Appropriating Judean post-exilic literature in a postcolonial discourse : a case for Zimbabwe

Abstract

The narratives about the postexilic Judean community are an ancient biblical account of the \nsocio-economic and political experiences of the Judeans when they were finally restored back to \nJudah from Babylonian captivity. Although the Judean restoration was celebrated when they \nwere restored by King Cyrus’ decree, real freedom did not prevail in the Persian province of \nYehud; corruption, usury, greed, oppression, enslavement and loss of property impacted \nnegatively on the poor. The leadership expropriated from poor citizens land, vineyards, and \nhouses in exchange for food. In addition, the governors also charged heavy interest on money \nborrowed by poor members of society. Parents and their children were subjected to enslavement. \nIn response to these corrupt practices, Nehemiah challenged the leadership to stop oppressing the \npoor. Nehemiah went further to provide food to the starving Judeans and other people from \nsurrounding nations which served as a stimulus to strive towards alleviating poverty and starvation among communities. \nBy employing an approach known as hermeneutics of appropriation, this thesis \nappropriates the experience of the postexilic Judean community to the post-independence \nZimbabwean context. Between the years 1999 and 2008 many people lost their lives due to \nunemployment and lack of income, shelter, nutrition, and access to health-care facilities because \nof the economic meltdown following the controversial fast-track land reform programme in \nZimbabwe. The majority of people are still experiencing the negative impact of the land reform \nas people strive to make a living in the absence of jobs and income scarcity. Corruption by the \nleadership has continued to further exacerbate starvation among the poor until today.This study attempts to employ the biblical Nehemiah’s social justice reforms (Neh 5) to \nchallenge the Zimbabwean leadership to focus on rebuilding the country which was ravaged by a \ndecade of both political and socio-economic crises. Lessons drawn from Nehemiah would be \nused to stimulate the leadership in the Zimbabwean government and members of society at large, \nto strive towards helping the poor and alleviating poverty.

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