Sekuru: Searching for Silas
In this poignant memoir, Lesley Lysaght searches for Silas, the Black man she called Sekuru—grandfather—who raised her in colonial Rhodesia. Separated by Zimbabwe’s independence war, her decades-long quest becomes a meditation on privilege, colonialism’s legacy, and love that transcends racial boundaries. Sekuru explores how the bonds of childhood shape us forever.
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Sekuru: Searching for Silas
In this poignant memoir, Lesley Lysaght unravels the complex tapestry of her childhood in colonial Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe. At its heart is Silas, the man she called Sekuru—grandfather—who cared for her as a child and shaped her worldview.
Separated by war and politics, Lesley spends decades searching for Silas across continents. Her journey weaves through Zimbabwe’s tumultuous history, from white minority rule to independence and beyond.
More than a personal quest, Sekuru is a meditation on love that transcends racial boundaries, the lasting impacts of colonialism, and the power of human connection. As Lesley reconciles her privileged upbringing with her evolving understanding of injustice, she grapples with questions of identity, belonging, and responsibility.
Lyrical and introspective, Sekuru offers a unique perspective on family, race relations, and the enduring bonds that define us.
Lesley Lysaght was born and grew up in Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia), studied English Literature (BA Hons) at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, and Education (PGCE) at Oxford University. Lesley is passionate about child protection and access to education and was a teacher for many years. In response to the degrading injustices resulting from extreme poverty, she has funded projects for the rural poor in Zimbabwe, including constructing a large primary school in the Eastern Highlands, basic supplies for St Alberts Mission Hospital, and a school feeding program in the north. She now lives in Australia with her family.
Sekuru perfectly illustrates the Ubuntu philosophy: ‘I am because you are’. Lesley Lysaght, born in colonial Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) to a privileged but dysfunctional white family, now living in Australia, searches for the black servant who protected her as a child and became her spiritual father. Racing against time, Lysaght takes us from her Rhodesian childhood she was plucked from, through South Africa, England, Australia and back to Zimbabwe, to discover if the man her parents named Silas is still alive, and whether he had loved her as much as she believed. Unflinchingly honest. Lucy Mushita, author of Chinongwa
