INTERESTING topics were discussed at this year’s Zimbabwe International Book Fair (ZIBF) indaba in Harare last week, most importantly, the need to protect and promote the country through literary works.
The indaba was a platform in which writers and scholars discuss issues affecting the book industry.
Seeing them sitting in the indaba hall, scribbling notes one could not help, but wonder if these intellectuals can overcome the problems haunting the book industry.
Guided by the theme, ‘Growing the Knowledge Economy Through Research, Writing, Publishing and Reading’, intellectuals took turns to present various issues related to the theme.
Several topics were discussed at the Book Fair and Primary and Secondary Education Minister Lazarus Dokora set the pace.
Minister Dokora was unapologetic when he officially opened the ZIBF 2015.
The speech was not only an eye-opener, but a reminder that the country’s curriculum review is being done for the benefit of the country, to ensure sustainable development.
The review is meant to produce citizens that fully appreciate what it means to be Zimbabwean.
He said there was need to emphasise the importance of heritage studies and that these should be appreciated by children at an early age.
“As writers we know, we assume, indeed that we impart indigenous knowledge forms to our readers,” he said.
“This indigenous knowledge can take various forms such as folklore, customs, values and belief systems.
“We need to instil in our learners a consciousness of what we value not only from a cultural point of view, but also from a national perspective.”
Dr Boniface Manyame, one of the presenters, highlighted the need to impart information in a language that could be easily understood.
In his presentation on democratisation of technical knowledge through the use of indigenous language, Dr Manyame said indigenous languages were essential in knowledge dissemination.
“The use of European languages has the unfortunate side-effect of perpetuating the myth that they are superior and are the only ones suitable for acquisition of technical knowledge,” he said.
Dr Manyame said Africa lags behind in development due to the lack of supportive policies for use of indigenous languages.
He said indigenous languages were part-and-parcel of a country’s heritage and therefore were important in the early stages of development.
To promote the learning of indigenous language, he said, there must exist a combined effort among writers, publishers and readers.
Presenting on book piracy, the president of Zimbabwe Book Publishers Association, Blazio Tafireyi, said the scourge was hampering the growth of the sector.
“From April 2015 we have recorded 19 arrests and 15 of the cases of book piracy were processed by the courts and of the cases 10 are back to piracy,” said Tafireyi.
Sibongile Jele, a lecturer from the National University of Science and Technology said there was need to improve accessibility and exchange of information.
“Photocopying shops does not mean now people have access to educational materials, the problem still remains, people need access to educational materials at a cost that they can afford,” she said.
Jele stressed that although some viewed piracy as bad at times, it provided a functional method of accessing information.
“If people can only afford to obtain educational materials at US$5 or less, why can’t the providers avail the material to the people at that cost since the so-called pirates are doing it at that rate?” said Jele.
Writers complained that they could not produce books that promoted the country as a result of lack of publishers to produce such works.
“The few publishers that are still in business want us or rather their editorial slant favours works that denigrate the country’s current leadership and anything that praises what we want to achieve as a free people has no takers,” said a writer who spoke on condition of anonymity.
It is unfortunate that some players like Irene Staunton of Weaver Press and Jane Morris ’Amabooks who are arguably the current biggest publishers in the country have made it their agenda to publish books that promote regime change.
Thus many a writer have found themselves forced to shift from progressive topics that promote the heritage and development of the country to issues that promote the regime change agenda.