Forced Labour in Colonial Africa: A. T. Nzula I. I. Potekhin and A. Z. Zusmanovich

This book, published in 1979, is an early Marxist analysis of the impact of colonialism on Africa during the first half-century after the Scramble. It was co-authored by Nzula, a political experience of African co-author, and is filled with commitment to the liberation of the Continent. It outlines Africa's role in the world economic system, reveals how Western capitalism created a brutally exploited working class and dispossessed peasantry, and analyzes each major region of Black Africa. The introduction by Robin Cohen provides valuable insight into Nzula's life and the background to the book, and the appendices bring together many of Nzula's little-known writings.

Format: Hardback
Length: 228 pages
Publication date: 01 December 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Originally published in 1979, this book stands as one of the earliest Marxist examinations of the profound impact of colonialism on Africa during the first half-century following the Scramble. Co-authored by Nzula, along with his extensive writings in the Negro Worker, this collection brings together his intellectual legacy. The political experiences of Nzula's African co-author infused the book with a steadfast commitment to the liberation of the Continent, tempered by a clear theoretical understanding of capitalism in its imperialist phase. The book begins with an insightful overview of Africa's place within the global economic system. Subsequent chapters unveil how Western capitalism created a brutally oppressed working class and dispossessed peasantry across the African continent. Each major region of Black Africa is meticulously analyzed, providing detailed accounts of oppression and numerous early urban and rural struggles against colonialism prior to the Second World War. Robin Cohen's introduction offers a valuable summation of Nzula's life and the background that shaped this book. The appendices compile numerous lesser-known writings by Nzula, shedding light on his diverse and thought-provoking contributions.

Weight: 590g
Dimension: 216 x 138 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032647517