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Trust Khosa
Renowned dub poet, story-teller and writer, Chirikure Chirikure, has challenged community leaders and influencers to provide reading material before lamenting the absence of a reading culture.
Chirikure, who set up Nemashakwe Community Library and Information Resource Centre in Gutu, Masvingo, three years ago, reckons young learners in marginalised communities need literature for pleasure and intellectual development to stay away from drugs.
In an interview, Chirikure believes the reading culture can be revived once resources are available.
“Before we can even talk about the subject, young people in rural and marginalised areas need access to the reading material first.
“If you travel to most rural communities, they don’t have books to read, which prompted me to convert one of my father’s shops in Nemashakwe into a community library in 2021.
“Nicholas Moyo (then Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sports, Reaction, Arts and Culture) was the guest of honour at its official opening in 2022,” he said.
The renowned author, who has spruced up the centre, urged influential people to use their contacts and mobilise re-sources for community development.
“We sourced over 4 000 books from Book Aid International from the UK that are now being read by 60-70 people per day.
“We have reading books such as novels that are helping young learners and stuff for professionals such as trainee nurses among others.
“The move we took has immensely benefited the Gutu community,” he said.
He also dispelled claims that technology had contributed to the dearth of reading culture.
“While technology has had an impact, it should be noted that not all people have access to social media.
“Some of the people who have access to social media spend their time watching fun stuff on such platforms like TikTok and mainly gossip.
“For a start, there is a need for access to reading material like books which in mitigating such issues as drug abuse,” he said.
Chirikure is one of the seasoned writers who started compiling poetry rich in symbolism and satire in the early ’80s after graduating from the University of Zimbabwe.
He has been advocating for the promotion of indigenous languages, Ubuntu, and the reading culture of Africans. A former editor at College Press, Chirikure has been credited for mentoring Shona writers.
He has also published his anthologies of poetry like “Rukuvhute” (The Umbilical Cord) in 1989 and “Chamupupuri” (The Whirlwind) in 1994 among other books.
His call to promote reading comes at a time when the Government has been encouraging the use of Indigenous languages, which can be enhanced through literature.
In Harare, he has been running the LitFest Harare (International Literature Festival) which is popular with schools.
As the brains behind the festival, Chirikure has been outstanding in promoting literary arts through readings, recitations, performances, and discussions. He regularly holds group discussions with experts at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, the hub of creatives.
In most of his discussions, he always mentions the need to include rural folks in the promotion of literature.
Online Reporter