What a beautiful talent Zim had in Vimbai

ALL she sweated for all these years, the pride the industry had in her, all what Zimbabwe expected of her, just ended so tragically in Johannesburg, South Africa, the land which we have long regarded as offering milk and honey.

Anne Nhira, better known as Vimbai Jari from the soapie Studio 263 and the industry’s dreams on her, all ended in South Africa on Tuesday.

When Population Services International (PSI) asked the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation to create a soapie, I was by then working for Radio Zimbabwe as an executive producer/presenter.

I was then further promoted to chief writer and was transferred from Radio Zimbabwe to television, mainly for the purpose of creating Vimbai’s story, which didn’t come that easy, if I may put it that way.

PSI gave me their concept and they were very clear about what they wanted.

They didn’t want a story that was similar to the ZBC dramas. I was later told that someone at ZBC Pockets Hill had created a story which PSI rejected at first sight.

When my turn came, I created two storylines which were rejected by PSI because they said it was in the same class with my dramas, which had appeared on ZTV.

Raisedon Baya, who had joined ZBC and was working under me, had his story rejected as well.

I then held a meeting with Shimtro and Jumbo from PSI at ZBC in Agnes Gwatiringa’s office. She was head of production then, which means she was my boss.

Gwatiringa wanted to write the story herself, but the ZBC chief executive officer and the guys from PSI had much interest in it.

I asked what PSI wanted and I listened carefully to Shimtro’s long talk and after he was finished, they were all surprised to hear me shouting: “I got it now! I am going to create the story surrounding a girl named Vimbai.”

I went home and created Vimbai Jari, Chenai and Tendai on one hand and then John Huni and his family as well as few more major characters like Tendayi, James, Jabulani and Tom and gave details of each character and gave PSI these, including the story summary.

And finally, PSI accepted the storyline and Vimbai’s character very much as well as that of Tendayi and others.

Then Nhira handled Vimbai’s character so well and she became the face of Studio

263 since she played her role so nicely.

I never directed even one scene of Studio 263, I was just the chief creator.

I was with her in my mind whenever I created episode after episode. She was the centre of my creative imagination such that she appeared on every episode during my time

If she had not performed her role well, I was going to lose my credibility not only from PSI, but the ZBC bosses who had promoted me for the purpose of writing the said story.

Thank you Nhira, your performance kept me on the job.

Rest in peace.