EDITORIAL
Josephine Sithole-Muganiwa- WINZ Board Chairperson
Welcome to our 42nd issue. The year is drifting to a close and as writers, there is so much to reflect upon. Zimbabwe Writers Association is inviting individual writers and writers' associations to a meeting at the national gallery, see details below. Lets attend and share. You can as well go and watch the play "The Father" running at the Nicoz Diamond but read The Regular Writer's review of the play before you go. Art is in town! Enjoy.
FLASHBACK
Students watch a performance at WIN-Zimbabwe one-hour event called "Literary Treats" that took place in July during the 2010 ZIBF
Writers International Network Zimbabwe has a programme for Zimbabwean schools that will see the association, together with its partner (Global Arts Trust), embark on catch-them-young activities aimed at equipping the students with writing, poetry performance, stage acting, scripting and directing skills. WIN-Zimbabwe is working with renowned writers, playwrights, the Ministry of Education, Sport, Art & Culture and other stakeholders to accomplish this goal.
PRESS RELEASE: NAMA CHANGES VENUE
The announcement comes on the heels of the NACZ’s extensive consultations with hosting partners, Amakhosi, whose assessment of on-the-ground preparedness has revealed inadequacy of resources.
“Much as we may want to bring the prestigious event to the City of Kings, it is important to note that we are not ready for something of this magnitude,” Amakhosi’s Artistic Director, Conte Mhlanga (pictured below) said.
While NACZ was committed to taking NAMA to Bulawayo in partnership with Bulawayo-based Amakhosi, the move had intensive budgetary implications, demanding more than doubling the fundraising efforts to make the event a success.
In an effort to uphold the quality and standards of the event, the NACZ has accepted recommendations by the hosting partners Amakhosi and other stakeholders to retain NAMA at its traditional venue until there is all-round readiness to ensure that the event retains its brand as the highlight of celebrating milestones in the arts and culture sector.
As part of its theme: “Towards Professionalising the Arts”, NACZ has sought the establishment of strategic partnerships in the implementation of programmes within the sector.
NAMA is a national event which brings with it the camaraderie of the various artistic disciplines and celebrates talent as deemed by experts in the sector as well as the consumers of the arts through the People’s Choice Awards. While all categories seek to put on a pedestal artistic works across genres, NACZ acknowledges the importance of feedback by consumers of the arts who are responsible for the sector’s growth. It is out of such feedback and stakeholder concerns that fundamental decisions in programme development are considered.
Meanwhile, all players are duly reminded of the deadline for submission of NAMA entry forms by the 30th of November, which this year falls on a Wednesday. NAMA seeks to celebrate milestones and merit in the various genres, ensuring that there is room for those in the creative industries to be celebrated in more ways than one.
“Much as we may want to bring the prestigious event to the City of Kings, it is important to note that we are not ready for something of this magnitude,” Amakhosi’s Artistic Director, Conte Mhlanga (pictured below) said.
In an effort to uphold the quality and standards of the event, the NACZ has accepted recommendations by the hosting partners Amakhosi and other stakeholders to retain NAMA at its traditional venue until there is all-round readiness to ensure that the event retains its brand as the highlight of celebrating milestones in the arts and culture sector.
As part of its theme: “Towards Professionalising the Arts”, NACZ has sought the establishment of strategic partnerships in the implementation of programmes within the sector.
NAMA is a national event which brings with it the camaraderie of the various artistic disciplines and celebrates talent as deemed by experts in the sector as well as the consumers of the arts through the People’s Choice Awards. While all categories seek to put on a pedestal artistic works across genres, NACZ acknowledges the importance of feedback by consumers of the arts who are responsible for the sector’s growth. It is out of such feedback and stakeholder concerns that fundamental decisions in programme development are considered.Meanwhile, all players are duly reminded of the deadline for submission of NAMA entry forms by the 30th of November, which this year falls on a Wednesday. NAMA seeks to celebrate milestones and merit in the various genres, ensuring that there is room for those in the creative industries to be celebrated in more ways than one.
For more information, contact:
Donald Tafadzwa Chidoori (PICTURED in red shirt)
MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
Donald Tafadzwa Chidoori (PICTURED in red shirt)
MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
NATIONAL ARTS COUNCIL OF ZIMBABWE
Email: info@natartszim.org Phone: +263 -4-304510/26/30/308239
KASIBHALENI!
Baloba ngathi abakwaziyo!
Jerry Zondo
Sisahleli sizithulele singazi okuzakwenzakala
Yibo abalobayo sithule thina
Yibo abazi izingqondo zethu
Yibo abethule umbhuqazwe;
Bawuhola
Bawuphetha
Bawubukeza.
Bayazi lokuba sizwa kanjani;
Yibo ababalisa amanxeba, iminjunju lezinhlungu,
Yibo abatshoyo ukuba sizakwalulama njani.
Basibone ubuwula ngokuba silokothe sacabange imvukela
Bakubeke obala ukuba akulabumthwakazi okumele sibucabange
Bathe sikhohlakele ngokucabanga ubuntu
Bathi sisiselela ukwehlukanisa ilizwe elizihlalele pekle.
Okusamangalisa yikuba sisazithulele
Akwazi bani ukuba sizawuvula nini, sihlome nini ngezikhali zokuloba.
Siyesaba ukuloba ngoba asikabikwazi ukukhuluma.
Siyethuka ukuba njengoba sancitshwa izikolashiphu nje
Ulwazi lokuloba sivele asilalo!
Kuyethusa ukuba mhla sisukumile sokwenzani, sithini;
Kuhle ngoba bakhona abasazi ngcono abaloba ngathi!
THE REGULAR WRITER
With
Tinashe ‘Mutumwapavi’ Muchuri
THE FATHER, An Exciting Play That Re-Adjusts Men’s Egos
Peter Churu, who directed the play
It is Friday 18, and the world will be celebrating International Men’s Day which normally takes place on November 19 to improve gender relations and promote unity. I was on 7th Floor, in the newly adopted NICOZ DIAMOND theatre watching ‘The Father’, a Swedish play written by August Strindberg and here adapted and directed by local theatre entrepreneur Peter Churu.
In the play, a couple is locked up in a heated argument concerning the upbringing of their daughter. The husband, in most cases, claims sovereignty over his child to a point where the wife feels degraded and she asks the father how he knows if he is the father of the child. A seed of doubt is planted in the father to a cathartic degree.
The play, translated into English by Eivor Martinus, reminded me of a story about a pilot who filed for divorce because he suspected that he was not the biological father of their second child. The pilot went for paternity tests and was shocked when the results showed that he was the father of their second child but not of their first child. The thorny question then is “Who is the father?”
This play challenges a patriarchal society in which the general belief is that a man possesses everything in a home, including the children. Yet, as the story unfolds in ‘The Father’, it is shown that the husband accepts paternity through a wife’s faith and trust.
With the father played by Tinashe Chirisa and the mother played by Yeukai Mhandu, the play further defines the meaning of a child to parents, especially its mother. A child symbolizes power for the woman as she can demand maintenance for the child and a share of wealth after, say, divorce. A mother with a child has power over the future of her husband. The respect and dignity endowed upon a man comes through a woman because she has ‘allowed’ a man fatherly responsibility over her children. To a father, a child means life after death for he shall live through his children. Without a child the man is dead and will not live in the future. Because of these reasons, in ancient times if a couple failed to have children, the family would investigate the problem? If the problem was with the man, the family would secretly arrange for a young brother to sleep with the man’s wife only as a way of securing the elder brother's future. If indeed the problem was with the woman, the husband would be given a sister or niece so she can secure the future of the elder sister. The play used a lot of poetry, thereby making a strong impact upon the audience. The cast is made up of Musa Saruro who is a theatre graduate from Theory X, Tafadzwa Bob Mutumbi a theatre student at Theory X, Eddington Hatitongwe a theatre graduate from Patsime Edutainment, Tinashe Chirisa whose debut appearance was in the play ‘365 Days’ at Theatre in the Park, Yeukai Mhandu, Rumbidzai Munongi and Rumbidzai Musarurwa who are members of a well-known Highfield-based theatre group Shooting Stars.
Given this cast and the professional directing skills of Peter Churu, what came out was a star performance that lived to its billing.
The play had a five-day run at Nicoz Diamond, Harare, from November 8 to November 13 but by public demand the play is scheduled to re-run at the same venue from November 22 to December 3, 2011.
Speaking to this writer, the production consultant, Walter Muparutsa, who is also a renowned theatre personality, said, “The relevance of the play coincides with the 16 Days of Activism campaign as it draws attention to the role of women in the community. Majority of men take their spouses for granted and the play forces them to re-consider and re-adjust their egos."
Muparutsa also added that they hope to tour the country with the play after its running at Nicoz Diamond.
‘The Father’ is co-produced by Global Arts Trust and Complete Projects, in collaboration with Intergrationsteatern and Stockholm Improvisationteater, supported by the Swedish Arts Council. The Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust, National Arts Council of Zimbabwe and Embassy of Sweden also assisted the production in different ways.
NGATINYOREI!
Na
Clever Simbarashe Kavenga
Handina Kurumwa Nemago!!
(NYAYA YEVANA VADIKI)
Handina kurumwa nemago ini! Ehe-e handina kurumwa ini. Nyangwe zvazvo ndichiti kana ndabvunzwa nevanhu kuti ‘Ko paziso wakaitwei?’ ini ndopindura ndichiti ‘Aa-a paziso apa zvamunoona kuzvimba kudai ndakarumwa nemago!!’
Handina kurumwa nemago ini! Aa-a handina ini. Zvakatanga ndiri parwendo, rwendo ndichienda kumba kwamudhara waPinjisi. Ndakatizve kufamba ndega hazviite ndokufunga kuti regai ndinotora shamwari yangu Rungano tifambe tose nzira ireruke. Ndakairasa. Kwaive kufambira chikwereti uku.Mhai ndakavaudza mwedzi yatova mitatu yapfuura vakaita nharo. Handiti ndakavayambira pandakati; ‘Mudhara waPinjisi wamuri kukweretesa huku uyu habhadhare. Zuva ravachapedza kudya chidya chehuku yacho ndiwo musi wavachapedzisira kuziva kuti vane chikwereti nemi mhai.’ Ivo mhai vakafunga kuti ndiri kutaura zvisina maturo hanzi ndiwo, ‘Tiri, ndikati ndipe mari yekuchigayo unondipa iwe? Rega vatore ndotozonotora ndava kuda mari yekuchigayo.’ Ndakaseka nokuti mhai vaive vatora mudhara waPinjisi sebhanga ravo raunonotora mari paunodira chero irimo!
Paye tichibva kuchikoro takasangana naPinjisi akasungira tsuro patsvimbo yake. Uku Maponangezvo imbwa yavo ichimutevera mumashure make. Izvi zvakasvota Rungano zvikuru kwazvo. Ndakazonzwa woridze tsamwa pedzezvo ndokuti, “Kudada netsuro yabatwa nembwa yedu! Kutoenda kunodya nenyama isu tichibikirwa munyemba kana mutsungura usina mafuta. Izvozvi ari kunotendwa naamai wake, kutendwa achideketerwa nemutupo wake isu tichingonodzvokorwa namhai nemaziso anotaura nyangwe zvazvo muromo wakanyarara! Kunotendwa zvake iye Pinjisi iyo iri imbwa yedu yabata! Pinjisi ndimambara mhani ndazozviona. Ko adii zvake kundipawo kamutsengo kenyama kematandanyadzi kutiwoka ndinotendwawo kumba naamai vangu. Zvino iye wototsvororidze zvake kamuridzo kekundisvotesa zvakaoma! Pafunge shamwari Tizvirinde, mhai vachinditenda vachibubudza kuombera vachiti:
‘Maita Humba
Maita Makombe
Maita Chirima
Aiwa zvaitwa Dimo
Vari Govera
Makombe yangu yiyi
Nyamufukumba Chirimo
Mainza muchitya ndowe
Maita Nyanguru munarekwa ndiani
Nyakupfuya
Vamai tikafira pano ngei ……’
‘Handiti makaitengesa here Maponangezvo?’ ndakamubvunza kudaro.
“Kutengesa kwepi? Mari yacho iripi? Handiti nanhasi ichigere kubhadharwa. Asi hezvi nhasi wavakutodya nenyama inobatwa nembwa yavakatora kari kahanda,” akadaro Rungano achibhutsura dutu remavhu enhuta raiva mudivi menzira yataifamba nayo. Ndakaseka iye ndokutanga kutsvororidza kamuridzo achitevedzera kambo kanosigaroimbwa namudhara Murekabwe: ‘Vashe vashe woye dzinoruma!’
Hungu ndiri kuenda kwamudhara waPinjisi asi ndinoziva kuti kufambira pasina. Ndichadzoka ndisina mari yandafambira mangwana kana hwedza ndonzizve dzokazve namhai. Vanenge votondishungurira sezvinonzi ndini ndakabvuma zvechikwereti ichi. Aa-a kunenge kuchingova kufambira pasina! Mudhara uyu anonzi akagonekwa naMhere chete kwete vamwe vose ava.
Chinondishamisa vanhu vanongoramba vachimukweretesa chete nepo vachinyatsoziva kuti akakwereta chinhu kubhadhara kwake manetswa pachikomo. Zvimwe zvinokonzerwa nekugona kutaura kwake nokuti munototengeserana muchitosekedzana pamwe nekubikirana zvokudya. Haarambe chokudya mudhara waPinjisi uyu, pada anenge achiedza kukufadza kuti utizve munhu kwaye.
Chokwadi handina kurumwa nemago ini. Zvino chinzwai zvakambotaurwa namudhara Murekabwe rimwe zuva tigere naye padombo rake ravakutsvedzera nokugarirwa.
“Mhere haaite vakomana! Mhere mukono kumuona henyu akadai kunyarara sechimumumu. Ndiyezve Mhere wokukanda mudhara waPinjisi mudhibhi gore riye nenyaya dzemari idzi.
Ndinototi gore riye sezvinonzi manga matozvarwa vapfana imi : manga muchigere kuzvarwa ndinozviziva. Makwamba makwamba ari kumeso ake vazhinji vanoti anenge akakonzerwa nemushonga wedhibhi wakamupisa musiwo!
“Vaive vasangana padhibhi, Mhere twake twaive twakakwidzawo futi musiwo ndokubvunza mari yake. Mudhara waPinjisi ndokuti achimupindura; ‘Unondibvunza chikwereti kudhibhi kuno , kumba kwangu haukuzivisu? Handisati ndatama ndichiripo paye pamhiri paNyarunhombo pakafira Mundundumira mukono wembiri wakabve Nyatoro.
“Vanhu vakazongoona vokikiritsana Mhere achingoti; ‘Manje wabaya ron’o bhatani nhasi, mudhara wakajaidzwa nevanokubata sevanobata kasvava! Vana vangu havangaite nhonho neman’a mumakumbo nekufambira chikwereti iwe ichingovayo –mozodzoka mbaimbai kana mangwana ndinogadzirisa. Unogadzirisa rinhi handiti dai iri mombe yatova nemhuru kutaura kuno?’
Akanzi chematsenga nzungu ndiye pasi pidigu nemanhede makumbo mudenga ndiwo njanjanja!
Zvino Mhere zirume nyangwe zvazvo mudhara waPinjisi aive nezidumbu kudarika rake Mhere apa zvakaonekwa kuti manhenga chete. Masese avaiswerodutira kumagirosa pasina zororo, raingova zidumbu rufufu rakatakurwa naMhere sezvinonzi akatakura mwanda weuswa.
“Mudhara akabinywa ndiye pamapfudzi dzvaa makumbo achingotambatamba achipfura mhepo. Mhere rambei ndiye mbaa kubata sechikirimbani. Hasha dzakaoma! Murume mukuru akakandwa mudhibhi ikazova batai batai vanhu vomhanya-mhanya kumubatsira. Varipowo vaitoseka zvavo mutsekwende iyi. Akazobatiswa chimuti kuti abude asati anyura. Varipo vakakama mombe chiriporipotyo vomunwisa mukakayo wotyira kuti pamwe anwa dhibha mutsekwende iyi.
“Varume venyasha ndiwo vakazobhadhara mari yaiwe yofira mudhara waPinjisi:pondo mbiri.” Uku kutaura kwamudhara Murekabwe musazoti ndini Tizvirinde ndiri kutaura.
Aa-a ndozvamunofunga!! Handina kurumwa nemago ini! Hongu handina kurumwa nemago. Inyaya yaMavambo iyi. Mavambo ndiye akaita ziso rangu ridai kuzvimba sendakarumwa nemago! Handikuti ini wacho ndavakudawo Mavambo , kwete handizvo. Handikutizve iye Mavambo wacho ava kundida achisiya Rungano. Izvi handizvo.
Nyaya yakatangira pandaida kuti Rungano andiperekedze kwamudhara waPinjisi.zvino panguva yandakasvika pamba pawo ndakasvika arere zvake pasi pedara rawo remagwere. Ndakabva ndamumutsa. Apa ndipo pandakairasa manje! Handina kuziva kuti zvabva ngepi kana kuti chibhakera chacho aive akunga nguvai? Handina kuziva chokwadi! Ndakangonzwa nekuti ga-aa nechepamusoro peziso apa.
Nyaya yaiwe yekuti ndaiwe ndamumutsa iye ari pakati pokurota aina Mavambo wake! Hanzi ndiye ;Mavambo aive wotoda kumuudza kuti anomuda ini ndokumumutsa. Akati ose mazwi aiwe ataurwa kwangosara mazwi ekuti: ‘Hongu ndada hangu’ chete chete ini ndokumumutsa. Mazvionaka handina kurumwa nemago ini!!
POPULAR QUOTE
What is your ultimate vision as a writer?
"My ultimate vision as a writer is to become the best writer that I can be. I would like to write the kind of stories that have an impact on who ever reads them. I would like to write stories that entertain as much as they bring a new perspective to the reader, on any given subject or topic. I want to create pieces that induce ‘laugh out loud’ moments as well as stories that have the power to reduce a reader to a teary, snot nosed mess. I want to create unforgettable characters doing unforgettable things. That is my ultimate vision." (Barbara Mhangami-Ruwende - In an exclusive interview with WIN-ZIMBABWE in the WINZ Newsletter, Issue No 41)
INVITATION TO A WRITERS' MEETING, DECEMBER 3, 2011, HARARE
The Zimbabwe Writers Association (ZWA) cordially invites you to the first of its monthly meetings on Saturday 3 December 2011 at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, 20 Julius Nyerere Way, Harare from 2:00pm to 4:30pm in the library extension (upstairs) for the purposes of discussion and readings. You are also reminded to bring your $10 membership fees. A substantive agenda will be sent to you very soon. Remember: the major objective of ZWA is to bring together all willing individual writers and writer organisations of Zimbabwe in order to encourage creative writing, reading and publishing in all forms possible, conduct workshops, and provide for literary discussions.
(ZWA Committee, Contact Person: Memory Chirere 263-733755834)
(ZWA Committee, Contact Person: Memory Chirere 263-733755834)
Look no further, the writing bug
is here on the blog
...cheers!
is here on the blog
...cheers!
