The Sunday News
Ntombiyolwandle Ndlovu, Sunday Life Reporter
BORN with physical disabilities 57 years ago in Zaka, Masvingo, and never been inside a classroom, Gilbert Mupurungwe has defied all odds as he has developed into a novelist.
He revealed to Sunday Life that he never had formal education, but has managed to write Shona novels from writing techniques he taught himself.
Mpurungwe cannot walk. He only crawls due to his disability and last week, he narrated his incredible story to the Sunday Life during a visit to his Bulawayo home in Queenspark East.
Mpurungwe said that he was only taught the alphabet by a certain man who he only identified as Munyaradzi and has never attended a formal educational institution in his life.
“I was only a small boy when a certain man called Munyaradzi taught me how to read an alphabet for just less than two hours. From then on, no one taught me anything about school. I then started reading and writing on my own up until a time people around me could then understand my writings. I can say I am a self-taught individual,” Mpurungwe said.
Mpurungwe added that he didn’t attend school because of financial difficulties within his family.
“I didn’t go to school because my family could not afford to take me to school as they were working in white people’s farms and earned very little. Also the schools were far from home during that time and I had a disability as I could not crawl long distances hence I didn’t attend school,” Mpurungwe said.
The author who stays with his wife and three kids further revealed that he started writing novels in 1990 in Shona language because that is the language he could understand.
“I started writing novels in 1990. I write in indigenous Shona language because it my mother tongue and I cannot write English novels because I do not know it as I have never been to school,” he said.
Mpurungwe’s has written three novels that talk about love, caring, rape and education, among other issues.
“I write about love because in our communities love is important. I also write about rape because it is on the rise and I want to raise awareness to young people especially girls, on rape issues,” he said.
Mpurungwe who is surviving through the help he is getting from his children said that he wishes to have all books that he has written to be put in school curriculums.
“My greatest wish is have all my books to be put in school curriculums. I also wish to go to school one day like many people out there. I am also seeking help from publishers to help me publish all my books that I have written. At the moment Weaver Press and Zim publishers have helped me with the editing of my novels,” he said.
The novels that Mpurungwe has written so far include Zuvarekuno rinononoka, Hundeyemuti mujinga nedziva and Doctor Kundai.
Right now, the author is working on a play that he says he wishes to see being broadcast on television with the coming of digitalisation.
