The author, Maka Muhindo
By Nassur Tab’an El-Tablaz
Mutilating Mammoth Manacles by Maka Muhindo is a great read as it analyzes society quite well looking at all the heavy topics; from oppression, to corruption, to how money changes people, to HIV/AIDS, to LGBTQ+, to religion, to infertility, to politics… literally every angle of society! It is a truth telling novel that allows society to hold a mirror unto itself. It calls for everyone to introspect their contradictions and assumptions, as well as the lies of colonization and its enduring effects as it says, “There’s no passenger on Planet Earth; we’re all crew,” and thus, everyone should pull their weight, both in thought and belief. This is a bible for the rebels. Written passionately, it challenges the status quo and systems of oppression. From Christianity, to capitalism, to women’s challenges in society, to sexuality among others, it leaves no stone unturned. Through a village and its people’s dialogues, we are forced to think and question why our lives are the way they are. And after that, it encourages us to wake up, from slumber, and fight for a better tomorrow, if not today.
One of the strengths of this novel is its many characters that speak to its flow. It is about no one in particular – it is about society! The characters, most of the time, tend to take all sides of discussions, giving the reader liberty to pick a side and still recognize the other viewpoint. Everyone is represented in its character distribution. There is literally everyone in it; a woman who sleeps up, men who marry sex workers, villagers just farming, chiefs, people imprisoned for political reasons, dangerous men, shrines, churches and sexually assaulting priests among so many others.
Maka Muhindo presents lovely debates such as divorce, in a really wonderful way with a beautiful mix and match between history lapses and the story itself. As one enjoys the tales of disappeared people in Nyamwamba, the history of the country unveils therein. From brutal dictators who oversee the killing of people, to the imprisonment of thousands more whose fate is left hanging in cells! Through the people of Ibuzuba, a normal everyday life unfolds: villagers migrating to the city looking for pesa, couples unable to have children, churches and shrines never lacking clients, HIV/AIDS or silimu and its effects, sex work and those who partake in it, as well as children who just want to go to school and get an education.
Although the author tries to question commercial sex, he does not quite critique the system that puts women down, and depending on men. Given the well done critiques on other systems of oppression such as wage/labour capitalism, colonization, democracy, religion and others, one would expect a critique on the societal constructs against women. In some chapters, the author tries to critique patriarchy though not sufficiently.
Mutilating Mammoth Manacles has a lot of quotable parts that every reader wouldn’t wait to use in their daily lives – really lovely use of language and thought. This novel is very open-minded – everything is up for questioning, and that is really refreshing to read. Ultimately, it is a good heavy novel.
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