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Tawanda Marwizi Arts Correspondent
Renowned author Elias Chipadze Machemedze has penned an interesting and informative novel titled “Nherera Zvirange”. Through the exiting story, the author seeks to remind people about old traditional practices including the crowning of chiefs and other cultural interactions.
Nowadays a lot of people are being carried away by modern technology that has affected the preservation of our culture.
In the book the author made efforts in trying to bring the reader closer to the way people used to live as well as showing the advantages of preserving our culture through his storyline.
The Shona novel is a touching old story about how family disintegration affects a young boy who goes through hard times until he fights to obtain chieftainship.
Nherera fights fearlessly against his brother Tichatonga and nephew Tapererwa who accused their father Masango of witchcraft in order to claim to be heirs of the crown.
The two worked with their father’s brother Mutengambiri who was also in the race to have the chieftainship.
Interestingly Mutengambiri use several means in making sure he obtains the royal crown among them conniving Tichatonga and Tapererwa to fight against their father Masango.
In the plot are many military strategies that keep the reader on the edge of a cliff.
Nherera falls in trouble many times. He leaves home to stay in the bush because of torture at the hands of his step-mother.
His father fails to stand with the young boy until he shows his bravery.
Nherera who was named after the death of his mother made serious efforts to defend his father from the other end.
Back then young hunters were required to bring a lion’s skin to their elders as a way of proving their bravery, a requirement that Nherera successfully achieves despite his age.
Real drama starts when Masango dies and Nherera faces his rivals alone.
The war ends after the ancestral spirits crowns Nherera the king leaving Mutengambiri and others in shame.
The author who also wrote another interesting book “Sarawoga” said it was important that people are reminded of our culture through novels and other means.
“That is a story that has several lessons especially to the young stars. They need to be reminded how people used to live in the past,” he said.
He said he is currently working on the biography of the late nationalist Herbert Chitepo.
Born on December 4, 1974 in Zvomanyanga Village, his works exhibit knowledge that is far beyond his age.
“I normally visit the spirit mediums and seers of our land, and as a result I have become familiar with various people,” he said.
Machemedze thanked academic and writer Memory Chirere for the encouragement and assistance he has rendered since he started his career.
Online Reporter