(This is an official newsletter of Writers International Network Zimbabwe, edited and published by its Publishing Unit – winzimbabwe@gmail.com)
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EDITORIAL
Remembering where we have come from: The late veteran actor, director and producer WALTER LAMBERT DEHWE MUPARUTSA gave WIN some space in his Global Arts Trust office along Chinhoyi Street from 2011 until his death in 2012. He was but a greater arts mentor. We appreciate the wisdom he shared with us.
We hope we find you well. We bring you our latest literary newsletter which you will find enjoyable.
We are glad to announce the winners of the 2022 WIN/JAC Script Writing Contest (See below). We say CONGRATULATIONS! As usual, we will keep the winners and you our readers updated about the rest of the process.
Meanwhile, WIN has a new physical abode in Epworth which will consolidate smooth planning and running of projects. The new WIN space is expected to provide an environment for growth.
We’re quite happy that the COVID-19 situation seems to be improving, though we still need to encourage one another to be alert for the sake of our beloved and ourselves. Now that venues are opening doors to literary events, we are seeing lots of poetry slams, book launches, writers’ meetings, et cetera, happening across the country. Forward with literary arts!
Thank you for the support.
The WIN Team
UPDATE: 2022 WIN/JAC WRITING CONTEST WINNERS
And the winners are…
Amanda Ranganawa
Brenda Dangare
Gamuchirai Mandebvu
Tinashe Dorobeni
Memory Dete
Makorokoto! Congratulations! Amhlope!
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WIN FORTIFIES READING PROMOTION PROGRAMME
Beaven Tapureta
Writer Vine Ziwane (left), who also sits on the WIN board, browsing a book with a young reader Courage Mlambo who is helping in the new WIN space in Epworth.
| On |
May 30, 2022, a parcel of 23 different books arrived in Harare from Bulawayo-based writer Ericah Gwetai, through celebrated film-maker Priscilla Sithole Ncube. The books were destined for the new WIN office-library which opened two months ago at one of the board members’ residence in Epworth.
Her generous donation adds to the growing show of support from Zimbabwean writers since the office started to run officially.
Of the 23 books, some are heavily annotated by Gwetai’s own pen, and these, she revealed, were part of study material for her degree some time ago. A few others are autographed by such great African writers as Chinua Achebe and her lovely daughter, the late Yvonne Vera.
Her passion for book giving can never be separated from her teaching profession, which she cherishes.
“The spirit of being a teacher has always been in me and even in my retired days I still find ways to educate the young and encourage reading. I encourage reading for both academic study and for adventure into different works of fiction literature. I have taught in the rural areas such as in Tsholotsho and I really understand the need for literature in the outer city areas, which is why I felt that I must donate books to the new WIN office-library Epworth in Harare. It is a community that has a lot of young children and adults that need literature to motivate their minds and lives,” she said.
Soon after WIN opened its new office, emerging authors such as Vine Ziwane, Tinashe Muchuri, Stella Chegovo, and Godknows Maremera, put weight behind the WIN project by donating few copies of their own published books.
The office, marked by simplicity and situated right in a high-density location where nothing like a library exists, has inspired WIN to seriously play its role in the promotion of reading in less privileged communities in Zimbabwe.
It is universally understood that promoting literacy will, in the long run, lead to a vibrant reading culture and eventually, a reliable book buying culture as the new literates would have been inspired to continue reading or look for books wherever they go.
Commenting on his organization’s new office and its refreshed stance in Zimbabwe’s reading development arena, US-based writer and WIN patron Professor Emmanuel Sigauke saw it as a space for writers either to hang out or to read, but especially to read.
“I see this as a space for writers to feel like writers, even if they come to hang out, or to read, but especially to read. It’s great that the budding centre is receiving book donations from authors. I consider reading works by other writers as more empowering than writing alone,” he said.
It is with deep gratitude that WIN has received such huge support from Zimbabwean writers and there are promises of more. The goal is to demonstrate that it is only through the united efforts of writers, publishers, libraries of any form, that the dignity of the Zimbabwean book industry can be restored.
PHOBIAS: THE MEDIA’S
ROLE COMES UNDER SPOTLIGHT
Beaven Tapureta
An engrossing two-day conference designed to de-bug the way the media presents all forms of phobias was held at the University of Zimbabwe from May 11 to 12, 2022, under the theme ‘Media Projections of Phobias in East and Southern Africa/Zimbabwe’.
The conference came into being courtesy of the Department of Creative Media and Communications.
Graced by the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting, Honourable Monica Mutsvangwa who was also guest of honour, and a delegation drawn from different professional backgrounds, the inaugural annual conference had much emphasis on the need for media research that should be conducted within the local context so that it produces new knowledge helpful to all information and communication stakeholders.
According to the rapporteurs’ report, in her speech Minister Mutsvangwa saw social and political phobias as impediments to social change. These phobias, the Minister said, are ‘forms of socio-political tensions that manifest in intolerance, excessive and unjustified fear, hatred and hate speech. Therefore, the quest to combat phobias is a central discourse in political engagements relating to justice, tolerance and diversity’.
While Africa and the world has had various experiences of phobias, she said it was recommendable that the conference ‘probes the degree to which the media projects, spreads and or combats phobias in East Africa and Southern Africa, generally, and Zimbabwe more specifically’.
Minister Mutsvangwa foregrounded the ‘need to do research and not only research but the kind of research that will not only change the society but also put media at the centre of national cohesion and development’.
University of Zimbabwe Vice Chancellor Professor Paul Mapfumo emphasized that ‘universities are expected and mandated to come up with researches that impact society, and in this context our media researchers are expected to come up with media data that will be useful in national development’.
Exciting were the incisive presentations and panel discussions held under different topics such as ‘The role of the political class and the media in combating xenophobia in South Africa’, ‘Harnessing the power of the arts and media in national cohesion, patriotism and national development’, ‘Kairotic moments in Zimbabwe: The church, media, national reconciliation and justice’, ‘Foe or Friend?: Zimbabwean media and the fight against phobias’, and ‘The media and body based phobias: misogyny, disability/ableism and sexualities’.
The Zimbabwean (and South African) media situation as regards coverage of phobias such as xenophobia was closely looked at under discussion topic ‘Foe or Friend? Zimbabwean Media and the Fight Against Phobias’.
The panellists, Prof I Mandaza, Prof Mhiripiri, Mr L Dube, Mr N Nyamutumba and Mr D Muleya illustrated how the case of Nyathi, a victim of xenophobia in South Africa was reported from biased angles.
The report shows that Prof Mandaza used Nyathi’s example to show how ‘the media has not been useful in bringing out xenophobia especially in South Africa. Nyathi was killed through stoning, burning and human beings were jeering on. Media did not do enough in South Africa to cover this story where a human being was killing another in South Africa’.
Prof Mandaza emphasized that Pan-Africanism, which dictates that ‘No African is foreign in Africa’ has to be installed in the media.
The report also says one of the panellists, Mr D Muleya said the ‘media sets the narrative. He highlighted that in South Africa, the narrative is ambivalent/ not clear. He made reference to a headline which said Nyathi murdered following the murdering of South Africans by foreigners. In his view, such a headline is confusing as to whether the journalist meant that Nyathi’s murder is justified because there was some murdering of South Africans that had just happened with the perpetrators assumed to be Zimbabwean or what?’.
Another panellist Prof Mhiripiri recommended that academics shouldn’t shy away from the fight against all phobias.
According to the report, Prof Mhiripiri saw it unfair to put the role of fighting against all forms of phobias entirely on the journalist but said ‘academics equally have a role to play in inciting these discourses through their research and so on...and academics have more time to research and write on these issues than the journalist who does not have much luxury if they are in the news room’.
The training of journalists in issues to do with phobias is paramount, so implied Mr Dube, the third panellist. He took it as “imperative that the media be schooled and knowledgeable. A lot of research has to be done because it gives a platform for fact checking some of the phobias we have.’
Mr Nyamutumba explained some matters of good media practice which the report mentions as follows: the media should be the truth, be informed in order to inform, and educated in order to educate.
Surely, interesting and mind-opening were all presentations and panel discussions as reported by the rapporteurs, and if these conference papers are published for academics and journalists, and other stakeholders, the foundation would be laid for a better understanding of, and therefore a better solution to, all phobias in Africa and the whole world.
Renowned writer and actor Aaron Chiundura Moyo also delivered guest lecture ‘Personal Reflections on Edutainment’ during the same conference but this writer couldn’t get an adequate report or recording of what he talked about.
However, in a short chat, fellow writer Tsitsi Nomsa Ngwenya who attended the conference said she enjoyed the key issues the legendary author tackled which include lack of originality and identity in our arts sector.
Ngwenya said she concurred with Chiundura Moyo’s acknowledgement of the Nigerian storytellers whom he said create stories which one can feel because they capture every little thing, even habits of the community where the story is happening, and through this, they build a touching context.
Chiundura Moyo had word of advice for our musicians also, that they should be original and creative.
Some Images from the Event
(Photos: Tatenda R C Moyo)
A C Moyo seen here with writer Tsitsi Nomsa Ngwenya
SINISTER MOTIVE LAUNCHED IN SOUTH AFRICA
Beaven Tapureta
Wellington Mudhluri with a copy of his novel Sinister Motive
From the author of a self-development book Stretch Yourself Beyond Limits (2020) comes a crime thriller Sinister Motive recently launched in South Africa where the author lives.
Wellington Mudhluri’s writing enthusiasm straddles fiction and nonfiction, and in his latest book, it finds such vivacious expression that we are left expecting more from him, even poetry!
Sinister Motive was well received at its official launch on May 10, 2022, at the Brass Bell restaurant in Cape Town, South Africa.
Tony White, who owns the venue, could not help share his excitement about hosting a book launch for the first time in all the forty years that he has been operating.
“There was never anything of this calibre; Wellington has made history at Brass Bell. It takes big brains to write a book, this is incredible,” he said.
One of the guests said she had begun preparing for the evening launch in the morning as it was a treat different from the usual friend-to-friend chat over a glass of wine.
From home (Zimbabwe), the author received special congratulatory messages from friends and relatives, including his publisher Samantha Nunu in Bulawayo and Writers International Network Zimbabwe. And some of the messages were read out at the launch.
A recorded short conversation conducted on stage between the author and Wendy Scarcella shows highlights of Mudhluri’s life as a writer living in South Africa.
He also spoke about his book.
“I wrote about a mother being abused in Soweto, a South African township. I wrote about an orphan longing for his mother’s love. I wrote about death of innocent people. All these things being caused by a sinister motive,” he said.
For Mudhluri, the book launch was a springboard to the next level. He told WIN there is hope that Sinister Motive could be adapted into film in South Africa.
And he hasn’t forgotten the readers back home who are eagerly waiting to grab a copy.
“I receive calls from readers in Zimbabwe who are greatly interested in the book. I am arranging ways to reach out to them with through local bookstores. And I will also put it on Amazon for the international readers,” he said.
Sinister Motive, set in South Africa, is truly a suspenseful story, well-plotted, and one that delves deep into the heart of a society besieged by organized crime, corruption, broken families, inheritance struggles, and much more.
It follows the life of an orphan named Xolani who grows up to become the bone of contention in a complex network of crime without him knowing about the schemes. One of the outstanding characters is Xolani’s mother, actually a courageous woman who bears all the grief, pain, loneliness, while hoping for a better future for her son.
Wellington Mudhluri grew up and attended both primary and high school in Zimbabwe. He later went to South Africa to study Economics at the University of South Africa.
The author being interviewed on stage by Wendy Scarcella
Some of the guests attentively listening to the proceedings
ZIM AUTHOR SHINING IN CHINA
SHENZHEN - Philanthropist Tracyhappy Chipo Munjeri is making waves in China and across the globe after publishing her bestselling, debut book ‘Surviving the Agony of Shame’ recently.
Chipo Munjeri aka Tracyhappy poses with her book Surviving The Agony of Shame
THE YOUTH PERSPECTIVE
How Does African Literature Influence Society Today?
Mimi Machakaire
In today’s society, the themes in the literary traditions of contemporary Africa are worked out frequently within the strictures that are laid down by the imported religions, Christianity and Islam, and within the struggle between traditional and modern, between rural and newly urban, between genders, and between generations.
Through research, we can safely say that oral tradition is evident in the popular literature of the marketplace and the major urban centres, created by literary storytellers who are manipulating the original materials much as oral storytellers do, at the same time remaining faithful to the tradition. However, some of the early writers sharpened their writing abilities by translating works into African languages; others collected oral tradition, and most experienced their apprenticeships in one way or another within the contexts of living oral traditions.
Even more so, there was a clear interaction between the deeply rooted oral tradition and the developing literary traditions of the 20th century. This means that the interaction is revealed in the placing of literary works into the forms of oral tradition.
The impact of the epic on the novel, for instance, continues to influence writers today. The oral tradition in the work of some of the early writers of the 20th century, Amos Tutuola of Nigeria, D.O. Fagunwa in Yoruba, Violet Dube in Zulu, S.E.K. Mqhayi in Xhosa, and Mario António in Portuguese, is further readily evident.
It was also recorded that, some of these writings were merely imitations of the oral tradition and were therefore not influential. Such antiquarians did little more than retelling, recasting, or transcribing materials from the oral tradition. On the other hand, the work of writers such as Tutuola had a dynamic effect on the developing literary tradition; such works went beyond mere imitation.
In the end, the most successful early African writers knew what could be done with the oral tradition; they understood how its structures and images could be transposed to a literary mode, and they were able to distinguish imitation from organic growth.
Another example can be found when Guybon Sinxo explored the relationship between oral tradition and writing in his popular Xhosa novels, and A.C. Jordan (in Xhosa), O.K. Matsepe (in Sotho), and R.R.R. Dhlomo (in Zulu) built on that kind of writing, establishing new relationships not only between oral and written materials but between the written and the unwritten; that is, between the writers of popular fiction and those writers who wished to create a more serious form of literature.
Therefore, after all is said and done, writers in Africa today owe much to African oral tradition and to those authors who have occupied the space between the two traditions, in an area of creative interaction.
CONCLUSION
There’s a lot that can be highlighted not only in literature but in African literature and storytelling overall. This art can be seen as an imitation of human action. It often presents a picture of what people think, say and do in society. For example, in literature, we find stories designed to portray human life and action through some characters who, by their words, action and reaction, convey certain messages for education, information and entertainment.
While we can safely say that the distribution of African Literature has been carefully developed over time, we still need to put more out there for the sake of our growing generation and posterity. The youth is still learning about their African stories in entertaining yet creative ways; this means that as we age over time the narrative ages with us.
For example, Modern African literature has gained recognition worldwide with writers such as Mazisi Kunene, Ngugi wa Thiongo and the late Okot p'Bitek who first wrote some of their works in African languages before translating them into English. Someone once said, "Tell them the story. Just tell them. We are all witnesses."
While story means so much in every culture and ethnicity, we as Africans come from a long line of storytellers, and we seek out the stories that shed light on who we are. Therefore we have the power of storytelling to use not only as a reflection of society but also as a corrective mirror in which members of the society can look at themselves and find the need for positive change.
BOOK REVIEW
By Fortune Munsaka
Behind The Desk is a book by Emmah Kasukuwere (pictured), one of the Zimbabwean contemporary poets whose ambition is to revive and zoom all the life-ills under her poetic binoculars. Emmah's observations in Behind The Desk, as the title richly symbolizes, deal with life in the office and brings forth a common, yet gruesome reality in the heart of our society.
The title itself complements the subjects tackled inside the book. This is mostly reflected in the poem “Stronger”, "The Boss" among many others which strongly speak out about patriarchal acts and work class incongruence.
The poet’s simple and straightforward narrative style holds some taste of originality and this accommodates every reader despite their level of literacy. And through her creativity, Emmah does not leave her style trite. She proves the uniqueness of her writing.
Behind The Desk is decorated with consistent and complete messages which do not leave a reader hanging but craving for more. One of the poems that tickle is ‘The Boss’ which makes impact through its conversational and dramatic style.
Hello Sir, you called me, I spoke shyly.
Yes I called you and what took you so long?
Are you proving to be an incompetent secretary In the first few days?
I remained silent.
This is interesting. Very few poets take this route of creating poetry so alive through simple conversations.
Striding down the pages of Behind The Desk one may discover the significance of this work as the poet wears a feminist robe, baring all work place and social ills. A victim can easily relate to a poem “My Home” while after feasting on it, will feel refreshed because there's sharing of same sentiments with the persona.
I come from a home,
A home where abuse exists among relatives,
I get abused by a male relative,
Silence is key,
For we may end up losing family.
Yes this is my home.
Emmah Kasukuwere is a poet worth genuine acknowledgement for her artistic way of bringing relevant themes in Behind The Desk such as women empowerment, entrepreneurship, girl child protection, and women’s rights.
(Fortune Munsaka is an author, poet and attested International Human Rights and Peace Ambassador. He is also Founder and Director of Creative Minds Alive and a Publishing Consultant at PreDawn Books & Films, a division of CREATIVE MINDS ALIVE)
THE SOURCE
(Motivation for girls)
Pastor Stella Chegovo, author of the book The Source, after which the column is named
A Girl’s Mindset Should Be Clean
What is mindset? These are thoughts and beliefs that shape your habits. What does God say about mindset?
Set your mind on the things above not on the things that are on earth. Colossians 3: 2
I like this verse. As a teenager you should set your mind on the things above because the things above bring you good life. If you follow this verse, you will not rush for things that are not of your age, but you will be content with what you have.
Too much craving for things that you cannot afford will lead you into trouble. Your mindsets, my dear girls, have to be washed by the blood of Jesus so that you think right and please God. You need to have clean mindsets.
Earthly things lead you into trouble. For example, as teenage girls you may think about going to beer halls or night parties or clubs or any of those unsafe places, believing that no one will see you.
This earthly activity will receive condemnation from your parents. Everyone else in society will ban their daughters from associating with you because they will take you as bad influence. They become afraid that you might go with their daughters to the beer hall. So you will lose respect and dignity by being more into earthly things. You need to be associated with the Word of God.
Another earthly thinking which you are not allowed to have at your age is about having boyfriends. You will disappoint your parents or your guardians by getting into these relationships early.
Some of you do it just because your friends are doing it. I say, stay away from this activity because you will lose your concentration at school and your performance will drop. You will start lying to your parents/guardians about your whereabouts, so be very careful not to be involved in this earthly activity which will destroy your future.
Girls who have rushed to have boyfriends while they are teenagers have paid the high price: pregnancy and dropping out of school, which is very disheartening and you will be a disgrace to your family.
Wrong friends are an ‘earthly activity’ which will lead you to have bad relationships with your parents and relatives. When you have a bad friend nothing good comes out of that connection because the Word of God says bad company corrupts good morals. A bad friend will drive you to do what you are not supposed to do; you will be doing something that will make you hate yourself in the end. You will not listen to your parents. You will become rude and would not want to help with some household chores or look after a baby. The devil will tell you that it’s not your job to do all that.
It is your duty to help your parents. Focus your mind on the things above, honor your parents and refuse to associate with wrong friends.
If you happen to have a mobile phone, abusing it is another earthly activity that is not good for you because it chokes the Holy Spirit in you and you will not be able to hear the voice of God.
If you are connected to wrong friends you will end up receiving wrong messages in your phone, wrong audios, wrong videos and pictures. This will make you want to follow or practice what you hear or see in your phone. The devil is cunning he will trap you through your phone.
A phone should be used for online academic researches or studies and good communication with friends and relatives. This will bring pleasure to those around you, especially your parents/guardians because you have nothing to hide. Do not use your phone to search for evil sites because soon you will be like those people you see doing evil things, which is not good for you.
And do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind so that you may prove that the will of God is that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12: 2
Worldly thinking is condemned by the Word of God. The emphasis on this issue is greater because the world does not bring anything good. Yet the kingdom of God has abundance of good things. So as teenagers, read the Word of God, for it has directions for your life.
Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of Love, if there is any fellowship of the spirit, if any affection and compassion make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love united in spirit, intent on one purpose.
Philippians 2: 1-2
I want to highlight the part which says being of the same mind. Our mindsets should be united; we should not change like the waves of the sea. Unity will help us to come out with one thing in life without confusion. Thinking too much causes confusion. So let’s do what the Word wants us to do and let’s not have confusion.
I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds. Jeremiah 17: 10
Let us have a pure mind so that when God tests it He finds positive thinking and our rewards will be great because God loves to see us all using our minds to think right things. He rewards us in abundance when we please Him.
I urge you girls to score 100 percent mark when we are tested by God because our results determine what we get from God.
Lastly, think about things from Above as we are told to do by the Word of God. Have unity in spirit and mind as advised by God, and score high marks when tested by God so as to be rewarded according to your deeds.
God bless you.
ONLINE WRITING POLLUTING ZIMBABWEAN SOCIETY?
Johannes Mike Mupisa aka Chana CheMasvingo
The digital age which has crucified the reading culture in the young and old, especially of hard copy literature, has its fair share of pros and cons.
The digitization drive undertaken by the government and that was at its peak during the Government of National Unity through the Ministry of ICT left the greater part of the population with smart phones and access to the internet and its various social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter and Instagram.
Politicians, business people, celebrities, artists and other business personnel took advantage of this to advertise themselves and their products.
The writing community was not left behind in this scramble but it was the birth of a new breed of authors. It was their avenue to get their work published after facing hurdles pursuing the traditional route. With all the tedious processes that authors were made to go through to have their work published, online writing came as a breath of fresh air, so it seemed.
Through social media platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook, authors accrued huge following. Some of the pioneers of this breed of authors are Brighton Gundani, Lovely Rutendo Nzira, Dr TM, Mai Tee of Mai Tee Stories and many others.
The novels and books shared on social media are easy to read but never follow the conventions of general writing, with some full of grammatical errors and with a mix-up of languages.
In as much as this has helped the writing industry to remain active, this breed of writers has also polluted society in some way. Explicit and very pornographic literature is distributed on WhatsApp. It seems this type of writing, written mostly in first person, has a much huge following on social media.
Max of Max Stories who is one of the pioneers of erotic writing says that through his writing he teaches people about what society regards as a no-go area but a necessity in everyday life. He said through erotic writing he takes the place of the traditional tetes and uncles who had the role of teaching about ‘bedmantics.’
However, he also admitted that some women especially the married ones inboxed him and ask if he could put into practice with them what he theorizes in his writing.
Online writing is the panacea to the woes and the troubles met in traditional publishing but without censorship, this type of writing has negative social influence. It leaves the young with the urge to exercise these sacred erotic sessions out of curiosity aroused by the rompy sex episodes detailed in these books.
The majority of the erotic stories celebrate extramarital relationships most of which involve unprotected sex.
It is high time authors take it upon themselves to be responsible so that they make positive influence on society. With the power of words authors should encourage unity, peace, political tolerance and Ubuntu rather than spread negative influence on society. They should be champions of positivity.
VOICE FROM THE MOUNTAINS
Clever Simbarashe Kavenga
AUTHOR PROFILE
Penjeni Madzikangava, writer, journalist and musician
Still waters run deep!
To some people Penjeni Madzikangava is just a simple man from next door. But to us in the arts community he is our shining diamond! He is a writer, musician and journalist. He is a man bred from the rich dark soils of Dande Valley and now flourishing as an artist in the city of flowers and beauty that's Mutare.
Welcomed to this world in the early `70s in Chipiso Village under Chief Chiswiti, Penjeni did not endure the burning sun of Dande for long as his parents shifted to the cool environments of Manicaland. He left Chipiso village as a child and grew up in Mutare where his father was employed. During those early years of his life they lived in Dangamvura where he did his primary at Rujeko before he passed through the bright gates of Dangamvura and Nyamauru where he did his secondary schooling.
It is during the time when he was still a student at Nyamauru High School that a school magazine called 'The River Post' was established and Madzikangava was selected as one of the magazine editors.
The writer in him was awakened. His gift with the written words started to show to the people out there.
The joy in creative writing pushed him to enrol at Christian College of Southern Africa (CCOSA) and trained in journalism and communication in 1994.
Madzikangava has so far published two novels. His novel Tears and Scars was nominated for the National Arts Merit Awards in 2017. His second novel is titled Dungeon of Despair, a sequel to Tears and Scars.
Madzikangava says he has more that’s coming and he feels proud of his buns still in the oven. Soon or later, this project with scripts called 'Under Siege' and 'Echoes From The Ghetto', could hit the bookshelves near you. He is also polishing up a handbook for trainee journalists titled The Source.
Madzikangava is also into music and he is one of our shining stars raising Mutare high in the arts industry.
A father of three children, Madzikangava currently lives in Hobhouse with his family.
About the situation in the arts sector, he feels that many artists are vulnerable in these trying times. The goose that once laid golden eggs especially for writers is dead and buried. Piracy is spelling doom for the poor writers. However, he says not all is dark and gloomy, for where there is life there is hope. Perseverance breeds success.
ZIBF COMMEMORATES WORLD BOOK & COPYRIGHT DAY
The Zimbabwe International Book Fair (ZIBF) commemorated this year’s World Book and Copyright Day with a live webinar on May 6 in the afternoon.
Under a localized theme ‘Book Publishing and Copyright’, the webinar had three presenters Masimba Tinashe Madondo, a publisher, Ralph Kadurira, a writer, and Freddy Michael Masarirevu who is a legal expert.
Visit the following links to ZIBF Facebook page to access what transpired on May 6:
World Book and Copyright Day: It
is also known as World Book Day. It is celebrated every year on April
23 to highlight the importance of reading books. According to UNESCO,
"storytelling is an incredibly effective tool when it comes to educating
younger generations." The day is also dedicated to paying respect to
renowned authors, including William Shakespeare, Miguel Cervantes, and
Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, who died on this day. In 2022, the World Book
Capital is the Mexican city of Guadalajara.
CHILDREN’S LITERATURE
The Old Man And The Lions
By Aleck Kaposa
The afternoon sun shone through shreds of white clouds that hung high in the sky as the three brothers, Noel, Big Bother Pias and Ali made their way out of Mudzururu forest near Lilfordia Farm. Their shirts’ and trousers’ pockets were full of ripe matohwe which they had been gathering since mid-day.
The forest was dense with rock outcrops and hillocks here and there, thousands of munhondo, muhacha, mutiti, muchecheni, muhute, muonde and acacia trees and tall grass. Eight year old Noel was a little bit afraid of the chattering monkeys swinging from one tree to the other and the birds that made strange sounds.
“I am afraid of those monkeys and things from the forest that are making strange sounds,” he said in a low voice and looked up ahead in the distance, towards the black hill known as Gomo raSatani.
“There is nothing to be afraid of, Nono,” Big Brother Pias said calmly as they continued walking on the narrow path snaking around thickets. “We have got our catapults and this big knife here.”
“Nothing will harm us here in this forest Nono,” Ten-year old Ali said to try and drive Noel’s fears away. “There are no dangerous animals at all. It is just the monkeys, the birds and the tall trees and tall grass…”
Suddenly there was a loud roaring sound from somewhere not far away from where they were. The three boys suddenly stopped in their tracks and listened as the piercing sounds came again and again. The trees and the rock outcrops nearby seemed to shake, as if a strong wind was blowing.
“I think it’s some wild pigs fighting,” Pias said, his heart thudding loudly like a drumbeat. “Let’s continue walking.”
“We will get home soon,” Ali said, getting hold of Noel’s trembling hand. “Don’t be afraid of anything Nono….”
The roaring sound came again but this time it was louder and more frightening.
Then Noel looked at the narrow path ahead of them and screamed.
“Look my brothers!” he said, pointing at three advancing animals.
When the three boys gazed in front of them, they saw three lions running towards them, raising some dust. Pias quickly grabbed both Noel and Ali by the hands and started running in the opposite direction.
“Let us pray,” Noel said as they tore through bushes and tall grass with the three lions getting closer with each passing moment. “Jesus, please save us. Amen.”
At that very moment there appeared in front of them a very old man with white hair and long beard holding a long stick.
“What are you boys running away from?” the old man asked.
“The lions!” the three boys screamed together, pointing at the advancing lions.
“Come with me. I will take you home.” the old man said pointing at the lions with his long stick. When the lions saw him, they suddenly stopped and stood still.
The old man held the three boys’ hands and walked past the lions which all looked away and started yawning. The boys’ hearts beat loudly but they held onto the old man’s thin hands. The lions then turned and started running away towards Gomo raSatani.
“Don’t be afraid of the lions,” the old man said.
After walking for about one and half kilometers in total silence held firmly in the old man’s arms, the boys were relieved to see the farm compound appear not so far away at last. At that very moment they met an old white lady, Mrs. Lilford who had a gun.
“Hallo boys did you see any animals around here?” she asked.
“We saw three lions that wanted to attack us and …” Noel said.
“You did?” Mrs. Lilford said in surprise. “Those lions escaped from the Lion and Cheetah Park this morning.”
“Yes, they were going to attack us but the old man stopped them?”
“Which old man, and where is he?” Mrs. Lilford asked.
“He is… was…” Noel said stammering.
The three boys looked all over around them but could not find the old man.
“He just disappeared a few moments ago.”
“That sounds strange,” Mrs. Lilford said and started walking towards Gomo raSatani.
SOMETHING GOOD IN STORE
FOR YOU EARLY JULY
Pastor Rhoda Mafukidze
***
THANK YOU FOR READING.
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