‘Poverty has destroyed Zim’s reading culture’
ZIMBABWEAN authors Andrew Chatora and Tsitsi Nomsa Ngwenya, who recently published new books, say the reading ethos in Zimbabwe will remain in the woods for some time to come until there is a change of fortune in the economy.
Despite the country’s high literacy rate within sub Saharan Africa, England-based author Andrew Chatora says there is a mismatch between the high literacy rate and the public’s reading affinity in the country.
Chatora recently published a book titled Harare Voices and Beyond which he says continues to make significant inroads within and beyond Zimbabwe and has currently been chosen as a Wayfarers Intralingo Book Club nomination which is a Canadian based book club.
“The mismatch between the high literacy rate and the public’s reading affinity is mainly because of the perennial economic crisis within the country, which prevents people from buying books for leisure reading," he said.
“You will notice, there is a difference in terms of other nations like England where it is easy to get books from online retailers and from shops. What I am saying is the environment obtained here (England) is favorable to cultivating a reading ethos. In Zimbabwe, people may want to read, but they do not necessarily have the financial wherewithal to afford buying books.”
Tsitsi Nomsa Ngwenya who is one of Zimbabwe’s prominent writers who writes in Ndebele, recently published her book titled ‘A Portrait of Emlanjeni’ under a UK based Carnelian Heart Publishing said writers are writing but one can hardly see creative works in books stores as the reading culture has been left for the elite.
“Book lovers cannot afford buying books just to read for entertainment like people used to do before, people would rather think of where they will get the next meal than a book. The reading culture has been left for the elite and you find books stocked up in elite schools,” Ngwenya said.
“Most public libraries and ordinary schools lack books and we cannot talk of a reading culture without books in public libraries. Writers are writing but now one can hardly see creative works in bookstores as publishers are no longer keen in publishing novels and if they do maybe only 10 copies are printed with compromised quality due to lack of finances thereby making these books disappear fast.”
She added that the economic crisis in Zimbabwe has led to book piracy which has proved to be counterproductive to the nation’s reading culture.
IN a bid to promote his new album, musician Jeys Marabinihas embarked on a tour dubbed Jeys Marabini Meet the People.
Marabini will take his new album-Xola to Harare on April 28 to May 1 with the main show at Theatre in
The Park where he last performed in 1995. Other shows will be staged in Ruwa and Msasa.
“I am embarking on a tour to promote my latest album and to promote the brand Jeys Marabini. I will be performing at Theatre in the park for the first time since 1995 and during that time I was singing imbube. The venue is a neutral place where one can bring their family and children” he said.
“This tour means a lot to me, it means growth for the brand and music. We are happy to be sharing our music with different audiences across the country.”
The album was released last year in November after he had taken a sabbatical from music due to illness.
Marabini is working on videos off the new albumso far he has done visuals for Skin Colour featuring Tariro NeGitare,
Xolo the title track.
GERALDINE Roche Drama (GRD) Production is set to present In-dependence a theatre play by Langelitsha Arts inspired by the drug abuse and teenage pregnancy escalating in the country.
The theatre play will be held at the Zimbabwe Academy of Music in Bulawayo on April 18.
GRD programmes manager and writer of the script, Khaliphile “Khally” Sibanda said the production aims to create awareness to the community on the e ects of drug abuse and teenage pregnancy.
“Drug abuse and teenage pregnancy is really escalating in our country,” Sibanda said.
“This production aims to educate the community and create awareness on the e ects of drug abuse and teenage pregnancy.
“We thought of putting it on the 18th so that youths understand the other aspect of independence and it will teach them responSibanda sibility.” said In-dependence is about Yeukai a teenage girl who comes back to consciousness at a drug rehabilitation hospital.
“She begins to gather broken memories from her past life that brought her to rehabilitation,” Siban“The da said. picture becomes clear as she discovers the cause of her behaviour.
“The struggle to be free and independent from the life of drugs, sex and gang violence that have made her to be monster that she is.
“Society is sceptical on her new found independence and accepting her back into its loving arms.”
Sibanda added: “Our targeted audience are the youths in Bulawayo and beyond as well as adults who live with youths. Actually everyone is ected by drug abuse scourge.”
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