“BORN to a rural farming community in Chivhu on December 2 1947, (Dr Charles) Mungoshi had humble origins and remained down to earth despite his international stature.
Until the time he fell ill, he had travelled across Zimbabwe, mentoring young and new writers, sometimes for no fee.
Records at the Budding Writers Association of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Women Writers association can bear testimony.
He mentored or directly influenced younger writers, among them Ignatius Mabasa, Ruzvidzo Mupfudza, Albert Nyathi, Joice Mutiti, Lawrence Hoba, Chiedza Musengezi, Thabisani Ndlovu, myself and (many) others.
His style of writing has become a brand.
In honour of his amazing ambidexterity and depth, the University of Zimbabwe conferred (on him) an honorary doctorate degree (Doctor of Letters-DLitt) in 2003.
The essence of Mungoshi’s literature is about grappling with the issues of home, identity and belonging in the changing times.
He constantly asked key questions: Do we truly belong to this land? Is it possible to belong here and elsewhere? What must we change and what exactly must continue and why?
Is there any space for the individual in our quest for collective glory? Are we right? Are we wrong?
In this quest, Mungoshi penned ‘The Accident’, a short story from Coming of the Dry Season which seems to question and challenge the stance of a people living under minority rule.
The book landed him in trouble and was banned in Rhodesia, only to re-appear later and has been studied in schools ever since. Mungoshi’s writings have also tended to evoke that strong sense of Zimbabweaness.
Mungoshi handled a broad range of literary genres and styles in a way that is very rarely surpassed by many in the so- called Third World today. His literary profile is compact.
He was a novelist, poet, short-story writer, playwright, film scriptwriter, actor, editor, translator and consultant. He wrote convincingly and continuously in both Shona and English, where many of his compatriots tended to write in English or Shona or Ndebele only.
In 1975 alone, for instance, Mungoshi published two books: Waiting for the Rain (a novel in English) and Ndiko Kupindana Kwemazuva (a novel in Shona).
These two works exude separate amazing qualities that leave one wondering how they could have been written ‘back-to-back’.
That ambidexterity was no fluke because later, in 1980, Mungoshi repeated a similar feat; publishing Inongova Njakenjake (a play in Shona) and Some Kinds of Wounds (a short-story collection in English.) It is as if Mungoshi wrote simultaneously with two pens; one in the left hand and the other, in the right hand!
Between 1970 and 2000, a period of 30 years, Mungoshi made an average of one major publication in every one-and-half years and won a prize of sorts for each of them.
Maybe the greatest strength of Mungoshi’s literature is the life-like feel he has for people.
He has sympathy for the under-dog, without over-writing.
His characters belong to believable circumstances, places and times and are endearing.
He said about writing parts of Waiting for the Rain: ‘I was living in it (the story didn’t happen in the past. It is a drum. It is happening, it is playing now’.” — Memory Chirere, memorychirere.blogspot.com
“Coming of the Dry Season was banned in Rhodesia. It’s a collection of poignant and simply told stories from one of the more able and sensitive writers to come out of Zimbabwe.” — Unknown
Tsitsi Dangarembga
“I receive the news of Charles Mungoshi’s death with deep sorrow, yet at the same time am thankful for the life of a master of his art, a fearless observer of society whose work here has been completed.
Condolences to Jesesi Mungoshi, his family and the Zimbabwean nation.”
Ignatius Mabasa
“Sad to learn about the death of Charles Muzuva Mungoshi. The most versatile Zimbabwean writer. My teacher, my brother, my inspiration. Kunyarara kuye kwazotaura zvinorwadza.”