About the Author

About the Author

I am a person who has lived an extraordinary life.

Ancestry

In my books biographies and memoirs, my paternal roots can be traced to the Holl family. They were prominent engravers in England during Queen Victoria’s reign. My father was able to trace his maternal lineage to Chief Mhabahaba Mkwananzi of the Abezansi clan.

Migration

Mhabahaba was one of the prominent generals who served with Mzilikazi in King Shaka’s Zulu army. In 1819 the Zulu were engaged in a war with the Ndwandwe Army led by a general named Soshangana. Mhabahaba and Mzilikazi were instrumental in defeating Soshangana. They used guerrilla tactics of sporadically rushing upon the enemy with stabbing spears and then vanishing swiftly into the night. Under the leadership of Mzilikazi, the Khumalo Clan, the Mkwananzi Clan and others, fled Zululand. They ended up north of the Limpopo River where they founded the Khumalo kingdom of Matabeleland.

Settlement

At eNtuteni, in the area later known as uMzingwane District, Mhabahaba established his home which was later named Intuta Village. The village was named Intuta after the name of his regiment. When he died in 1896, he was succeeded by his eldest son, Dliso. Following the death of Dliso, uMajinkila became Regent and had, amongst a number of children a daughter, uMcibo. uMsoli married (cohabitated) Harry Patrick Holl and bore him four children; Benjamin (the author’s dad), Sonti, Gem, and Yoseline. After uMajinkila died in 1924, the chieftaincy was moved to Mberengwa District and bestowed upon Alison Ngungumbane Mkwananzi.

Colonization

I was born in a racially divided country that had been colonized by Britain. The struggles that I endured are outlined in book biographies and memoirs.

Our parents suffered under the heavy yoke of colonialism. My father suffered due to a lack of education. He even lost the little that his father had set aside as his inheritance to the black people through greed.

I too suffered a great deal growing up in Rhodesia. I was denied equal opportunity for school, jobs, promotions, etc. even under the new government of African Majority Rule.

Despite these setbacks, I managed to rise to the position of Senior Administrative Officer in the colonial regime and up to Corporate Secretary in the Mugabe Regime.

I even went further by being the first person of colour to own and run a successful accounting firm in Harare.

https://www.oberthollauthor.com/2025/01/18/a-historical-biography-story-about-prince-nkulumanes-attempted-coup/

https://www.oberthollauthor.com/2025/01/08/a-historical-political-memoir-rise-of-mzilikazi-the-bull-elephant/

https://www.oberthollauthor.com/lost-inheritance-book-a-historical-biography-by-obert-holl/

https://www.oberthollauthor.com/product/lost-inheritance

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Historical Biographies of Obert Holl

Hear from Obert

Listen to Obert provide a synopsis of the book, Lost Inheritance.