The plight of inmates at Wha Wha detention camp (1960-1980)

Abstract

The period between 1960 and 1980 saw the rise of militant nationalism against the colonial government in Rhodesia. The colonial regime responded by detaining thousands of nationalists and activists. The plight of inmates in these detention centers has largely been ignored by post-colonial historians. Isn this study I focus primarily on the experiences of African political detainees at Wha Wha Detention camp. Generally this study argues that instead of being places of places of political rehabilitation and political reorientation, detention camps in particular Wha Wha were places of brutality, violence and ill treatment guided by racial abuse. The study seeks to establish that political detainees were exposed to deplorable conditions and were worse off than convicted prisoners. The study also argues that life in detention was harsher for women than it was for male detainees. Methodologically this study depends mainly on oral testimonies of former detainees. The study also refers to documentary evidence such as parliamentary debates, court records and pictures.