Writers mourn novelist Chitsike

Tafadzwa Ndlovu Herald Reporter
Zimbabwean writers have described the death of prolific Shona novelist and playwright Bisset Cosmas Chitsike last Sunday as a loss to the country’s valuable intellectual and cultural heritage. Chitsike’s influence ran deep in the Shona literary world and as word of his passing circulated on Tuesday, many fellow writers and others offered their remembrances.

“It is sad that BC has passed on and he would have been happy setting up or creating another organisation just like the Literature Bureau since he was the last administrator.

“We are a small community of authors and the loss has created a gap in our industry hence it’s a tragedy for all of us,” said Musaemura Zimunya, renowned poet and chairperson of the Zimbabwe International Book Fair (ZIBF) Board.

Others said the death of Chitsike who was affectionately known as BC, has robbed the country a true African inspiration that guided and shaped a whole generation of a new crop of Shona writers today.

“I worked with Mr Bisset Cosmas Chitsike as my chief publications officer from 1990-1997 at the Literature Bureau where I was the senior editorial officer. He had been with the Bureau for a very long time and I knew him as my boss, editor, writer and administrator for eight years,” said Mr Elvas Mari, director of the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe.

“It is very tragic to lose such a prolific Shona writer and editor since most of the Shona and Ndebele books people read today passed through Chitsike’s hands as the Chief Editor.

“He himself published many books under his name as well as pen name Cosmas Mutswi. It is a great loss as the book industry is rebuilding after suffering from piracy and under capitalisation over the last 15 years.”

Chitsike, he further said, was one of those people who would provide advice and guidance to young editors, proofreaders, writers and publishers especially in indigenous languages.

“He worked tirelessly and selflessly to educate writers and editors by publishing the ‘Editors’ Manual’ and many hints meant to help new writers,” Mari said.

Spiwe Harper, a Zimbabwean-born African fiction writer now based in the UK said it is sad to lose a fellow writer like BC who was quite a prolific writer whose works spanned a wide range of genres.

Harper said Chitsike will be missed by both the writing fraternity and the readership and his legacy will live on in his writings.
In his numerous works, Chitsike expressed himself fluently in the language that his mother had bequeathed to him.

He believed strongly that the first step for one to become a patriot was to love one’s own language – and then to read books that were written in that language.

Some of his novels included such titles as “Wakandigona wena”, “Minista Munhuwo”, “Pota neyo tisangane”, “Shuramatongo” and “Uri mbwende” amongst others.

Chitsike was born at St Faith Mission near Rusape and did his secondary education at St Augustine’s Mission in Penalonga before training as a teacher.

He took did his BA General with Unisa and later obtained a BA Honours degree and an MA from the University of Zimbabwe.
He taught at St Mary Magdalene Mission in Nyanga and at Dombotombo Government School in Marondera. He also worked as head for the now defunct Literature Bureau under the Ministry of Education.

BC will be remembered most for chairing the commission that drafted the Zimbabwe National anthem.
He died at the age of 78 after a long battle with diabetes, hypertension and Parkinson’s disease.

He is survived by his wife Colletah and three children. Chitsike will be laid to rest at Glen Forest Cemetery today at 2:30pm.