Respected author and expatriate lawyer Petina Gappah — whose latest book titled Rotten Row gives a gripping rendition of everyday life in crisis-torn Zimbabwe — has said the southern African country is on the verge of change.
In a recent interview with the BBC, the award-winning writer, whose short story anthology has received rave reviews, says Zimbabwe is at a point where for the first time every citizen agrees the country is better off with “anyone but (President Robert) Mugabe”.
“I think we are at a wonderful point in our history. It does not seem like it but we are in a moment of great transition,” Gappah said in the interview.
“For the first time in 36 years, we can all agree that the time for change has come.
“We just don’t know which form that change will come, that’s the only frightening thing,” she said.
“But it’s not too frightening. I can assure you that never again will Zimbabwe have a president for 36 years. It won’t happen and it can’t happen,” she said.
Rotten Row — a collection of short stories that illuminate various aspects of Zimbabwean life — has captured the world’s attention.
Once the beacon of the African continent, Zimbabwe is facing its worst financial crisis punctuated by a shrinking economy, rising unemployment and the country is battling to contain a crippling cash shortage.
A wave of anti-Mugabe protests as well as political tension and infighting within the ruling Zanu PF have all left the country on the brink of collapse.
It is little wonder why Gappah believes that long-suffering Zimbabweans are so frustrated by Mugabe’s misrule that they are prepared to accept any candidate, regardless of background, to take over from the nonagenarian leader.
“I am happy to trade in Mugabe for (vice president) Emmerson Mnangangwa . . . (MDC leader) Morgan Tsvangirai, (Zimbabwe People First leader) Joice Mujuru . . . or any of the candidates signing up to be president,” Gappah said.
“I really feel that any person is better than what we have.”
Gappah, who until recently was working for the Geneva-based Advisory Centre on WTO Law, spoke of her imminent year-long writing fellowship in Berlin, Germany and her arduous journey as a writer.
Apart from Rotten Row, Gappah’s first book An Elegy for Easterly won the Guardian first book award in 2009.
In between the two, she penned a novel titled The Book of Memory.
“I was tired of the story of Zimbabwe being told by western journalists and white Zimbabwean authors,” she said.
“There was a point when the only books coming out of Zimbabwe were about land invasion, and the authors coming out of Zimbabwe were white Zimbabweans writing about their farms.
“But what about the people on the farms? Outside the farms? What about lawyers and dreamers, and thinkers? So that was what propelled me to write my first book (An Elegy for Easterly).
Gappah, who goes by the moniker Chandagwinyira, has a law degree from the University of Zimbabwe, a Master’s degree from the University of Cambridge and a doctorate in international trade law from the University of Graz. – Daily News
Certified coward who? Who ran away from Tshaka and who cries black and blue about Gukurahundi? Your historical facts are twisted by self serving inanity, mistaken belief in glory and grandeur.
Our online fight on this PAGE is now stale. Hope you will not reply after this.
Find me on another current page oh my enemy. We need to settle this permanently,and not by hiding behind nom de plumes.
What fight; with certified cowards, who sold their own Mashonaland country to White Colonialists, without putting up a fight, for absolutely no return; except for the their flag on the Salisbury Kopjie, that marked their new capital; which you today erroneously call Harare.
Now compare that to the history of Bulawayo and you will squirm. You have no well proven history of building anything apart from mere claims. All you know is destroying.
To put it mildly, you beg, steal or borrow. Right up to this Century, nothing has changed.
Our ancestors fucked you big time, and now you have been doubly fucked by one of your own Shonas; all because you are bloody fucken useless cowards. You have all the numbers, but you are fucken useless.
All you know is running away like your forefathers used to do. Go back to Central Africa; gorillas!!
Mthwakazi is ours; remains ours and has always been ours. It will remain ours till eternity; because we fucked you. Try it again, we will fuck you one more time with your useless numbers.
Your KZN South Africa nonsense is just that; nonsense.
We are the celebrated uMthwakazi wendlela zimhlophe. All Western Libraries have historical records about us; and you know what that means.
The only people with languages that are officially recognised in 7 countries in the region, Zimbabwe included.
Get it straight from me, an avowed and exhuberantly proud Mthwakazi; you Tshona idiot – we aint pushovers like you Tshonas.
Now wise up!!
Motherf*cker that crap about the Shona being from central africa was written by white people and fed to you and now you think you are educated.
If you think you mthwakazi motherf*ckers can rule our great country ,then you are in for a rude awakening. Come out into the open, and separate yourselves from the innocent ndebeles and come for a fight.
We are not scared of mthwakazi tribalist, we are civil. Don’t confuse it with weakness.
Go to hell. How can settlers from Central Africa allow anyone to settle in Southern African lands?
We fucked them up and settled by force, because that land of Mthwakazi belongs to the Khoisan people; the indigenous people of Southern Africa – not your cowardly idiotic Shona tribe.
If you didnt know, “Bathwa” as in “Mthwakazi” are the San people.
Now I am educating you bloody ignorant Tshona; so you know what and where Mthwakazi is all about.
F*cking answer the question, who do you suggest should be the non-Shona candidate. That is not being a tribalist by asking.As you rightly say that it is an unwritten rule which means it can be dispelled off if a suitable candidate is proposed.
Mthwakazi my foot. They should go to South Africa and establish that nation in their original homeland. Either you put up with us or ship/shit the hell out.
Shonas are not tribalists but they are very accommodating otherwise they should have not allowed you to stay in the those occupied areas. secession is just a fancy word segregation along tribal lines. Guess what we wont let a square inch of Zim go. You know it and you wont do anything about it.
With your 1979 Grand Plan, you have an unwritten rule of only Shonas being Presidents in Zim; how do you expect non Shonas to come forward?
You indirectly banned whites, coloureds and Indians, including Mthwakazi from aspiring to the Presidency. Only Whites and Mthwakazi have refused to be banned and stubbornly remained in politics, whether you like it or not.
Because of their stubborness; you then opted to silence them by not voting for them; or simply ruling them out on the basis of race an tribe.
Secession has become the answer to this Shona Gukurahundi tribalism!!
the next leader knows that he can get away with anything also
— ” MUGABE GONE – ZIMBABWE A BETTER PLACE ” REALLY ??? —
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4f396b4c7a74dda90fe4557a83731e96000178f87641ae16fcee70d1c0dcc512.jpg
Who do you suggest the non-Shona candidate should be?
MANDA YAKABHATA GOLE! INOYENDA NGAYI! TILL THE SKY AND THE EARTH MEET! HE WILL RULE US FROM THE GRAVE! BY THE GRACE OF …
As long as the next President is Shona, particular coming from the current menu of pretenders; forget it; Zim is going nowhere.