Chronicle Editor
Beaven Tapureta : Bookshelf
Death and celebration is there a symbolic connection between the two? How can one celebrate while he/she is mourning at the same time? Last week Zimbabwe was shaken by the death of three eminent persons who took part in the liberation struggle and continued to serve in different fields in a new independent Zimbabwe.We lost two national heroines Victoria Chitepo (died on April 8, aged 88), Vivian Mwashita (died on April 8, aged 58) and one liberation war hero Alexander Kanengoni (died April 12, aged 65) who was also a prominent writer.
A day before yesterday, April 18, we celebrated 36 years of independence, the independence which the departed three (and many others living or dead) fought for.
Ubuntu tells us not to celebrate the death of any person because any death diminishes humanity, but to celebrate a life well lived is to thank God for having brought certain people into our lives to light our path as they light theirs.
Yes, in life and in death, we celebrate their lives, their sacrifices which they made for humanity and their good deeds or works which will stand the test of time.
Alexander Kanengoni, one of the three historic figures who passed on last week, was a writer, journalist and war-veteran.
He is in the fold of writers who actively participated in the war such as the late Freedom Nyamubaya and who wrote drawing their inspiration from the struggle for an independent Zimbabwe.
That Kanengoni was declared a liberation war hero is in itself an honour that also extends to the whole writing fraternity. There is so much writers give to the country.
Here is a man who went to war and, in the middle of all the bomb explosions and gunshots, recorded with his sharp mind images and stories which, on returning home, he loaded onto waiting pages.
Today, we read the stories and feel how it felt for him to be a fighter, a writer, and journalist.
We have had a few examples of writers who actually participated in the war of liberation. These few have written about the war from varying perspectives.
Recent publication “Rega Zvipore” by the late Ambassador John George Mayowe, who also actively took part in the war, is an autobiography told in story-form depicting the painful mechanics of the struggle that brought about independence.
There many examples yet it seems there is paucity of tales from the battlefield as creatively captured in local languages. Zimbabwe stills need some more of these stories from the war veterans who can capture their experiences to enlighten the new generation.
Alexander Kanengoni knew that when the message is written down, it is easily and unforgettably understood.
It is not surprising that memories of such a gallant son of the soil are still pouring in from publishers, fellow writers and comrades. We are yet to come to terms with the passing on of Kanengoni.
Irene Staunton, who was once a publisher at Baobab Books, said she first met Kanengoni in 1992 and grew to know him through the publication of his works “Effortless Tears” (1993) and “Echoing Silences” (1997).
“He was a deeply humane, compassionate, honest and principled writer whose talent reflected his concern for the welfare of people. Kanengoni left university in 1974 to join the liberation struggle, and his six years as a fighter left an indelible impression on his psyche: the ugliness of war, and its brutality, as well as its comradeship, and its demands of courage and conviction run through all his work which explores, as he was uniquely positioned to do, concepts of commitment and betrayal.
Integrity lies at the heart of good writing and Kanengoni never ceased to grapple with issues of morality and principle, and cared profoundly for the suffering of others.
Yet I shall also remember Alexander Kanengoni for his huge embracing laughter, his warmth, his kindness and his determination to see everyone as equal.”
Dr Samuel Makore, who is the current chairperson and acting director of Zimcopy, a local Reproduction Rights Organization, said Kanengoni’s death is a big loss to his family and the writing fraternity.
“Zimcopy sincerely expresses its deepest regrets at the loss of Alexander Kanengoni, a renowned author. We pay tribute to his achievements he gained over the years he started writing,” said Dr Makore
Announcing Kanengoni’s death to fellow writers and members of the Zimbabwe Writers Association (ZWA), secretary-general Memory Chirere expressed deepest condolences to the Kanengoni family and relatives and to his many colleagues and admirers at home and across the world.
“Alexander Kanengoni, one of Zimbabwe’s internationally renowned writers and essayists, is most known for a form of writing called ‘war literature’ in which he and others wrote poems, plays and novels to depict the exploits and heroics of the ordinary people and that of the combatants during the 1970s war of liberation for Zimbabwe.
His critical war novels are “Vicious Circle”, “When the Rain Bird Cries” and the inimitable “Echoing Silences” and a collection of short stories called “Effortless Tears”. One may suggest that brother Alexander wrote fiction about the struggle for independence and self-determination and thought-provoking essays on the difficult conditions of the formally colonized and the contradictions that they face every day.
We shall miss his company, his incisive wit, his stubborn determination and that roaring laughter of his which shook his whole huge frame,” said Chirere.
As a song to accompany the departed writer, Chirere also shared one of Kanengoni’s poems called “I Love” which expresses a deep longing for the soul-lifting beauty of the countryside, its “unwritten simplicity” particularly at summer sunset.
Zvakanyorwa Wilbert Sadomba from the University of Zimbabwe Centre for Applied Social Sciences (CASS) remembers Kanengoni as, among other things, a methodical, charming and easy going character.
“I knew Alex from 1976 at Chimoio. I could have first met him at Nyadzonya if he was there but do not remember. We were the first group of 100 to attend Wampoa Political Academy later called Chitepo College. His name was Gora and I have always called him thus.
He went to the battlefront briefly and returned to complete school work. A methodical, charming and easy going character, Gora had high political consciousness and commitment to the ideology of the armed struggle.
He was therefore targeted for incarceration during the Vashandi revolutionary resistance against revisionism spearheaded by nationalist elites. He was only released in 1980. I met him occasionally at the office for education support of ex-combatants.
He encouraged me on my educational career. He was not changed in his conduct with those below him and in his commitment to the liberation agenda.
However, never got time to discuss his works as each time we met both were in a hurry to catch up with lost time of five years in the bush,” said Sadomba, author of the book, “War Veterans in Zimbabwe’s Revolution: Challenging Neo-colonialism & Settler & International Capital”.
Such is life. God gives, God takes. As for Kanengoni, he will always be remembered for his bravery and notable contribution to Zimbabwean literature. Many budding writers who are thinking of writing works inspired by the liberation struggle whether in Shona or English will learn lots of nuggets from him. Indeed, may his dear soul, and the souls of our exemplary heroines, rest in peace.
Online Reporter