Book review: The Smallest Ones
Author: Popina Khumanda
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Written with raw emotion and unflinching honesty this is a must-read book.
Having travelled to what was formerly known as Zaire I was drawn to this book to learn more about the Democratic Republic of Congo.
It’s based on the journey of two sisters who are captured by rebel soldiers in the early 2000s.
Popina Khumanda and her older sister Ziana are forced travel, mostly on foot, almost 3 000 km from the northern corner of DRC to Lubumbashi on the border of Zambia. They then do a further 2 000 km to Zimbabwe, Mozambique and finally Johannesburg. Not speaking a word of English they survive only to be separated and later reunited in Gqeberha.
It’s a disturbing read, in fact it comes with a warning, “in telling the story of the author’s experiences this book contains scenes of physical and sexual violence, which may disturb some readers”.
The story begins in Businga village. Untouched by the world’s chaos, five-year-old Popina enjoys the simple delights of childhood. With carefree delight she climbs mango trees, chases baby baboons and explores the open fields. However, her innocence is shattered in an instant when a group of strangers invade the village. Bringing fire and terror, they kill her neighbours and cruelly torture and rape the survivors.
In the words of their captor, Kantu wa Milandu, whom the sisters called Three Eyes because he wore an eye patch, “the DRC is going down. This will become our land as promised. War is coming. And this is not the first war. This country and its people have no sense of peace. The sooner we fight, the sooner we can bring the last man down”.
Khumanda reveals every detail of her thoughts, feelings and experiences, holding nothing back.
After years in captivity they escape. Barefoot and starving, Khumanda writes of wanting to give up their fight for freedom.
However, under the scrutinous care of her sister she continues. Driven by the promise of getting an education in South Africa they arrive in Johannesburg four months later, but their nightmare is not over.
Sometimes I left the book for a few days, struggling to get my head around the atrocities they endured, not only at the hands of rebels.
This book is a truly awe-inspiring and eye-opening read that I would recommend to anyone.
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