The ManicaPost
Blessing Rwizi: Entertainment Correspondent
A POLICE constable based at Rusape Central Police Station has released his first book, “Wajaira”. Constable Fabion Choto published his book in June at Passion Press in Harare.“Wajaira” is his first book after having started writing poems in 1995 when he was doing his secondary education. It contains 28 poems.
The poems focus on poverty, religious, traditional, love and modern day issues. One of the poems, “Muromo Mumhuno” talks about the title of the book. It discourages domestic violence, as it portrays women retaliating against brutality from their husbands.
Some of the poems include “Chadenga”, “Gwenya Rerudo”, “Nyika neni yoseva”, “Vakuruwe”, “Tapinda tapinda”, “Zvangu zvaita”, “Yangova mirangariro”, “Mwana wevanhu” “Kisimusi namai vayo zvayo”, “Mwanasikana muZimbabwe yakasununguka” and “Ndiri Nyanduri Zvachose”.
Each of the poems has English translations to enable readers to understand what exactly is meant by the Shona poems. Cst Choto’s target readers are mainly secondary school students as he aims to educating them on the style of writing poem.
In an interview, he said: “I started writing my poems while still in secondary school, around 1995, but my major challenge was finance and exposure so that I could quickly publish them. I soldiered on and remained positive as I knew one day my dream would become a reality.
“My primary school teachers identified the talent in me at an early age and they would make sure that I perform on most functions held within and outside the school. The same thing also happened in secondary school up until I joined the writers’ club. From there, I got a job as a police officer and I have been writing for the ZRP Outpost magazine since 2011. I am currently working on my English poems which I am looking forward to publish in the next few years,” said the father of two.
His books are being sold in a number of bookshops around Manicaland and Harare.
