EDITORIAL
WINZ Board Chairperson, Josephine Sithole-Muganiwa
Thank you for attending the 2011 Writers End of Year Get-Together. Those that missed we hope to be together next year. We hope to see more blogging and taking advantage of the internet to market artists and their works. Create your following that will help put pressure on publishers to make your works available. Take advantage of online journals like StoryTime and Munyori. Un-clip your wings and let the whole world be your dancing arena. We wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy 2012.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 2011 WRITERS’ END OF YEAR GET-TOGETHER
By WINZ Staff Writer
By WINZ Staff Writer
It was an unforgettable way of ending the year for the group of writers and poets who gathered at the Book Café for the WIN-Zimbabwe/Global Arts Trust second edition of the Writers’ End of Year Get-Together on December 10, 2011. Despite some slight pre-event challenges, the function went very well.
There were wonderful presentations from Rudo Nyangulu on how writers can benefit from blogging, Clever Kavenga on his journey from an unpublished to a published Shona language writer, and Mbizo Chirasha on the need for providing equal opportunities for boys and girls. The audience had lungs bursting with laughter with comedian Toropito, real name Shingirai Mutizwa, whose news bulletin was a tickling bag of humorous titbits. Memory Chirere's reading from his book Tudikidiki surely must have sent someone rushing to the bookshop to look for this splendid 'little' green book. Mashingaidze Gomo's reading from his book A Fine Madness transported the audience to the dark valleys of the then war-torn DRC. Listening to Gomo's voice you could hear the subjective pains and joys of characters caught in complex situation of war, mingled with a certain kind of love, like love for one's history.
Superb were the poetry recitals by Batsirai Chigama, Cynthia 'Flow' Marangwanda, Lexta Mutasa (who did an improptu duet with Samuel Mahuntse), Jerry Zondo, Lisbon 'Babamukuru' Chigwenjere, Barnabas Tumbare, and Jerry 'Zvavanhu' Mugweni. Mbizo Chirasha read a poem from his newly published poetry anthology Good Morning President (Diaspora Publisher) and Tinashe Muchuri also read from his forthcoming novel Chibarabada.
Chibarabada, according to the gifted Muchuri, is with a local publisher and the book will be published next year if all things go well.
Epworth-based Mbira Crew, who are mulling over becoming WIN-Zimbabwe's mbira band to provide entertainment and fuse mbira music with poetry at the association's public events, spiced the Get-Together with memorable traditional melodies that enticed Tinashe Muchuri, Olga Chakauya and Jerry Zondo to go to the stage to sing, dance and recite poetry while the mbira guys did their thing in the background.
Founder & Director Beaven Tapureta also presented his End of Year report which highlighted the activities done during the year. Tapureta said although the association could not hold some of the planned activities due to lack of funding, there were positive happenings in the background such as the release of a capacity building grant by the Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust to make business cards and brochure for WIN-Zimbabwe, the partnership with Global Arts Trust, and several meetings with individuals and organisations which were meant to enhance the association's mission and vision. He said the manuscript assessment program is also ongoing.
About five writers received their Xmas gifts in form of books in a brief improptu competition led by the Director of Ceremony Monica Cheru. Titles of the books given away are Best Things in Life Are For Free by Beatrice Sithole, Blind Moon by Chenjerai Hove, Destiny by Virginia Phiri, The Stranger from Milanje by Sambalikagwa Mvoma and The Water Harvester, edited by Mary Witoshynsky.
Meanwhile, Cheru, is riding on the wave of her recently published book Chivi Sunsets-Not For Scientists (Diaspora Publisher), a copy of which she made available for fellow writers to see during the Get-Together.
Jerry Zondo pointed out in his closing remarks that WIN-Zimbabwe has shown the way that it is possible for writers not only to gather at the end of the year but also at the beginning and middle of the year.
This year's Writers End of Year Get-Together, running under the theme 'Un-clipping wings of the imagination' which also happens to be WIN-Zimbabwe's motto, was a mixed bag of informative and entertaining activities for the thirty two writers who gathered at the Book Cafe.
There were wonderful presentations from Rudo Nyangulu on how writers can benefit from blogging, Clever Kavenga on his journey from an unpublished to a published Shona language writer, and Mbizo Chirasha on the need for providing equal opportunities for boys and girls. The audience had lungs bursting with laughter with comedian Toropito, real name Shingirai Mutizwa, whose news bulletin was a tickling bag of humorous titbits. Memory Chirere's reading from his book Tudikidiki surely must have sent someone rushing to the bookshop to look for this splendid 'little' green book. Mashingaidze Gomo's reading from his book A Fine Madness transported the audience to the dark valleys of the then war-torn DRC. Listening to Gomo's voice you could hear the subjective pains and joys of characters caught in complex situation of war, mingled with a certain kind of love, like love for one's history.
Superb were the poetry recitals by Batsirai Chigama, Cynthia 'Flow' Marangwanda, Lexta Mutasa (who did an improptu duet with Samuel Mahuntse), Jerry Zondo, Lisbon 'Babamukuru' Chigwenjere, Barnabas Tumbare, and Jerry 'Zvavanhu' Mugweni. Mbizo Chirasha read a poem from his newly published poetry anthology Good Morning President (Diaspora Publisher) and Tinashe Muchuri also read from his forthcoming novel Chibarabada.
Chibarabada, according to the gifted Muchuri, is with a local publisher and the book will be published next year if all things go well.
Epworth-based Mbira Crew, who are mulling over becoming WIN-Zimbabwe's mbira band to provide entertainment and fuse mbira music with poetry at the association's public events, spiced the Get-Together with memorable traditional melodies that enticed Tinashe Muchuri, Olga Chakauya and Jerry Zondo to go to the stage to sing, dance and recite poetry while the mbira guys did their thing in the background.
Founder & Director Beaven Tapureta also presented his End of Year report which highlighted the activities done during the year. Tapureta said although the association could not hold some of the planned activities due to lack of funding, there were positive happenings in the background such as the release of a capacity building grant by the Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust to make business cards and brochure for WIN-Zimbabwe, the partnership with Global Arts Trust, and several meetings with individuals and organisations which were meant to enhance the association's mission and vision. He said the manuscript assessment program is also ongoing.
About five writers received their Xmas gifts in form of books in a brief improptu competition led by the Director of Ceremony Monica Cheru. Titles of the books given away are Best Things in Life Are For Free by Beatrice Sithole, Blind Moon by Chenjerai Hove, Destiny by Virginia Phiri, The Stranger from Milanje by Sambalikagwa Mvoma and The Water Harvester, edited by Mary Witoshynsky.
Meanwhile, Cheru, is riding on the wave of her recently published book Chivi Sunsets-Not For Scientists (Diaspora Publisher), a copy of which she made available for fellow writers to see during the Get-Together.
Jerry Zondo pointed out in his closing remarks that WIN-Zimbabwe has shown the way that it is possible for writers not only to gather at the end of the year but also at the beginning and middle of the year.
This year's Writers End of Year Get-Together, running under the theme 'Un-clipping wings of the imagination' which also happens to be WIN-Zimbabwe's motto, was a mixed bag of informative and entertaining activities for the thirty two writers who gathered at the Book Cafe.
Please enjoy the pictures snapped from the function by poet Batsirai Chigama.
Monica Cheru, the Director of Ceremony
The Epworth-based four-member mbira group which kept the writers entertained and provided a cool traditional music in the background
Jerry Zondo in a poetic trance doing one of his Ndebele poems, backed by mbira music
From left: Clever S Kavenga, Mashingaidze Gomo and Lexta Mutasa
'The Black Poet' Mbizo Chirasha presenting his paper before he read from his newly published poetry anthology 'Good Morning President'
'Vocal' the poet, dishing out the gems
Ivor W. Hartmann is a Zimbabwean writer, author of Mr. Goop (Vivlia, 2010), which was nominated for the UMA Award (2009) and awarded The Golden Baobab Prize (2009). His writing has appeared in African Writing Magazine, Wordsetc, Munyori Literary Journal, Something Wicked, and Sentinel Literary Quarterly, amongst others. He is the editor/publisher of StoryTime, and co-editor/publisher of African Roar, and he sits on the advisory board of Writers International Network Zimbabwe.
The StoryTime blog needs no introduction. It has become one of the valuable online publishing platform for many writers on the African continent. WIN-Zimbabwe followed up on the man who created this exciting and beautiful blog to briefly get the idea how he came up with the blog.
WINZ: Ivor, how was StoryTime established?
IVOR: StoryTime was conceived shortly after my return to serious writing in 2007, when I quickly ascertained the dire need for more independent African literature magazines, and thought to also take advantage of the internet to increase global exposure for the StoryTime writers. Thus the online African literature magazine StoryTime was born
WINZ: With StoryTime what do you want to achieve?
IVOR: StoryTime and African Roar are all about exposing new and established African writers to the world at large through the short story medium (and book excerpts in StoryTime). To this extent both have been successful, and more so as time goes on and their readership continues to grow.
WINZ: Is it possible in the near future to expect something like a StoryTime Award or Writing Contest?
IVOR: It’s a possibility, sure, but one that needs careful thought and good financial backing to be a serious African Literature award. So it’s definitely something I think about and might happen in the years ahead.
WINZ: So far you have published two editions of African Roar, that is, 2010 and 2011 editions. What are the submission guidelines?
IVOR: All the stories for the African Roar anthologies are selected from StoryTime exclusively. We (Emmanuel Sigauke and I) look at all the stories published over one year (August to August), and create a long-list of what we think were the best from that year and then further edit them with the authors for possible inclusion in the final annual anthology.
WINZ: Thank you Ivor, WIN-Zimbabwe wishes you & StoryTime a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
KHASIBHALENI
Old wounds
By
Jerry Zondo
Ngubani owazi lawo manxeba?
Abonwe ngubani?
Aphole nini?
Kanti asethunukwa ngubani?
Athunukala njani?
Ngubani ozwa ubuhlungu nxa esethunukele?
Athunukala kubani?
Ngubani okumele azwele omunye?
Ongigwazileyo nguye ongizwelayo
Ongibhuqileyo nguye ongelaphayo
Ongibhuqileyo nguye ongelaphayo
Ovodloze isizalo sikamama nguye ongikhalelayo
Obhinye izintombi zami libalele phambi kwami nguye ongiduduzayo.
Ophange ubuntombi babantwabami phambi kwami nguye oselobolisa
Ochithe ubuzwe bami nguye ongitshela ukuba ngibakhe njani
Umhlaba uyaphenduka
Okuphelayo akusahloli!
UMzilikazi umotshakele
UMthwakazi unyamalele
Ngiphele amathe
Nanso ke ikhukhulawudle!
THE REGULAR WRITER
With
Tinashe ‘Mutumwapavi’ Muchuri
Challenges Writers Encounter In Zimbabwe
It has been proven beyond doubt that Zimbabwean writers are informal entrepreneurs. They are informal entrepreneurs who indirectly employ formal employees and support formal businesses. When a writer’s work falls in the hands of a publisher, he/she is not involved in the publishing process. It seems when the book is sent to the publisher, the writer’s duty concerning the book stops there. The publisher edits, publishes, pays the printer, and distributes the writer’s work to booksellers and booksellers sell the book to readers.
Interesting to note that all the people employed in the process after a writer surrenders the book to a publisher, have formal and pensionable jobs. But the writer who spends years writing a novel doesn’t get pension at the end of the day. These other people along the publishing process have funeral cover, but when the writer dies, people will have to contribute so that the body can be interred properly. They have medical cover, but the writer has none. If he gets ill, he will have to depend on well-wishers to foot the bill.
It has been like this ever since and it is not promising to change soon. Why is the writer not able to stand on his/her own when faced by challenges in life? It is because the writer is an investor in a business that does not cede negotiating powers to him/her. The writer has a flat royalty, which is 10% of the wholesale price of each copy of his book sold. This is arrived at without taking into consideration that a writer has spent years nurturing the idea that becomes the book which the publisher now has 90% ownership. The writer, besides not having the negotiating powers, does not have the knowledge of how many copies of his/her books are printed and sold. He/she is only told and shown papers indicating the print run and some other insignificant details. At times the writer is not involved in the marketing, promotion or distribution of the book. All and sundry is left to the publisher. But as it has been proved, most publishers have no capacity to reach where the writer can reach. Examples of these places are the functions at which the writer is invited to present papers or do some reading. If the writer doesn’t buy his/her own book to re-sale at these venues, the writer will only tell would-be buyers that they contact the publisher in order to buy the book.
The writer only relies on the faith that the publisher who is a business partner will not shortchange him/her. Sometimes writers blast their publishers for not giving them money that is due to them and the publisher hit back saying they are not ‘donors’. The relationship between writers and publishers is based on this ‘delicate’ faith.
Writers are either paid once or twice in a year depending with the publisher. This has a bearing on the writer’s sustenance. If the writer is not employed somewhere else, it would be hard to survive properly. The writer then has to work somewhere in an industry that pays him/her a monthly salary to bring food at the table.
After about six months, a writer sometimes gets no news from the publisher who, when approached, tells the writer that the book did not make any meaningful business. You have to wait until it makes real business as the publisher cannot make a cheque of an insignificant $25.00. This means the writer has to spend another half year before the returns of his/her sweat come by. This is frustrating a lot. Even those writers who have more books on the market cannot survive from their books if the books are not textbooks. Yes, not because the people of this country are textbook readers, but because the writer of many books will be selling only two of the latest books. The previous ones are usually out of print. But it doesn’t mean that out-of-print books are out of demand. This gap is the one that the pirates have taken over from the publishers. They photocopy the old books giving them life on the market at a cheap price but not giving the author a life, because the money that the pirate gets from the sales is all his and the writer gets not a cent.
The other contributing factor is that the publisher’s targeted buyer is the student. Without the education system the publisher cannot survive. In this regard the publisher works hard to satisfy schools. So, almost all stories written and published in Zimbabwe are school material and for the classroom. Few are for the ordinary person in the street.
The writer is an employer who goes home by the kombi while his/her employees drive home in good cars. Like the river source that feeds downstream pools, the writer feeds all the other businesses that rely on the book. In the chain of book publication, there is the writer, publisher, printer, bookseller, illustrator, graphic designer, and the marketer.
The mere fact that a writer is being studied in schools doesn’t translate into the writer being well paid. It this day of piracy, the more books bought from the pirates the poorer the writer becomes. The writer is the one who ends up begging in the whole process. Of the two known Zimbabwean writers who survived through writing, one is a textbook writer and the other a children’s literature writer. The later survived through work published outside the country. It sounds discouraging, but take courage; we can make a difference together.
Until we meet next time, bye.
NGATINYOREI
Kudemba Kwamudhara Murekabwe
Na Clever S Kavenga
Zvamunoona kungofamba zvakunoita, hezvi tangoerekana tasvika nepamba pamudhara Murekabwe. Idzo dzacho mudhara Murekabwe tadziwana dzakarara zvadzo dzakazendama nemadziro emba. Mudzanga wefodya wasara kangori kachigutsvana rimwe rangova dota chete. Zvairatidza kuti hope dzaive dzavabata vachingonoputa zvavo fodya yawo.
Pamusha apa paimbova nemba nhatu asi ikozvino pangosara imba imwe chete yakamira. Hozi mbiri hadzisisina matenga adzo. Imwe yangosara chidziro chete , imwe yakaondomoka chidziro chacho. Apa pangosara matanda akagara pamatombo zvinoratidza kuti iyi yaimbovazve imba. Musha waMurekabwe wese wangova mazisora sezvinonzi pava pamatongo ipo pachitogara munhu nhai nhai!
VaMurekabwe vakabva vati burubudu kumuka. Vakashama ny’ai zvokuti taitogona kuverenga mazino aive mumukanwa mavo dai taida zvedu zvokuverenga. Haa iwo achimbova manganiko asaramo? Handiti mazhinji akatama kare , zvino akangoti rimwe apa mamwe apo sembeu isina kumera zvakanaka mumunda.
Padzakati baa kutiona dzakanyemwerera semunhu awana chaanoda mushure mekutambura nekudembetera zvikuru. Kutaura chokwadi neniwo handina kuziva kuti dzainyemwerera isu here kana kuti dzaifarira kupera kwehope?
Takamboramba takati zvedu zii, meso edu aive abiwa uye kuyeverwa nezvimedu zvimedu zvemidziyo zvataiona zvakangoti mwarara paisimbova pachivanze. Kana ndimiwo zvenyu mungachiti chivanze ipo pasina anokurira uswa , kana makumbo hawo anopfumbidza? Hezvi pava kungooneka tunzira tunzira tunofambwa naiwo VaMurekabwe pada pamwe nembwa yavo Tasarirenhamo. Hongu inenge yakasarire nhamo imbwa iyi. Handiti unotoverenga mbabvu dzayo kutoti posi piri tatu……. Wotozorega kuverenga nekunzwa tsitsi. Ko inopihwa naani sadza iwo vatenzi vachikwatawo mumaraini!?
Nyangwe zvazvo Tasarirenhamo isina chainowana kubva kuna VaMurekabwe inotoziva kuti uyu munhu ndiye tenzi wangu. Ngakudoke uone , apa ndipo unonyatsozomuziva Tasarirenhamo. Hapatsikwe pamba apa kana zuva radoka.
Kana muchiti ndinonyeba mozobvunza baba waPinjisi munzwe. Murume uyu akabviswa chiri kumeso nembwa iyi haana neremuromo kana. Akabvarurirwa mudhebhe ukasara wava kunge ‘siketi.’ Ukanzwa mudhara Kefasi wotaura unonzwa woti; ‘Bhurugwa rakaita kunge mhapa Tasarirenhamo adzanadzana naro kashoma.’
Mukuru uyu anonzi akamhanya zvokukanganwa zidumbu rake rizere masese. Hanzi vakamhanya sejaha zvokuti wairamba kuti ndiwo kudai makavaona panguwa iyi. Vakasvikopinda mumba mawo riri bara rine mare ndokumira wava muchikuwa. Izvi zvakavhundutsawo waive mumba vakatsokodzeranawo pamusiwo vachitizawo chavaisaziwa chaitizwa naSamusha mbune! Vakazotura mafemo vave panze vobvunzana kuti chinombova chiiko chavanotiza?
Pava paya vakazodzoka vopinda mumba muye. Imba yose yaiwe yonhuwa doro remasese raiwe rarutswa. Chavakangogona kutaura mudhara waPinjisi kungoti; ‘Mabasa aTasarirenhamo aya.’ Vakazongonzwa dzava ngonono chete munhu atobatwa nehope dzedoro!
Tasarirenhamo inochengeta musha watenzi nepo pamushapo pasina chokuchengeta chacho asi madziro chete atova kuondomoka!
Pasi peimwe hozi paive nengoma mbiri dzaive dzotatwa nemajuru . matehwe adzo aive akabvaruka bvaruka. Paivewo namapadza aiwe akarongerwapo asi mazhinji yaingove mipini chete yaingoimbirwawo nemajuru zuva nezuva pasina zororo.
Taingotarisa tarisa pedzezvo totarisana naTizvirinde. Handizivi kuti VaMurekabwe vaive vazviona sei kuti taive tayeverwa nengoma dzawo dzataiona idzo dzaive dzaparara zvadzo kudaro. Kana iyo mibvunzo yandaingozvibvunza muhana mangu ndinoshaya kuti vaive vainzwa sei? Iniwo zvangu Rungano ndaingozvibvunza ndichingoti; ‘Kuti ngoma idzodzi dzaimboridzwawo here? Ehee kuridzwa vanhu vachitamba guruva richionekwawo kumonana richikwira muchadenga ,uku vanhu huchingova uhotsi hotsi vachikachidzwa naro? Kuti zvaiitika izvi? Ndakaona ngoma idzi dzichidzora makore ekare vanhu vari mudzindari vachitambidzana mikombe izere ngemhamba. Mazuva epasichigare aiita maungira engoma idzi achidzokedzana mupfungwa dzangu.
‘Ko iwo mapadza ane mipini yakangoti ngwanda ngwanda zvinoreva here kuti pano paimbove pamusha pehurudza, kana kuti mhizha? Kana waiwe musha wemhizha matemo uye mapfumo nemapakatwa zviripi?’
Ndarohwa nehana pandanzwa idzo dzoti; “Wapfanaka kukurukurirwa hunyimwa mbare dzekumusana. Zvamunoona ngoma idzo dai dzaikurukura pada ndipo maizobvuma nokuti ndikataura ndiri ini munodzoka moti ndinozuwa kwazvo.
“Vakomana ndairova ngoma zvokuti vose vane mashavi aibuda. Ripi shavi raisarira? Ngoma dzangu dzakachatisa vanhu wakawanda vakomana muchiona zvenyu kudai kwavakusakara kwedowo serisakadyiwa nyama. Mbiri yekunakidza kwemuchato yaibuda chete kana ndaaiwe ndarova ngomapo. Zvisizvo waitonzwa vanhu vachingogunun’una kuti zvaingova zveutumbu hwatondondo.” Apa dzakambokosora zvadzo dzombozorora.
Hongu dai paiva nemvura taimbodzipa mukombe dzombonyautsa pahuro padzo. Takazonzwa pava paya dzoti zvakare: “Muno muNyanga hapana nzvimbo yandisina kutsika nengoma dzangu. Kubva Nyatoro kudzika Nyadowa, kubva Tsatse kunera Nyatate ndakasvika ini.
Ndaiti ndanyatsodzigarira naTiwefe midzimu yaibuda, vane mashavi emhondoro vachidzvova. Kuzoti iwo vakagarwa nemashavi ekutamba haikona kutaura yaingova nharitari vamwe vachipendekera samajongwe patseketsa. Kutarisa Tiwefe waiona musoro wavaparutivi uku akashamisa miromo misodzi ichiyerera nakunakidzwa baba!
“Mbiri yangu yakakurumbira zvokuti vainetswa nengozi dzairamba kubuda neni wainyepa. Dzaitobuda chete kana ndairova jekunje. Iyo ngoma huru iyo yaiwe noudzvovero zvokuti makomo aiita seachakoromoka uku achidzora maungira engoma pasi potinhira. Kunyangwe uri kure zvakadii wainzwa kuti yarira ngoma. Vamwe ndiwo vaitozosvika pamutambo vatogarwa kare nemashavi kana midzimu yavo! Zvaiti wodzana zvawo zvova mazauone kudya kwemeso pasina mukarirano. Ipo pasi ivhu richiita serinotamba tamba sezviye zvinoita mvura yepachitubu nokuda kwemutinhimira wengoma. Waizoona dariro richidirwa mvura kupudza hasha dzeguruva raitibuka.
Wakawanda vakadzi vandaipuhwa mvana uye mhandara asi ndairamba. Vazhinji vaizviwisira pamberi pangu vachida kuti ndivatore vaite vakadzi wangu. Wose ava ndaivafuratira. Ndaidawo wangu wekupfimbawo ndega. Kwete vanopfimbwa nengoma dzangu! Wokuzvitsvagira wega handiti ndiwo vanotirimutsa hana? Ndiwozve hawo vanounza rufaro rwunogutsa sesadza rezviyo rabikwa nenyama yembeva yakasanganiswa nedovi. Zvinotibvura hana pakuzonzwa mhandara yawaitsvira moyo ichiti; ‘Hongu ndinokuda!’
Apa iwe unenge wapedza mazuva namazuva uchimufambira wozongoti zvake zvinyoro nyoro: ‘Hongu ndada zvangu’ hwenge kunyepa! Hana inorova kutya kutambira rwawatsvaga rudo rwawazopihwa. Kakutya!? Kuzoti rwunouya rwega usina kana kumborwutsvaga kana kumborotawo zvako? Rwunotyisa. Rwunovhundutsa! Unoita seuchatiza kuenda kure kure kwarusingasvike nokuti unenge usina kugadzirira pokurwukotsa kutiwo mangwana rwutambarare. Zvamunoona rudo rwunenge jee!!”
“Rungano!” uyu ndiTizvirinde akadaro. Tose takabva taseka nokuti neniwo ndabvandaziva kuti Tizvirinde ari kundinyevera kuti mudhara uyu aive arwutanga rwake rwokuzuwa.
Takazonzwa mudhara Murekabwe woti zvake achidzungudza musoro; “Zvino nguva yandisiya musha wangu wava kunge dongo rehondo. Kana iyo mbiri yangu yangosarira mumapako endangariro. Ngoma hadzichina anoridza, iwo maoko ava kuita seasiangu. Dai ndakaziva wapfana panguvayo dai ndaibhadharisa mari pada nhasi saizvozvi ndisisaridzi ngoma ndavakudya penjeni yangu. Ko ndaizivei? Kana zvinhu zvichikufambira unofungei? Unongotizve zvicharamba ungori mutserendende. Kukanganwa pasi pane zvigumburo, zuva kujeka zvaro asi rinodoka. Radoka munhu anoda pokuzororera pakagadzikana. Zvino ini ndiri mukati memukurumbira hwangu ndaingotizve upenyu hucharamba huchiyerera semvura yemuguvi. Asi hezvi nhasi zvava nemunhikwi. Hongu ndavakungofamba ndichiposha nzira sendinofamba murima. Mari ndiwo wava musimboti wazvose. Ko zvose izvi zvaimborotwa nani kareko pasi richigere kurohwa nezamu rebere? Ndizvo nhasi uno ndavakunge rombe mumaziso ava zhinji kwazvo. Newo vasinditevera mazuvayo ndicharidze ngoma wondisemaiwo sevanoona imbwa ine gwembe.
“Dai ndakaziva ndakabvuma zvangu umwe wevakadzi vaye vandaipihwa ndichiramba. Anoziva ndiani zvimwe ndozvaive zvakanyorwa newedenga kuti ndiwo achazove mawaniro angu. Zvino achabvuma hwerengesha isisina mazino akaringana mukanwa ndiani?
“Hupenyu uhu, zvichina ani nhasi ndongoswera nendangariro neudai dai. Dai gore riye ndakazoti, dai mhandara iye ndakazoitora. Hazvipere kani hunongova hudai dai! Hudai dai hwezienda nakuenda.!”
Izwi raVaMurekabwe raive rizere nehasha dzokuzvishora pane zvose zvaive zvapfura muupenyu hwawo. Dai aive mumwe munhu aisvimha misodzi chete panguva iyi. Dzakazongoti zvadzo:
“Hazvina hazvo basa isu hatina chatinoziva. Kunyangwe ngoma dzatinoti taigona kuridza hatigone! Mwari chete ndiye muzivi wazvose. Paanotirongera tinenge tisipo, saka tongoisa upenyu hwedu mumaoko ake Samatenga. Vanhu vanofambawo murima sewe ndovanoona urombe hwako asi iye muridzi wazvose Ishe vanokuona semwana wavo, ruva ririkukura muvhu.”
Apa dzakatitarisa sedzaiona kuburikidza nemumagirazi. Dzaida kubvumira kunobva kwatiri asi tose taramba takanyarara.
Tazongonzwa dzoti; “Hongu ndizvozvo chete havangandione serombe nokuti ndibaba wedu tose asingasarudze , baba wenyasha dzakadzama senyanza”
Iyi ndiyo nguva takavaoneka asi handifungi kuti vakazvinzwa nokuti vakasimudzirazve nyaya yawo yengoma. Zvimwe vaive wotaurira imbwa yawo Tasarirenhamo yakabva kwayaibva ndokuzvambarara zvayo parutivi patenzi wayo.
-Tisangane muchikamu chinotevera, wenyu Clever Kavenga.
BREAKING NEWS – MLALAZI’S 3RD OFFERING
Christopher Mlalazi
Bulawayo-based and award-winning writer Christopher Mlalazi had this to say a few weeks ago on his Facebook page, “My third book, a fiction novel titled Running with Mother, has been accepted by Weaver Press (Zimbabwe) and will be published in February 2012. And Oh yes, I am happy that the number of books I have written is steadily increasing …another one is also in the pot right now and I am slowly cooking it.”
Previous books by Mlalazi:
NAMA Award winning and receiver of Honorable Mention at the NOMA Award for Publishing in Africa “Dancing with Life: Tales from the Township” (2008, ama’books, Zimbabwe)
What they said about “Dancing with Life”:
“I enjoyed tremendously the ‘Chase of the Week’. I was laughing alone in my place like a mad man. I think the story captures the real atmosphere of a township, and the vagaries of living there. I must say my favorite story, though, is the last one, ‘A Heart in my Hole’. I enjoyed the filmic technique or the kind of montage you make of the various shots in the life of the young man. And some of the images are fantastic, just magic,” part of renowned Zimbabwean writer Chenjerai Hove’s letter to Chris about ‘Dancing with Life’.
NAMA Award winning “Many Rivers” (2009, Lion Press Ltd, UK)
What they said about “Many Rivers”:
“Mlalazi's debut effort deflowers the Zimbabwean novel of its virginal innocence, breaking from the decent narratives of the grand oldies,” said Tinashe Mushakavanhu, University of Kent, UK. (Source: http://www.thelionpressltd.com/ )
Keep writing & publishing!!!!
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