The Sunday Mail
Book Review
Edmore Zvinonzwa
POETRY, as a genre, has always been known for its economy of expression; it communicates in very few words.
The beginning of African verse can be traced back to the continent’s folkloric tradition, which thrived on the lyrics in songs that were accompanied by dances, as people worked or engaged in battle.
This is the genre that Tamutswa Kundidzora Muzana and Rumbidzai Olivia Mubirira chose to use in their literary journey.
Their collection, titled “Nduri Kutapira”, has in excess of 40 poems that are thematically different, although they maintain the thrust of teaching, as well as entertaining readers.
The poems touch on different aspects of human life – including the social and economic dimensions. All the while, the poets are cognisant of their role, as artistes, of teaching their audiences.
The poems are very short but rich in messages, and would not bore any reader.
That they write in Shona is not accidental but deliberate. Creativity can be at its best when one writes in his or her mother tongue.
Besides, it is in line with the obtaining situation in the country, where Government has recognised and made official 16 indigenous languages. At the moment, consultations on the National Language Policy are at an advanced stage.
There is a tendency among people to look down upon anything that is local, including languages. In the past, the use of Shona was looked down upon to the extent that a learner could risk punishment for using their own mother language within school premises. Interestingly, there are jurisdictions that have enforced the use of indigenous languages as mediums of instruction for all academic studies.
Botswana is a typical example.
“Poetry brings out deep thoughts and emotions through very few words. I have read poems by Mordecai Hamutyinei, Tinashe Muchuri and several others.
“The collection contains poems that celebrate people’s exploits, as well as teaching people,” Muzana said.
Some of his poems such as “Musunganyama”, “Rega Aibve Matamba!”, “Chidadiso”, “Mberengera” and “Musekiwa” are clearly intended to teach readers.
“Pataurei Mushe” seems to explore the sincerity of people in modern Zimbabwean society when they shun the Shona practice of kugara nhaka (wife inheritance), when, deep down, they still have vested interests in it. It has always sounded unusual for a woman to propose to a man but in “Zvokuba Kutapira”, a woman does exactly that.
Muzana, a member of the Budding Writers Association of Zimbabwe, also has some poems for enjoyment.
“There are some that you just write for the sake of entertaining people.
“Initially, I was just writing for the sake of writing until academic and writer Memory Chirere encouraged me and Mubirira to put together our work into a single collection.
“It is Chirere who did the foreword to the collection,” Muzana said in an interview.
Muzana is a lawyer. He says in high school, he was forced to do Maths, Physics and Chemistry, but is now into the arts.
On the other hand — Mubirira, who was born on June 24, 1990 — is a holder of a diploma in Journalism and Communication. She has contributed to several other anthologies, including “Mafuro Manyoro” (2017), “Gwatsvira Gwenhetembo” (2019), “Inzwi Renharire” (2020), “Mwenje” (2022) and “Nduri Kutapira” (2022).
The two poets, who are avid readers themselves, have read other writers’ works as evidenced by the wealth of their expressions and messages in their works.
When you explore the poems, you see poets who are seriously looking at what is happening around them and would like to play a part in correcting these social ills.
