All good things eventually come to an end. Our final book to end this #ZimbabweLitMonth with is this memoir by Tinatswe Mhaka whose debut, “The Men I Have Hated” published by Carnelian Heart Publishing chronicles her journey with her relationships with men from childhood to adulthood in Zimbabwe. Mhaka allows herself to be vulnerable and open as she questions the freedom of women and the burden of womanhood that they carry throughout their lives in a patriarchal society.

“Joe valued his public image. I suppose what he valued was his politics. He was patriotic, misguidedly so. Passionate and for reasons I did not understand, willing to die for his country. He had so many important things to say. We had that in common, and that is why I had got off the phone with him and did an updated search of his online pages. People could feel what they pleased about technology and social media, but it had brought evolution in feminism, sex and most importantly love. It frightened me that our mothers and theirs before had completely trusted that men were exactly who they said they were. How did they know? It made no difference. We obviously did not know either. While we were apart, I felt it was the self-respecting thing to do; never keep tabs on his life. I had felt a sudden entitlement to it now that he had made it clear it was me he wanted. Most times, I found myself wishing the country would get better for everyone but Joseph. That he would fall into depression and kill himself. I did not think I could unlove him as long as both of us were alive, and I never felt like it was me who deserved to die. I had too much to offer the world.” ~ an extract from the book, The Men I’ve Hated.

Title: The Men I’ve Hated

Author: Tinatswe Mhaka

ISBN: 978-191-4287022

Publisher: Carnelian Heart

Tinatswe Mhaka

Tinatswe Mhaka (BA) (LLB) is an author, lawyer, feminist digital storyteller and activist from Harare, Zimbabwe. Tinatswe is the founder of Feminist Voices Zimbabwe, an organisation strengthening gender advocacy and access to justice through documentation and dissemination of information. Tinatswe is passionate about digital media and the mainstreaming of injustices prevalent against women in the global south. She has numerous publications related to the emancipation of women through law and policy. Tinatswe has previously had stories published in Turquoise Dreams, a short anthology by Zimbabwean women. She is an Atlas Corps Editorial Fellow at the Leonardo International Society of Arts, Science and Technology. She also runs a podcast titled the Feminist Bar.

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#ZimbabweLitMonth is curated by novelist Sue Nyathi. She is a published Zimbabwean author of four fiction titles: The Polygamist (2012), The Gold Diggers (2018), A Family Affair (2020), and An Angel’s Demise (2022). She also edited a nonfiction anthology titled When Secrets Become Stories, Women Speak Out (2021). You can visit her website here and follow her on Twitter at @SueNyathi.