Online Reporter
Arron Nyamayaro
A FORMER police officer, Auther Chimbgwa, has published a book, which is a rich collection of captivating fictional short stories.
The book, which is now on sale, is titled ‘The Blue Welding Machine and Other Short Stories.’
Chimbgwa said writing is “in his veins.”
He said: “A journalist’s pen will never run dry and writing is within my blood veins.
“It is my wish to write more books that can be used by learners in schools.
“I appeal to everyone interested in literature and I also appeal to police officers to buy this book as it also touches on some of my experiences whilst serving in the ZRP,” he said.
He added: “All the stories I came across cannot be heard if I do not take them to the people.”
The book was published by Talnet Independent Publishers.
Some of the stories included in the collection were previously published in the police in-house Outpost Magazine, where Chimbgwa “cut his teeth” in journalism.
The ‘Blue Welding Machine and Other Short Stories’ is now available online.
The collection features 12 short stories, in which the author blends his imagination with lessons drawn from real-life experiences.
The book was edited by prominent Zimbabwean investigative journalist and author, Tawanda Majoni, who praised it as a significant work of literature.
“Written with emotional urgency and stark honesty, this collection refuses easy answers or sentimental comfort,” Majoni said.
“Instead, it offers intimate portraits of people wrestling with forces larger than themselves, revealing how private choices ripple outward into families, communities, and the nation at large.”
Majoni added that the book is socially grounded fiction that will appeal to readers drawn to African realism and moral inquiry.
Chimbgwa retired from the ZRP in 2005 after a dedicated nine-year service.
He joined the ZRP in 1996 and was posted to Harare Central Police Station after completing a six-month training course.
In 2000, he enrolled for a two-year Diploma in Journalism and Communications at a local college. This led to his transfer to Police General Headquarters (PGHQ), where he worked with the Outpost team.
During his time at Outpost, he wrote entertaining, educative and informative stories, and earned an opportunity to become a rugby correspondent for The Sunday Mail in 2003.
He hails from Matenda village in Zvishavane.
He attended Ruvimbo Primary School from 1984 to 1989, before completing his primary education at Chana Primary School in Mbizo, Kwekwe.
Chimbgwa said he started writing while in Form One at Mbizo Secondary School in Kwekwe, where he also edited the school newspaper, “Tomorrow’s Leaders”, while pursuing his O-Levels in 1994.
Mathew Masinge