Jabulani Mzinyathi
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Jabulani (Justice) Mzinyathi Interview
1. Jabulani Mzinyathi is a name that reminds me of the restless (because we were always
involved in writing activities) Budding Writers Association of Zimbabwe days. Can you tell us a bit
about your involvement with BWAZ and how it influenced your writing?
My involvement with BWAZ has been quite deep. I am proud to have associated with the likes of the late Stephen
Alumenda, Albert Nyathi, Alson Mfiri, Mbizo Chirasha, Hleko Vuma, Ignatious Musonza,Dillio Banda, Gilbert
Mabasa, and the interviewer, among others. All these people have gone on to be successful to a great extent. I
was BWAZ vice chairperson for the Zimbabwe Midlands branch. I contributed works to the BWAZ Bulletin that
was being handled then by Dudziro Nhengu. It was a source of great inspiration to see one’s creations in print. I
attended workshops held under the auspices of BWAZ. It is unfortunate that the nature of my work and location
has cut me off from BWAZ. I, however, remain a budding writer at heart.
2. Your submission subject line was: "Some Poems from this Mind." Any reason for this choice of
words? Does it have something to do with how you perceive yourself as a writer, that you are a
mind at work, and what would that mean exactly?
"Some works from this mind" means many more works are available in this mind. Others are in the drawers and
are yet to be re-written because writing involves a lot of re-writing. Other works are stored electronically, so what
you got is just a part of the story. Expressing feelings, emotions is a lot of mind work since a poet is a thinker – a
philosopher and at times a prophet too!
3. "Exalting His Name" is the title of your first poem that attracted my attention. There is
something familiarly religious (at least to me) about it. Does your poetry draw inspiration from
religion? I mean, all your selections here have overtones of the religious. If I am right, is this a
conscious decision you make?
I call myself a spiritual person; also I am a political animal. I cannot ignore the socio-political, religious,economic
milieu around me. I do not wish to go into a debate about evolution and creation. My way of life as passed on
from my ancestral spirits and rastafarian teachings permeates my writing both consciously and unconsciously. It
is an explosion and implosion, a world bent on materialism I have branded one dimensional. The other dimension
is spirituality; therefore, I am acutely conscious of my beliefs and will never dabble in apostasy.
4. I also detect something metaphorically political, an attempt to hit the nail on the head of
something political, which ends up being religious. I am tempted to say your poetry bears the pain
of something. The political, the religious, am I even close to the truth?
As my literary brother Shimmer Chinodya once said, ‘Writing is drawn more towards pain than happiness’, I
would add that in Africa where we have had more than our share of misrule and corruption and the hijacking of
the revolutionary ideals that made the oppressed take up arms against violent,oppressor regimes, the pain
expressed in my works stems from the chasms between our collective ideals and the grinding poverty, ignorance,
disease and the cancerous corruption we experience daily.
5. I know you are in the legal profession (Google tells me you are a provincial magistrate). How
does this work with your poetic creativity?
In my work in the legal field, I get to interact with a lot of people from diverse backgrounds. I get a lot of
inspiration from the life stories that I get to hear. I am driven in my writing by an immense sense of justice,
especially for the under dog. My career at times impacts negatively on my work in that the research competes for
the time with my creative works. I am not complaining but my day usually has more than twenty four hours. I am
deeply in debt since I borrow time from days to come!
6. Your poem, "Of Thistles and Thorns", has a clear message, somewhat revolutionary. Explain
again what role poetry plays in something revolutionary.
The word is as powerful weapon as a bullet. Remember Dambudzo Marechera? I am not a Christian but the
writer in genesis is right when a statement is made to the effect that ‘in the beginning was the word’.My works
are "somewhat" revolutionary. The ideological underpinning is that I consciously choose to be a voice for the
voiceless!
7. This is my last question to you. You are being featured in this journal, which is an internet
forum. What do you think of this forum as a vehicle to showcase your poetry?
We cannot ignore the internet. It is a living reality. The question is accessibility. It's not all gloom and doom in
Zimbabwe. Efforts have been made to make computer literacy high on the national agenda.
Funds permitting, there is always a need to have the E-Zines complemented by hard copies or print editions.
1. Jabulani Mzinyathi is a name that reminds me of the restless (because we were always
involved in writing activities) Budding Writers Association of Zimbabwe days. Can you tell us a bit
about your involvement with BWAZ and how it influenced your writing?
My involvement with BWAZ has been quite deep. I am proud to have associated with the likes of the late Stephen
Alumenda, Albert Nyathi, Alson Mfiri, Mbizo Chirasha, Hleko Vuma, Ignatious Musonza,Dillio Banda, Gilbert
Mabasa, and the interviewer, among others. All these people have gone on to be successful to a great extent. I
was BWAZ vice chairperson for the Zimbabwe Midlands branch. I contributed works to the BWAZ Bulletin that
was being handled then by Dudziro Nhengu. It was a source of great inspiration to see one’s creations in print. I
attended workshops held under the auspices of BWAZ. It is unfortunate that the nature of my work and location
has cut me off from BWAZ. I, however, remain a budding writer at heart.
2. Your submission subject line was: "Some Poems from this Mind." Any reason for this choice of
words? Does it have something to do with how you perceive yourself as a writer, that you are a
mind at work, and what would that mean exactly?
"Some works from this mind" means many more works are available in this mind. Others are in the drawers and
are yet to be re-written because writing involves a lot of re-writing. Other works are stored electronically, so what
you got is just a part of the story. Expressing feelings, emotions is a lot of mind work since a poet is a thinker – a
philosopher and at times a prophet too!
3. "Exalting His Name" is the title of your first poem that attracted my attention. There is
something familiarly religious (at least to me) about it. Does your poetry draw inspiration from
religion? I mean, all your selections here have overtones of the religious. If I am right, is this a
conscious decision you make?
I call myself a spiritual person; also I am a political animal. I cannot ignore the socio-political, religious,economic
milieu around me. I do not wish to go into a debate about evolution and creation. My way of life as passed on
from my ancestral spirits and rastafarian teachings permeates my writing both consciously and unconsciously. It
is an explosion and implosion, a world bent on materialism I have branded one dimensional. The other dimension
is spirituality; therefore, I am acutely conscious of my beliefs and will never dabble in apostasy.
4. I also detect something metaphorically political, an attempt to hit the nail on the head of
something political, which ends up being religious. I am tempted to say your poetry bears the pain
of something. The political, the religious, am I even close to the truth?
As my literary brother Shimmer Chinodya once said, ‘Writing is drawn more towards pain than happiness’, I
would add that in Africa where we have had more than our share of misrule and corruption and the hijacking of
the revolutionary ideals that made the oppressed take up arms against violent,oppressor regimes, the pain
expressed in my works stems from the chasms between our collective ideals and the grinding poverty, ignorance,
disease and the cancerous corruption we experience daily.
5. I know you are in the legal profession (Google tells me you are a provincial magistrate). How
does this work with your poetic creativity?
In my work in the legal field, I get to interact with a lot of people from diverse backgrounds. I get a lot of
inspiration from the life stories that I get to hear. I am driven in my writing by an immense sense of justice,
especially for the under dog. My career at times impacts negatively on my work in that the research competes for
the time with my creative works. I am not complaining but my day usually has more than twenty four hours. I am
deeply in debt since I borrow time from days to come!
6. Your poem, "Of Thistles and Thorns", has a clear message, somewhat revolutionary. Explain
again what role poetry plays in something revolutionary.
The word is as powerful weapon as a bullet. Remember Dambudzo Marechera? I am not a Christian but the
writer in genesis is right when a statement is made to the effect that ‘in the beginning was the word’.My works
are "somewhat" revolutionary. The ideological underpinning is that I consciously choose to be a voice for the
voiceless!
7. This is my last question to you. You are being featured in this journal, which is an internet
forum. What do you think of this forum as a vehicle to showcase your poetry?
We cannot ignore the internet. It is a living reality. The question is accessibility. It's not all gloom and doom in
Zimbabwe. Efforts have been made to make computer literacy high on the national agenda.
Funds permitting, there is always a need to have the E-Zines complemented by hard copies or print editions.
- Jabulani Mzinyathi - Six Poems
EXALTING HIS NAME
Hear them exalting your name
Hear the hypocrites wailing
Moaning more than the bereaved
Fret not for we are writing the stories
We shall sing these songs of the truth
That they seek to trash your memory
We know your soul was not for sale
The vultures cannot have anything
There is no carrion for them here
These opportunists shall face sham.
SINGING TRIUMPHANTLY
When my conscience speaks
I shall bear the pain
Bear this pain stoically
I shall fear no evil
Lucifer seems to hold sway here
My soul is not for sale
Though they may deny me bail
Never behind my mother’ skirts
Will I cower and hide
I shall fear no evil
The devil is not my master
I see through their evil schemes
My creator has made me this way
These demonic forces cannot hold sway
Their evil schemes shall crumble
The wind the chaff shall blow away
The wax that melteth before the fire
I shall sing this song triumphantly
OUT OF THE ASHES
Behind this trail of destruction
That hope refuses to die
That revolution of old lives on
The spirits of this land live on
Everything now derailed shall be back on track
Opportunists’ names shall be put to shame
Those that profane that sacred blood
The raving and the ranting mad men
All the murderers, liars and prostitutes
Posterity shall learn these lessons
That is the bitter path to nation building
SINGING TRIUMPHANTLY
When my conscience speaks
I shall bear the pain
Bear this pain stoically
I shall fear no evil
Lucifer seems to hold sway here
My soul is not for sale
Though they may deny me bail
Never behind my mother’ skirts
Will I cower and hide
I shall fear no evil
The devil is not my master
I see through their evil schemes
My creator has made me this way
These demonic forces cannot hold sway
Their evil schemes shall crumble
The wind the chaff shall blow away
The wax that melteth before the fire
I shall sing this song triumphantly
AT THE DEVIL’S BANQUET
What stories will you leave behind
What name will your children carry
When you trash our sacred institutions
When you seek cheap gratification
Dragging your name through shame
Through the murky waters of shame
Listen to that voice deep inside you
That voice warning you against evil schemes
Listen you disciple of Macchiavelli
Stop those devilish human sacrifices
Now you shall bear the mark of the beast
The persecuted shall not be alone in pain
ANOTHER VICTIM
Then we are told
The snake was there
Weaving a yarn for woman
Then she fell first
The snake’s charm
The slithering python
The goat under hypnosis
Those great grinding coils
The moth in a fatal dance
Dazzled by the flame
The fatal attraction
That is our demise
A trail of broken hearts
Just like a fountain
That wheel turns full circle
OF THISTLES AND THORNS
This fight is on
It is not for the faint hearted
It is not for the cowards
Comfortable behind their mothers’ skirts
It is a protracted fight
Against the despots
It is a class struggle
Their shameless greed
And the maintenance of the status quo
Today cast off the steel yoke
Cast off the shackles and chains
Cast off mind warping religions
This is no God ordained order
Shove into an abyss warped ideas
Make the ultimate sacrifice
Fear not the bruises
For the way is thistle and thorn laden
| Jabulani Mzinyathi is the Provincial Magistrate for Beitbridge, Zimbabwe. In the 90s he held leadership positions in the Budding Writers Association of Zimbabwe; he also held the position of president for the Zimbabwe Poetry Association. |