An interview with Jabulani Mzinyathi
05 JANUARY 2018
When did you begin your career as a literary artist? Can you tell us about your education, both in and outside the classroom?
My first poem was published by Moto Magazine in 1992. That marked the start of my career as a known literary artist. Thanks to the late Onesimo Makani Kabweza who was the editor then. My career as a literary artist had however started from the time I was in Form One at Ascot Secondary School Gweru. I had my school boy love and protest poems tucked away in my book case. I did not know what to do with them. I just wrote on and on. Later in life I became a member of BWAZ Midlands Branch. There I came into contact with Stephen Alumenda, Dillion Banda, Hleko Vuma and many others. I cannot recall at what stage the enigmatic Mbizo Chirasha came onto the scene. Of course Emmanuel Sigauke was there too at some stage. Those were people I came across in the formative years of my literary career!
Education began on the streets of Ascot High Density suburb. There we would meet brothers and sisters who were already at school. It was a joy as they read aloud to us. Mambo Press used to churn out a lot of comics. If I recall well, these revolved around a character called Musa. They were sold cheaply and before I even started school I had access to those. Later there were frequent visits to Mtapa dumpsite- kuma Dee. There we would pick comics thrown away as trash from the white side of town. I use the term ‘white side of town’ to capture the racism that prevailed then. The comics were a treasure. These were comics on Chunky Charlie, She , Kid Colt , Captain Devil and many more.
Later in life I was to attend Muwunga Primary School. My mum dissatisfied with the standards there moved me and my young sisters to St Michaels Catholic Primary School . The formal education road then took me to the then prestigious Ascot School, Gweru 1979-82. I completed O level then. I then trained as a teacher at Andrew Louw Zintec College. Not satisfied I picked up books and went to ZDECO to do A Levels. I dropped out because I was not happy with the way I was being taught so I then studied on my own. I studied History, Literature in English and History. Having passed I looked elsewhere. I resigned as a teacher and became a trainee magistrate at the Judicial College of Zimbabwe. I was greatly incensed by the tag ‘non degreed’ magistrate. We had been recruited to fill the skills gap. There was an exodus of lawyers then. I then studied for a law degree with UNISA. During the same period I did a diploma in human resources management IPMZ. At fifty two I am not done yet. Watch the space!
What is poetry to you?
Poetry to me is painting pictures in words. It is organic in the sense that I draw from the socio-economic-political milieu I find myself in. The world in general provides the raw materials and I dig deep to find words that capture beauty, joys, sorrow and all human emotions, thoughts, dreams, etc. Like my late compatriot Dambudzo Marechera I have this firm conviction that ‘Poetry is an attempt to put into words what is inside a person emotionally, intellectually, imaginatively. The poet’s job is to find the equivalent, the verbal correlative of a particular feeling. This idea is from T S Eliot. The only difficulty is that there are no words for what you are feeling.’ [Cemetery of Mind 1992:209]. Further poetry to me is prophecy, philosophy and a dive into the metaphysical realm too. It at times is therapeutic. After I have written a poem especially when the world seems to be collapsing around me I come away with renewed hope. That magic drug.
What are the writers and artists that inspires you a lot, and why
There are many writers and artists that have greatly inspired me. These are too numerous to mention. Let me make mention of a few. Dambudzo Marechera- the great imagery and the lived experiences. David Mungoshi-the simple yet incisive works. Ummmmmm the recent work Live Like An Artist epitomises what I refer to. Nikolai Gogol, Dostoyesky, the Russians and great story telling. I recall the Great Coat by Nikolai Gogol. Harper Lee and how he tackles racism in To Kill A Mocking Bird. Of course I relate with the court scenes given my legal background. Charles Mungoshi is another writer whose works inspire me for the same reasons that David Mungoshi’s works inspire me. My two Malawian brothers Jack Mapanje and Frank Chipasula are also grand masters of imagery. Further they also took the bull by the horns when Hastings Kamuzu Banda was at the helm for a long time in Malawi. Of course I protested artistically at what I saw as misrule in Zimbabwe when Robert Mugabe was at the helm for thirty- seven years! Reggae artists and dub poets inspire me greatly. I refer here to the voices of liberation of Mutabaruka, Benjamin Zephania, LKJ- Linton Kwesi Johnson. The redemption songs of Peter Tosh, Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, Joseph Hill usually are background music as I write. I love the socio-economic-political commentary as I consider myself a revolutionary in the same mould as the reggae artists stated above and many more that sing of liberation from evil systems[shitstems] called Babylon.
You have written in both English and Shona, are they any other languages you write in. what do you find interesting in expressing yourself in many languages.
Your two poems in Zimbolicious Poetry Anthology 2016 edition, “Yakarira Hwamanda Yechimurenga”, and “Zvokwedu”, are all in Shona. Tell us what they are about, what were the challenges of writing in this language, what was your translation process
The two poems in Zimbolicious Volume One, are linked thematically in that they are about taking pride in our indigenous languages. Honestly I had no challenges that are out of the ordinary. I am bilingual. I was brought up by a Chishona speaking mother. That language is my mother tongue. indigenous languages are equally rich and should not be allowed to die. The two poems speak to a cultural revolution. I am not saying we should abandon writing in English. No! Indigenous languages should get to the same pedestal as English! A lofty ideal! The translation process was quite difficult. I tried to get Mbizo Chirasha to do the translations. He was submerged by several projects. I then did the translations since I am bilingual basically. It was a challenge. I just then tried to capture the essence of the ChiShona poems as I translated. I think I managed to do so. I almost protested that I was losing the essence of what I had set out to do when I composed the poems in ChiShona. I however thought the editors wanted to reach out to a wider audience. Yes, very noble indeed.
Your two poems in Zimbolicious Poetry Anthology, Volume 2, the 2017 edition, “The Setting Sun”, and “Another day” are both in English, tell us what these are about.”
The setting sun is a prophetic poem to some extent. It predicted that the era of Mugabe’s rule was coming to the end. The repression then made me resort to such imagery. The poem is therefore sort of multi-layered. Another day is a story of abject poverty where a girl goes begging to fend for her grandmother. There are the ever present dangers of sexual abuse. The child endures the vagaries of the weather as she goes about begging for the elusive United States Dollar. Oh I have another poem in that collection. It is entitled Murder Most Foul. It explores the issue of xenophobic attacks on Zimbabwean economic refugees in South Africa. That poem states that black South Africans are victims of thriving Apartheid pouncing on victims of misrule and so should see where the real enemy is.
Tell us about your forthcoming poetry book, “Under The Steel Yoke
I am really excited that the collection may soon be published. There is not much that I wish to say about the yet to be published work. To whet prospective readers’ appetites may I say the work comprises of poems composed when the poet felt that the revolution he supported and still supports was coming off the rails. The freedom train was becoming a gravy train. The majority wallowed in poverty and still do while a few politically connected went abroad to schools and flew to hospitals oversees and went to fashion capitals of the world for clothes. Cattle yokes are made of wood but the yoke we found ourselves under was made of steel. The rulers were driven by lack of altruism that had informed the liberation struggle. So the poems were composed during that dark, dank period. No publisher would touch the works. I was deemed anti-establishment but I refused to be labelled thus for I was conversely pro-establishment in the sense that I pointed out the derailment like Gogol and Dostoyevsky did in the Russia of old. So yes, the poems are protest poems like those of Mapanje and Chipasula during the iron fist, brutal rule of Banda.
Tell us about the writing scene in your country from since you started writing upto today
There was a time when BWAZ and ZIWU were quite vibrant. I met the likes of Shimmer Chinodya , Musonza, David Mungoshi, Willie Chigidi, Wiseman Magwa and many others. These organisations were instrumental in that some of us met the gurus in the field and looked up to them and got invaluable advice. There was a low cost poetry –prose magazine called Tsotso. Budding writers had a practising ground. I cannot forget the joys of seeing my work in print then. Then there was Moto Magazine. Now it lies in the grave yard of the publishing world. Moto had space for poets and short story writers. My work was featured too by that magazine. During the same period Ngoma Yokwedu was published by BWAZ in association with The Literature Bureau. I did contribute some work. Then the literary scene basically nose- dived. My view is that there is a lot of material unpublished out there but the economic morass took its toll. Poetry suffered the most. I see a ray of hope though. The collection by my brother David Mungoshi was published by BHABHU BOOKS. I hope they will do more. As writers too we should endeavour to produce great works that merit publishing. Self -publishing is another way to go. My sister Virginia Phiri has done well in that area. All of us must also play our part in fostering a reading culture even for E-books. Zimbolicious poetry has also given us a great platform. More needs to be done.
You are a great fan of Reggae music, tell us about the artists you like, and how this music has inspired your writing
Oh yes maan. Reggae music I love. I will never understand/overstand any oppressed and colonised people who lack an appreciation for this music that basically talks of liberation/ emancipation. It is not bubble gum music. the lyrics of Bob Marley and Peter Tosh who passed on in 1981 and 1987 respectively remain poignant to this day. Truth , justice and equal rights are issues that reggae lyrics deal with largely. Yes the Rastaman can also be a lover par excellence. Listen to Gregory Isaacs and you will realise what I mean, maan. My work is inspired by the great reggae lyrics. I protest against oppression in much the same way that reggae artists do. I speak about truth , justice and equality. I hate oppression with a passion. Some of my works are spiritual. These are informed by the teachings of Rastafari and not a warped kind of Christianity that treats black people as sin and as hewers of wood and drawers of water.
At the home front, what kind of a person you are in the eyes of your family members
I am known as a speaker of the truth. I make some people in the family uncomfortable. I shoot straight. I have no sacred cows. I cannot sing praises where dirges are due. I have no time for control freaks and I tell them so. If your face is askew do not blame the mirror –Russian Proverb. The truth is like the sun, no man can look directly at it. I am a rebel against strictures at home, play or at the workplace. I am seen as a crazy man who writes but gets no royalties. I always quip that life has become so materialistic and one dimensional and we have become worshippers of mammon. I have repeatedly stated that I have inner satisfaction when I speak to the present and future generations. Yes I must put bread on the table but man shall not live by bread alone!
What are the improvements you want to see in the Zimbolicious poetry series in the future?
Improvements? The poems that one finds in Zimbolicious are of an exceptional quality. What needs to be done is to have these works available locally but like I said the economic malaise is a debilitating factor. One hopes books will be available locally at not so prohibitive cost.
Erratum. I studied history literature and sociology
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