Palgrave Macmillan as part of its Cambridge Imperial and Post-Colonial Studies series.
During the talk, Dr Groves highlighted the beginnings of migration of Malawians to Zimbabwe, specifically the Salisbury region. She highlighted the fact that in the early days, before Malawi became independent, Zimbabwe (then known as Southern Rhodesia) was an attractive region for people to go and work. Malawian migrants were regarded as educated, thanks to the presence of missionary efforts in the country, and were therefore highly valued in Zimbabwe. She also highlighted the attitudes that migrants had about returning home, such as fears that they would be magically killed if they did so. The talk ended with the writer highlighting various factors that led to the decline in migration to Zimbabwe, such as the attainment of independence by both Zimbabweans and Malawians. During the discussions, the audience engaged Dr Groves on various aspects of migration covered in her research, such as the roles of women in relation to migration, the existence of Malawian communities in Zimbabwe, and the routes and modes of transport used by migrants.
After the talk, the Head of History Department, Dr. Gift Kayira, informed the gathering that a copy of Dr. Groves’ book had been donated to the UNIMA Library’s Malawiana Section. He also pointed out that the author was willing to share electronic copies of the book with anyone who desired a copy.