Chronicle Editor
Angela Sibanda, Showbiz Reporter
A 25-year-old poet, Iqraah Chitonga of Emakhandeni suburb reminded people that poetry can be used as a tool for social change when he performed a touching poem during the belated Bulawayo Provincial World Wetlands Day last Wednesday.
The commemorations were held at Hillside Dams Conservancy.
The poem titled Wetlands Action was inspired by this year’s World Wetlands Day theme ‘Wetlands Action for People”.
In his poem, Chitonga laments the damage on wetlands and blamed it on human activities.
“We are wielding weapons of mass destruction; mining, industry and unsustainable farming, but what if nature decides to retaliate, we know what she is capable of, we have tasted her wrath in earthquakes, volcanoes, droughts and hurricanes.
“We did not stop hunting because we were no longer hungry, but we learned how to harvest. If we could globally warm our hearts, we would never speak of global warming,” he said.
Poets and other artistes are usually invited to functions to entertain the crowds and distract them a little bit from serious things, but Chitonga’s poem touched many and his performance was characterised by constant clapping and cheering from the audience.
In an interview after the performance, Chitonga said he was grateful for the opportunity as most of his performances had been limited to weddings and church gatherings.
“This was my first time performing at an event of such magnitude. As a result, I hadn’t been putting much effort into my poetry because it’s something that I do during my spare time,” he said.
Chitonga whose stage name is IQ the Wordsmith is a former Ihlathi High School student who realised his love for poetry during his school days when he used to share his pieces with schoolmates.
Apart from poetry, Chitonga is a research assistant at a local training institution.
Online Reporter