Zimbabwe: New voices emerges in Gweru
By Alfred Tembo – GWERU- A sensational voice sweeps through the quite floors of the library. “The little’s boy’s tears dripped down his cheeks at a snail’s pace. Little Thomas, quickly paced towards the wide open door…” the reader’s voice expressed confidence and compassion as l followed through her words.
Primrose Fadzai Mahlatini
That was for me, my first encounter with a poetess in a literary starved and central town of Zimbabwe. It was during a children’s weekly public reading at Gweru Memorial Library, when l met Primrose Fadzai Mahlatini participating a reading session as a guest reader.
A child of an educator and a former soldier cum journalist, Primrose draws her inspiration from the bases of life that her parents laid for her.
“I am greatly driven by the academic foundation that was laid by my mom and dad. Their educational backgrounds are trademarks, I have always been striving to surpass,” she said.
The 20 year-old blooming and promising poetess believes poetry is a soothing reflection of personal views on immense topical issues in finding ways to make them fit in few lines without falling victim of own words.
“On poetry, there is involvement of personal experience, against the conflicting affairs of depicting big issues affecting general men, liberally in full recognition of what can happen here after saying them.” Mahlatini added.
Primrose Fadzai Mahlatini
Regardless of passion that drives her, on taking the centre stage, and shares her interest as an orator, Primrose is just falling short of a platform to reflect and pre-empty her heartfelt experiences and views.
“Little have l ever had the opportunity to perform in public gathering, Gweru hardly has the opportunity to express our artistic talents.” The poetess said.
“l hear Bulawayo is such a vibrant place in terms of poetry performances, for Harare l once visited Book Café to see how they conduct poetry business its sensational and expressive. In Gweru, we lack commitment” she said.
The youthful gospel, jazz and blues musical lover yearns to read works by such legendary authors Jack Kourac who modeled the directions of modern literature and creative writing.
Said “I would love to read the legendary work of Jack Kourac’s, On the road. T. S Elliot, Michael Zoshenko. My quest is to learn and share the shroud power of depicting emotions, skills to weave great stories that would live to survive generation after generation. This will also inspire future writers such that they will have people that they can relate to in life after me”
Besides being a poetess, Primrose is also a qualified secretary.
She attends reading session at Gweru Memorial Library where she participates in the weekly “Reading hour” a program that is hosted by US Educational Centre every Friday. The program brings together pre-school and primary school going children to listen to reading of stories and folk tales.
