The Sunday News
Vincent Gono in Mwenezi, Features Editor
THE late legendary musician Paul Matavire used to come from Masvingo’s Mwenezi district. His name remains hallowed and etched in the minds of many for putting the district on the map in the arts industry. And if there are other familiar names that came before him and after him maybe, just maybe, those that are in the know may second them.
But after him little activity has taken place in terms of hoisting the arts flag in the district until the rise of a young and intellectually vibrant Johannes Mike Mupisa who has an impressive arts CV and yet remains as humble as the rural areas from where he operates from.
At just 33, Mupisa is already a published novelist whose works are used as set books, religious leader, academic writer and poet. He hails not from Chief Maranda like Matavire but he is a product of Tengera Village, Chief Negari in Ward 2 in the sprawling but silent Mwenezi district. His academic background is humbling and so is his character, if you like, he is a village boy who is out to prove a point to the town fellows, that the environment does not shape the man but the man shapes the environment.
Mupisa did his primary education at Gampu Primary School in Bulawayo before moving to Rata Primary School in Mwenezi in 2000. He proceeded to Guiding Star High School where he did his secondary and Advanced level education from 2001-2006.
After completing and passing his Advanced level studies he proceeded to Midlands State University where he atttained a degree in Archaeology, Cultural Heritage Management and Museum Studies in 2013.
He worked as Gender Champion for Change Community Member in Ward 2 of Mwenezi District in 2017 where he facilitated various workshops with Plan International on gender related issues.
He also did and completed a Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Southern African programme in Civic Leadership before he started writing on a full time basis.
Mupisa’s works of arts and passion for writing was inspired by the creativity of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew crime novels on the international scene, Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka on the African literary landscape and the Mungoshis and the Aaron Chiundura Moyos on the local scene.
“I used to write short stories in primary school at Gampu Primary School in Bulawayo where I did my primary education before my father resigned from his work at the postal office to stay in the rural areas of Mwenezi here in Masvingo.
“In Bulawayo having studied Ndebele I had to face another academic hurdle of trying to learn the strings in Shona which I started studying at Grade Seven. I found the shortcut to keeping pace with my fellow peers who took advantage of my Shona Achilles heel to outsmart me in academics knowing pretty well in other areas I was dominant by spending the greater part of my time reading the Shona novels.
“In no time I was proud of my English and Shona literary gymnastics and my teachers in the languages tried in vain to make me hate the other but I couldn’t allow that. Until now I write in both languages but I recite and write more in my vernacular language Shona using the stage name Chana CheMasvingo,” said Mupasi in an interview in Mwenezi recently.
Mupisa feels he is still very young and raring to show people more of his arts side although he admitted that the rural set up was a bit of a push back in terms of marketing his products and connectivity with the outside world of arts.
“It’s very difficult yes, owing to the rural set up I am operating but it is from here that I operate and have written and did all my arts projects,” he said.
He added that writing was his passion and he wished to partake in various projects especially to do with cultural programs and rural development programs in liason with any development agent be it the government or non-governmental sector.
The vibrant author has co-authored three books used in the new curriculum that is, Gwatakwata Renhetembo — ZJC poetry set book (Secondary book Publishers (2016); A Practical Approach to History Studies Book 2 (2019) Secondary Book Press and A Practical Approach to Heritage Studies Book 4 (2018). Mupisa got published in several poetry anthologies inclusive of Taura Izwi/Khuluma Izwi/ Speak a Word comprising Starbrite finalists published by Secondary Book Publishers in 2017.
Mupisa did not only contribute but also edited the anthology; Mupakwa Werwendo (2018)-Progressive Publishers; Best New African Poets (2018)- An anthology comprising international poets (Mwanaka Publishing); A tribute to Penny (Forteworx Press 2018); Nhava yenduri (Roots Press 2015); Shoko Ndisunungure (Pearl Press 2016); Mukoko Wenduri a Shona poetry anthology (2019) published by Royal Press; Chitungwiza Musha Mukuru (Mwanaka Publishing 2020); Ngoma yeDzimbahwe (self-published 2020) and the short stories collections The Long Night and Gangaidzanwa (Essential Book Publishers(2020).
Shukukuviri is Mupisa’s debut novel published by Pearl Press (2018). He wrote the script for Gehena Harina Moto for Don Claude Entertainment the brains behind the Zimbabwean Warrior. The film features Pah Chihera, Patience Musa and other Masvingo based artists. Mupisa also wrote the original story, partook in the screen writing and acting of Gure Rafumuka available on youtube.
Mupasi is an inspiration to the young ones in the village and the elderly are convinced that he can be a perfect role model whose artistic genius that stretches across the spectrum of spoken word, anthology, academic book writing and fiction writing will see him grow into a giant. He carries himself simply and exudes confidence and academic excellence while his poetry is thought provoking and evident of a mind that is always busy.
