Dambudzo Marechera Ari pakati peN’angawo Here? – Chikamu 2: “Shona rimwe remadhimoni emughetto andaiedza kutiza”

This Is Africa continues its Return to Marechera to mark the great Zimbabwean writer’s 70th anniversary. In this second essay of a seven-part Shona series, “Is Dambudzo Marechera also among Medicinemen?” Onai Mushava revisits Marechera’s famous statement, “Shona was part of the ghetto daemon I was trying to escape.” Mushava argues that the African, displaced internally and defined externally by language and locality, achieves freedom by undermining rather than embracing labels of origin. 

 Ndinomhanyamhanya kuti ndisafunga pamusoro pekufunga. Runyararo nekugutsikana zvinonzwikwa nemunhu wese zvinonyangarika zuva richingovira (“Wake Up Alone”,  Amy Winehouse)

Run around just so I don’t have to think about thinking. That silent sense of content that everyone gets. Just disappears soon as the sun sets.

(“Wake Up Alone”,  Amy Winehouse)

Ignatius Mabasa anopenga neshavi raDambudzo Marechera. Chinamato hachipatsanuri Mabasa naMarechera nekuti chinamato inzira mapira mashavi yakacheneswa (“Kumhanya Kuripo”, Alick Macheso). Ngatitange nekurangarira kuti The House of Hunger haisi nzara yemumusha wekwaMarechera asi nzara yemunhu akabviswa kubva maari, asingakwanisi “kupomera mumwe munhu nzara yemweya wake.” Munyika yaMarechera naJean-Paul Sartre, munhu haagoni kutsvaka zvinoreva upenyu hwake kubva kune mumwe munhu; haakwanisi kupomera chimwe chinhu mhosva yekusakwana kwake. Hapana hata inopatsanura mweya waMarechera nekuoma kweupenyu muRhodesia nekuti akagadzirira kuzvipindurira ega nhamo dzeupenyu hwake. Chikafu chinobvutirwa manyana emba yenzara mumuromo, chikafu chemweya inodzungaira mumapani asina mvura, inoparadzaniswa pachinzvimbo chekubatanidzwa nekuwanda kwayo. Mabasa anotevera Marechera kumucheto kwemweya. Vadzungairi vemunaMapenzi havana kwekudzokera nekuti, “Mvura yatinogezera miviri nemweya yehupenyu yabvondoka.” Vatambi venyaya refu dzaMabasa, Hamundigone munaMapenzi naMusavhaya muna Imbwa yeMunhu  ihama dzaMarechera. Mu Brittle Paper, Mabasa anovimbisa kudzosa Marechera mumusha. Chiripo ndechekuti akanguri amudzosa kare, muna1999, paakatanga kuzikanwa nezita rekuti “Marechera wechiShona.” 

Simukai paMhararano 

Simukai, mukomana, takasangana pamhararano, wakabata pfumo negano, uchituruka nenyika, uchitsvaka pekugara, uchitsvaka pekumhara (“Simukai”, Pied Pipers)

Kupesana kwaMukanya naHumba kupesana kwehombarume dzafambidzana kusvika kumucheto, dzisingachabvumirani nzira yekudzoka kumba. Mukupikisa munyori anozvipikisa nechekare, Mabasa achabvumirana naMarechera mune zvakawanda. Asi anofanira kutongomupikisa kuti pawanikwe nzira yekumba nekuti mumwe wake ihora inodhuuka zimudhuukire risina pekumhara. Vaverengi VaMarechera vanobvunza kuti sei achivaka zvaasingapfuriri, kukoka dzaasingapfuri, nekubvunza asingamiriri mhinduro. Kubvondoka kwaMarechera kunogarana muna Mabasa asingagumiri kuputira vaverengi vake nechadzimira; anovaperekedza kubvute remutauro, chitendero netsika.

Kupesana kwaMukanya naHumba kupesana kwehombarume dzafambidzana kusvika kumucheto, dzisingachabvumirani nzira yekudzoka kumba

“Ndava kuzvitarisa zera rangu nekuti vana vanosheedzera kuti, ‘Mama, Mama, murume uyo ndiani?’ kana vandiona, pandinocheuka kuti ndione kuti vari kureva ani, ndoona vachibvira ini. Jesu wangu!” Marechera anodemba kumutapi wenhau, Alle Lansu (Literary Shock Treatment). Hakuna tsvimborume isingazivi nhamo yekunzi, “Pamusoroi, baba,” pacho payinotiwo yakateya rudo, ichizvinzwa ujaya. Haisiyo chete nhamo inowanikwa pazera iri. Makore ari pakati pehudiki nekukura inyika isina muridzi. Munhu anodzivairamo haagoni kuziva kuti hupenyu hwake ndehwe chokwadi here. Marechera akafa nguva yaaizvidya pfungwa pamusoro pesarudzo dzaanga aita semunyori. Anga aneta nekukomba churu ega. Zvichida, kuvaka musha, kumukira kubasa, kutengesera mweya wake kuZimbabwe, kuzvipa kuzviga zvaanga akura achipikisana nazvo, kwaizomupa zororo.

Zimbabwe, Harare. Rhodes Avenue, May 1987.
Zimbabwean writers Dambudzo Marechera and Charles Mungoshi meet for the first time after years of rivalry. Photography by Ernst Schade

Mubvunzo wekuti dai Marechera achiri mupenyu angadai ari ani unonakidza vanyori. “Dambudzo akafa aine makore 35 chete, masimba ake aive pachena asati azadziswa. Nzira yake yekuzviparadza yakanga yakanyanyotarwa nekuzvitsvaka kwake pamweya. Mhere yaSilvia Plath – ‘Nhai Mwari wangu, ndiri chiiko?’ – inoratidza kuva yanga yamaranzura umhizha hwake” Wole Soyinka anotarisa nyaya iyi mumbongororo yake, “Scrapiron Blues – My Book of the Year.” Mhere yaMarechera haisi yekubvunza kuti ndini ani chete; ndeyekurambazve zvose zvaari, kana kuri kuti ane zvimwe zvaari kunze kwokuva munyori. Zvivakwa zvake zvose zvinofanira kuputswa zvisati zvapfurirwa. Panonzi nevadzidzi vaSatre, “Tinoda zvese uye hapana chatinoda,” Marechera anoti, “Ndinopikisa hondo, nekupikisa vanopikisa hondo.” 

Munyika yaMarechera, mugarandega ndiye chete mupenyu. Sekutaura kwaFlora Veit-Wild, mutambi mukuru munaBlack Sunlight, anokwanisa kunyatsoona nyika zvakanaka akasungirwa makumbo mudenga (“Grotesque Black Bodies”, Veit-Wild. Kureva kuti nyika pachayo ndiyo yakapidiguka saka haukwanisi kuiona zvomene usina kuipidigura. Marechera haana kumbobvira abvumirana nevanhu kuti anopenga. Chaanonyatsoziva chete imhere yaSoul Jah Love, “Vanhu vese vari kupenga ava,” muna “Mbiya.” Panguva inozvitsvaka vanhu vatema nevanyori vavo munhoroondo, mavambo nemitauro yavo, Marechera anofamba akashama achin’ara kuti hembe dzekusiirwa dzine chipembwe. 

Soul Musaka, known professionally as Soul Jah Love, an award-winning Zimbabwean musician.

Vanhu vatema vakabviswa munezvenyika vanotsvaka zvinoreva upenyu hwavo munezvazuro, sekutsvaka kunoita vatendi kunyaradwa kwavo mune zvamangwana. Mutauro wedecoloniality, sekudzidziswa kwawo naWalter Mignolo, mutauro wechitendero, unotsvaka mavambo, kuchena kwemweya usina chikwereti, nekusabata zvakararirwa nevauyi. Rusununguko rwaMarechera rwuri mukuzvisika pachake munguva yake, saka asingatani kumutsana naani naani anomuti, “Nzvimbo yako iyi, munhu mutema.” Kuiswa panzvimbo semunhu mutema, ingava nzvimbo yeumambo chaiyo, hakugashiriki kana uchipiwa nzvimbo yacho nemutorwa; kunotambirika chete parangano yehama. Marechera anoona kuti munhu mutema haasi mutorwa chete mune zvichirungu nekuti hutema hwake pachahwo hwakagadzirwa nevamwe. Rurimi rwaamai pachahwo rurimi rwemutorwa. Mai mutorwa akatorwa kumadzisekuru kwandisina mutupo, mudzimu, inzwi nenhaka. Kuva mutauri kuva mutorwa nemudzungairi. 

Rurimi rwaamai pachahwo rurimi rwemutorwa

Nhamo Mhiripiri anofunga kuti dai Marechera akararama, hasha dzake dzaigona kuzoserera nekukura. Mugore rake rechi33, Marechera anga aneta nekukava madziro emadzimbahwe. Anga apedzwa mweya neurwere nekushaya rutsigiro. Zuva raanotanga kumuka ari muZimbabwe, Marechera anobvunza kuti, “Chiri chiri kumboitika kwatiri,” achishoropodzera Wilson Katiyo kushandira Bazi reKufambiswa kweMashoko, naMusaemura Zimunya aidzidzisa kuUniversity of Zimbabwe. Asi hurumende inomusheedza Marechera kuti ashandisire njere dzake mubazi rakare reKufambiswa kweMashoko. Mumazuva ake ekupedzisira, Marechera anoudza Lansu kuti anga amboramba basa iri kwemakore asi zvino anga agadzirira kuti vakamudana adaire. Chero anga amborambisisa kupiwa basa mumatongerwo enyika semunyori, rimwe zuva anosimuka, anogadzirisa mabhingo ake, nekusundira mukwende wake kumasure, obvumirana naEmmanuel Ngara zvinyoronyoro pagungano raiparidza VaNgara jana remunyori mugutsaruzhinji, “Ko tisu tadii tingarambidzwa kupemberera kushaya zvekuita kwedu” (“Interview with Greenwell Matsika”, Veit-Wild).

Ignatius Tirivangani Mabasa. Photo credit: https://www.youtube.com/c/ignatiusmabasa/Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License.

Hatizivi kuti dai akararama, Marechera aizovei, asi tinoziva kuti akadzoka kuZimbabwe achimhorosa vamwe vanyori nepenzera. Mabasa anotanga nekuti mukwasha imhute, panodaidzira Marechera kuti, “Take him out! Munyori, not a writer,” achidzinga Aaron Chiundura Moyo pamusangano wemawriters. Panozonzizve naMarechera, “Uyu Aaron munyori, not a writer,” mberi kwevana vechikoro kuHighfield, Mabasa anowonesa dare kuti mukwasha imboko. Ndaswededzwa mberi kwechigaravakwati nekupinda kwaMabasa mudariro nekuti Mabasa haangosiri bhururu waMoyo chete; ihama yaMarechera! Ndiani anoziva Mabasa zvakanaka, Munhumumwe anoti ukama haugezwe nesipo setsvina, kana Mtukudzi akati usahwira hunokunda ukama?  

Kufumurwa Rutatu kweMunhu 

Mari unoidii, zvako zvemadrugs, mukadzi unomudii? Ndakambopauser, bvandadzokera muBhaibheri, bvandanzwa richiti: Hama yangu, pakutanga Mwari paakasika vanhu, waisarwara hama yangu.  Adam anga ari one. Ndobva apihwa mukadzi achinzi muvaraidzi; hazvina kunzi muzvarisi. Pavakangodya muchero, ndopakatanga kuzvarwa vanhu. Asi zviri kunzi kudya muchero icurse. Uchanzwa mumwe, anoda kuzvisimbisa (“Mbiya”, Soul Jah Love)

Nyaya yedu inotangira kumavambo. “Munhu akatumidza mhuka dzose mazita” (Mavambo 2: 20). Mashoko ekutangatanga mumutauro wemunhu mazita emhuka. Dai Mwari vasina kusika mhuka, munhu angadai akaumba dzake dzedhaka nekuti, “Munhu akazvisika paakazviudza kuti akasiyana nedzinza rake remhuka” (The Black Insider, Dambudzo Marechera). Chinoisa munhu pakati zvisikwa zvose kushandisa mutauro achipa zvinhu mazita. Asizve, mutauro pachawo unogona kudzikisira munhu, nekuti zvaanopepeta mauri zvinoramba zvichidzoka kuzomuita mhuka inomhemhaira pakati pedzimwe mhuka. Ngatipfuurire kubva patakasiira rwendo rwapera. 

Kune mhando mbiri dzemutauro dzinofumura munhu kuita mhuka inoshamba yakashama. Mhando yekutanga inonzi ruzivo. “‘Ndiani akuudza kuti wakashama?’ Jehovha Mwari vakavhunza. ‘Asi wadya muchero wemuti wandakakuraira kuti usadya?’” Hama dzinomhanyisa pfungwa dzinowanzobata kumeso dzichifunga zvadzinofunga panonzi muchero wepakati. Muchero uyu unongoreva chete “ruzivo rwezvakanaka nezvakaipa” sekunyora kwemunhu waMwari munaMavambo. Muchero weruzivo unoonesa munhu kuti angasikwa zvake nemufananidzo waMwari asi maari munopfekana umhuka hwune mukundo. Buka radya mafondokoto rava nzuma inomuka yakarara ichifunga chakadya nyanga dzayo. 

Kubva zvaravira munhu muchero weruzivo, haana kuzogona kumurega. Nhamo yake ndeyekuti haagoni kumudzokera ukasafumura kushama kwake. Sigmund Freud anorondedzera nhoroondo yekufumuka rutatu kwemunhu, kwaanoti kuninipiswa neruzivo.  Munhu anosara akashama panoratidza Corpenicus kuti nyika ndiyo inotenderera, kwete zuva, kureva kuti nyika yemunhu haisiyo iripakati pezvikiswa zvose. Charles Darwin anotevera nekuudza munhu kuti haatosiri chisikwa sezvaanofunga, angoriwo bukirwa remhuka rakangobukirawo nemasanga panyika isina chinangwa. Kuninipiswa kwetatu kunobva mudzidziso yaFreud pachake. Zvinonzi nemuzvarwa uyu, munhu haasi samusha weuzima hwake; munhu pauzima mutorwa mugwindingwi repfungwa dzaanofunga asi asingadzizivi (Introduction to Psychoanalysis, Freud).

Kusvuurwa Rutatu kweMunhu Mutema 

Freud haarondedzeri nhoroondo iyi zvakakwana nekuti ane katurikwa mairi. Ruzivo rwese rwunogadzirwa nekuturikirwa nemunhu anowaniswa simba narwo (Archeologies of Knowledge, Michel Foucault). Panosiiwa munhu rudzi rwemunhu rwakashama neruzivo rutsva, pane kupatsanuka kunoitika. MuBhaibheri, panofumurwa mhuka yatinoziva nemuchero weruzivo, panosvuurwa imwe mhuka kuwanisa munhu nhembe inomutendera kuramba ari munhu (Mavambo 3: 21). Ruzivo nemutauro warwo inhembe inopfekedza imwe mhuka kubva mukusvuurwa kweimwe mhuka. MuZimbabwe, chiitiko ichi chinonzi Rhodesian epistemicide (African Music, Power and Being in Colonial Zimbabwe, Mhoze Chikowero). Ndiro garudzo raMabasa pahama yake Marechera.