Zimbabwe’s story through Karuru’s eye

What made our fallen comrade and Sekuru a standout in his field, was that even though he only had one functional eye at his disposal, his vision of Zimbabwe in particular and Africa in general confirmed the immeasurable value and beauty of the naked eye.

FOR those of us who have had the honour and privilege of visiting both Zimbabwe’s National Heroes Acre or the Provincial Heroes Acres in the 10 provinces, we were truly blessed to learn and absorb the illustrious history and narrative of all the great comrades, who were granted the honour of being laid to rest among those considered to be the nation’s most iconic frontline warriors.

What this process teaches every visitor to the acre, is a lesson that will echo in their hearts and minds for months and years after the actual visit, that each and every national or provincial hero is a by-product of a heroic people.

This is the only way to capture the life and times of Presidential Photographer Sekuru Artwell Karuru, who recently transitioned to the ancestors. He will be remembered not only for his patriotism and professionalism, but his reserved yet electric personality.

While we offer the sincerest condolences to the family of such a beautiful and selfless spirit, it is hard to imagine our comrade and Sekuru, if he was still a part of our physical space, feeling comfortable accepting all the loving praise and accolades from all who came in contact with him. Because our comrade and Sekuru was a marvellous listener, who could not be fooled by shady characters, one thing we know for sure is after being convinced he was truly worthy and deserving, his response will be his trademark laughter often heard everywhere he travelled on duty for the nation he loved with all of his heart and soul.

Since the beginning of the Third Chimurenga US-EU imperialism deliberately and strategically focused on the traveling schedule of former president R. G. Mugabe, which appears to be a dynamic that President Mnangagwa will also have to deal with whenever he travels to articulate and defend Zimbabwe’s cause throughout Mother Africa and the African Diaspora.

Our former colonisers and enslavers were at work just 48 hours ago, when using social media to propagate the notion, that President Mnangawa was barred from attending the African Union Extraordinary Summit in Kigali, Rwanda. The end result is usually the same, Africa’s enemies with egg on their faces, because in the face of neo-colonialism Zimbabwe will always stand out as an alternative aimed to break this detrimental cycle.

While spinning and weaving this poisonous account that blankets and generalises every member of the Presidential delegation, as a traveling circus of jetsetters, who can’t wait to touch down in countries the world over and begin a never ending shopping spree, ignores the labour and dedication to Zimbabwe and Africa that best defined Sekuru Karuru.

A few years back opportunists and reactionaries representing ZANU-PF in name only were able to board planes and go to New York City for the UN General Assembly, and make tailors in high profile department stores and boutiques work overtime fitting them for custom made suits.

It is unfortunate that neo-colonialist journalists who took absolute joy in exposing this story, chose not to follow our Sekuru and comrade’s movement between Zimbabwe’s UN Mission and the actual UN headquarters 14 blocks away on 42nd street.

During the General Assembly NYC’s usually suffocating traffic and congested sidewalks, are three times worse, due to the presence of virtually every Head of State and government in the world and the security details they command.

This meant our comrade and Sekuru had to carry his camera equipment sometimes three times a day 14 blocks at a time, to photograph sessions and private meetings, that were part of former President Mugabe’s itinerary and program. Since it is now public knowledge about his struggles with diabetes, we can appreciate the discomfort he endured while dutifully carrying out his mission.

Since the opportunistic faction of opposition reporters is the one that screamed to US-EU imperialism, that the manner they chose to distort and butcher the truth somehow represents journalistic integrity, perhaps the life and work of Comrade and Sekuru Artwell Karuru can bring truth to light.

Let us bring Zimbabwe’s attention to an extremely meagre establishment called the Queens Motor Inn in New York City, where for several years our comrade and Sekuru shared a room with his equally patriotic counterpart Comrade Joseph Nyadzayo.

They would split the cost of the room at US$60 apiece, the rooms did not have a restaurant for them to purchase food on the premises. It would interest our comrade and Sekuru’s fellow countrywomen and men to know that the dilapidated Queens Motor Inn, would probably not be allowed to have an operating business license to function in Zimbabwe.

Every day at the General Assembly began with the Press delegation crammed in a passenger van with their media equipment, after waking up at 6am in the morning and getting on the road at 7am hoping to beat the traffic to get to the UN. The everyday Zimbabweans who move around in the 1987 Toyota Mini Vans that serve as the main Kombi vehicle for public transportation, should know when carrying out their duty in the city that never sleeps, Zimbabwe’s Press corps moved around exactly like they do.

Thanks to the shenanigans and fascist disposition of UN police officers who are extremely hostile to the Zimbabwean Press Corps, Our Sekuru and comrade was separated completely from the actual Presidential delegation that meant possibly missing several meetings he was there to cover in the first place.

Our comrade and Sekuru never complained about how this hampered his ability to work, we say to all this is the stuff that true patriots are made of, unfortunately the high profile of former president and liberation icon R. G. Mugabe and ministers, who would attend the UNGA overshadow the simple, yet dignified manner that our comrade and Sekuru approached his work.

The manner in which our comrade and Sekuru photographed the former president can be compared to how the legendary photographer James Van Der Zee, considered by many the eye of the Harlem Renaissance, covered the Honourable Marcus Mosiah Garvey and UNIA-ACL. Mr Van Der Zee once said “Being an artist, I had artist’s instincts. You can see the picture before it’s taken; then it’s up to you to get the camera to see”.

If this simple, yet eloquent description of how a photographer and their cameras truly become one entity, we can wholeheartedly accept that our comrade and Sekuru, was as comfortable with his camera as Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis were with the trumpets or Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk were behind the pianos.

Throughout the years many organisers in solidarity with Zimbabwe were undeniably guilty of being extremely overzealous, about seeking audience with former president Mugabe and his ministers, some who handled the former president’s programme have been accused of exhibiting this same tendency when determining who was worthy of having access.

What both groupings appeared to overlook is the wisdom, knowledge and honesty about the Zimbabwe question, if they sat down with the likes of our fallen comrade and Sekuru, whose account of his beloved nation’s strengths and weaknesses were articulated without malice or dramatisation.