Online Reporter
Mbulelo Mpofu, Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub
THE inaugural Haya Sizwe National Poetry Slam is set to take place on Friday at the Zimbabwe Academy of Music, in Bulawayo.
The slam will see 30 selected contestants showcasing their poetic prowess under the theme “Afrofuturism: Reimagining Africa Today for a Better Tomorrow”. Three performers will walk away with cash prizes for their artistic excellence.
The competition will feature a diverse and competitively selected cohort – 30 poets and poetesses drawn from 55 applications submitted across the country. Notably, women constitute 70 percent of the contestants, signalling a strong female presence and influence in the poetry landscape.
A distinguished panel of adjudicators — Nomashawekazi “Lady Tshawe” Damasane, Chioniso Tsikisayi, Philani Amadeus Nyoni, Morset Billie, and Thuthukani “TK” Ndlovu —will shoulder the responsibility of identifying the top three champions.
Programme co-ordinator and WeCre8te Afrika founder and lead, Sondlane “Sox” Dube, said the programme curated by WeCre8te Afrika and Accountability Lab Zimbabwe seeks to “create a platform where voices are heard, stories are shared, and collective dialogue is nurtured”.
“The initiative aims to contribute to the arts space and to the broader discourse on narrative change in Zimbabwe and across Africa,” he said.
Set to become an annual fixture, the Slam promises to offer a recurring and reliable platform for Zimbabwean voices to flourish.
The event is free to the public, offering poetry lovers the chance to witness the birth of a significant national literary platform.
—@MbuleloMpofu
