uMthunywa
Pathisa Nyathi
NGEVIKI edluleyo ngike ngafika esigodlweni eHarare. Bengihambele imihlangano emibili. Owakuqala ubungowabalobi. Phela sivela kude lendaba yokuloba le. Engxenye abanye bangathanda ukwazi ukuthi inhlanganiso endala yabalobi yabunjwa ngomnyaka ka1984. Inhlangano leyo yayithiwa yiZimbabwe Writers Union (Ziwu). Lami ngangikhona kuleyo imbumbano. Mina ngaleso isikhathi ngangihlala eGweru ngoba ngangifundisa eGweru Teachers College (GTC).
Umkhosi engangiwulandile wawuqoqwe ngabazibiza ngokuthi ngabeLit-Fest lokhu kusitsho ukuthi Literature Festival. Lumkhosi wabalobi wasungulwa nguChirikure Chirikure owake wasebenzela iCollege Press ngeminyaka edluleyo. Ijaha lakoGumbo leli liyimbongi esike yavakatshela amazwe amanengi lapho eyahaya khona inkondlo zayo. Mina nganginxuselwe ukuthi ngixoxe ngalokhu abathi yi “biography” okutsho imbali yomuntu.
Pho mina sengaloba izimbali zabantu abanengi abathi: uMasotsha Ndlovu, u-Alvord Mabena, uGeorge Silundika, uNikita Mangena, u-Edward Ndlovu, uReverend Geoffrey Mkwananzi, uDan Netsha Sibanda, uNicholas Macala Dube loNaison Khutshwekhaya Ndlovu. Nganginxuswe kunye loJoyce Jenje-Makwenda loShepherd Mutamba.
Owayekhangele ihlanda lethu nguPhurofesa Kizito Muchemwa ongumqeqetshi eNyuvesithi yeGreat Zimbabwe eMasvingo.
ILit-Fest yayenzelwe eHarare Gardens, eNyuvesithi yeZimbabwe laseSapez Trust. Lonyaka ikakhulu iLit-Fest yaqala ngesikhumbuzo somlobi uChenjerai Hove owasitshiya lonyaka elizweni leNorway lapho ayesehlala khona.
UMusayigwa lo waba nguye unosihlalo wakuqala owenhlangano iZiwu. Ngaleso isikhathi unobhala Jikelele kwakunguMusaemura Zimunya. Ngomnyaka sekuphuma uHove loZimunya mina ngathatha isikhundla sikaZimunya kwathi uCont Mhlanga wathatha isikhundla sikaHove.
Babekhona abalobi abasacathulayo lasebejoqile abanye babo bephuma khona eNorway lapho okwakuhlala khona uHove owaloba izingwalo ezithi Bones, Ancestors lezinye. Umntanakhe oyintombazana wayekhona. Abaqoqi besikhumbuzo babenze ividiyo etshengisa imisebenzi yomufi. Sathi siqeda lokho kwathiwa ababemazi uHove baphe ubufakazi ngempilo yakhe. Pho mina ngangisandisa ukuba laye koBulawayo. Ngafakaza ngosuku lapho mina, uNdabezinhle Sigogo, UMthandazo Ndema Ngwenya laye-ke uHove esasidinga ukuya buhilibizela eShirichena.
Sabunatha sagida sadela!
Abanye abalobi ababekhona nguRay Mawerera, uBarbara Mhangami-Ruwende labanye. Umkhosi lo wathatha insuku ezintathu. Kwakulomncintiswano wabalobi bephendula imibuzo eqondana lokuloba, ikakhulu ukuloba kwabalobi beZimbabwe le-Afrika. Kwakhanya obala ukuthi abalobi bayabazi abalobi be-Africa. Abanqobayo baphiwa imiklomelo yezingwalo.
Bakhona abalobi ababephuma emazweni akhatshana agoqela iBurma, iUnited States of America (USA), Norway leSouth Africa. Abanye ngababehaya izinkondlo zabo abanye belemidlalo ababesitshengisa yona. Saba lethuba lokuxoxa ngezindlela zokuloba, asebeqwahele kulo umsebenzi bephathisa labo abasakhulayo. Phela kuvele kuthiwa inyathi ibuzwa kwabaphambili.
Sananzelela ukuthi abasakhulayo babebanengi. Thina esesigugele ekulobeni sakhanya ukuthi siya sisolobela.
Abalobi abadala babegoqela mina, u-Ignatius Mabasa, uNorman Chirere, uKizito Muchemwa, uChirikure Chirikure loJoyce Jenje-Makwenda. Ezinsukwini ezidluleyo kwakulomkhosi owawuthiwa yiZimbabwe International Book Fair (ZITF). Wawuthuthukiswa umsebenzi wabalobi. Kwakusibakhona abalobi abaphuma ngezindawo ngezindawo begoqela laba: Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Ngugi wa Thiongo, Ama ata Aidoo labanye. Safunda okunengi ngalezo insuku. Esami isiphiwo sokuloba salolwa ngalezo insuku. Izingwalo labapapatshi bazo babesiza ngobunengi thina esasingakabi lezingwalo ezinengi sihawukela kanti sesizakuba lengwabingwabi lathi sacina silandela ababehamba phambili.
Pho nanko ke ngingasanelisi ukuxoxa ngomhlangano wesibili. Sengizaxoxa ngawo ngeviki elizayo.
