This short novel in fragments is a re-examination of Ngungunhane, also known as Mdungazwe Ngungunyane Nxumalo, who was the last ruler of the Gaza Empire, which lasted from 1824 to 1895 and at its height encompassed all of what is currently Mozambique and southern Zimbabwe. Ngungunhane brutally took over power after the death of his father, the previous emperor, in 1884 after he slew his brother, but he was deposed by General Joaquim Mouzinho of the Portuguese colonial army in 1895 after he refused to surrender, which allowed Portugal to claim the territory and name it Mozambique, or Moçambique in Portuguese. Ngungunhane was captured, imprisoned, and died in exile in 1906.

Ngungunhane is generally viewed as a hero and tragic figure by modern day Mozambicans, particularly by members and supporters of FRELIMO, the Mozambique Liberation Front, which was created in 1962 in opposition to the colonial government, successfully gained independence for the country in 1975, and is the majority party in the country. However, Ungulani Ba Ka Khosa, the director of the Instituto Nacional do Livro e do Disco in Mozambique, portrays him as a bloodthirsty and brutal man, obese and frequently drunk, whose lust for power, drink and women only grew after he ascended to the throne. The title of the book comes from one of his most trusted warriors, and the reader learns about Ngungunhane from personal accounts from Ualalapi, others in his circle, colonial military men and governors, and a Swiss evangelical who was a respected visitor to Ngungunhane's court before his downfall. The author wrote this book in 1987 to correct the widely held narrative, and as a critique of the corrupt and brutal FRELIMO government at that time.

"Ualalapi" is a valuable contribution to the history of the precolonial Gaza Empire and its last ruler, although it is a mostly forgettable novella. ( )