Shumi Chimombe On Writing, Zimbabwe And Dancing
Shumi Chimombe is not only the University of Cape Town’s corporate website editor, she’s also the author of three children’s books and there’s a novel on the way too.
How did you end up coming to Cape Town from Zimbabwe?
My partner at the time had emigrated to Cape Town from Zimbabwe and I followed him in 2002. We split up two years later and I decided to move to Johannesburg and make a fresh start there. But when a job opportunity presented itself and the possibility to move became real, I stalled. I realised then that I couldn’t leave behind the idyllic beauty and serenity of the Cape and the life that I had created for myself here. Besides, Cape Town is so far away from everything and everyone and I like that – I like the thought that I’m at the tip of the continent and that the next frontier beyond the Atlantic is the South Pole.
Do you manage to visit home?
Yes… My family are all there – my parents, one of my sisters, cousins, other relatives, old friends. Although I’m pretty much settled in Cape Town, I still need to go home sometimes just to put my feet on Zimbabwean soil. It grounds me.
Is there any hope for the future of Zimbabwe?
Yes I think so. The winds of change are blowing – although for now it’s only a slight breeze. There’s still a very long way to go, but I have hope. When I was home two months ago (June, 2009) , I definitely felt a sense of cautious optimism among people. This unity government seems to have been the glimmer at the end of the tunnel that everyone was searching for – so I hope it works because a lot of people are depending on it to work. When you’ve been to hell and back, you’ll grasp at anything that looks remotely promising.
What would you say to the people who reckon South Africa will “go the same way” as Zimbabwe?
I honestly don’t think that South Africa will get to the level of insanity we witnessed in Zimbabwe. However I am worried about the ever-widening gap between the rich and the poor which could lead to problems in the future if not addressed. The xenophobic attacks last year frightened me because they are the clearest expression of the rising frustration in the townships and they needed to vent and take it out on somebody – so they chose the foreigners. Who will they blame next? And now there’s the service delivery uprisings. I think that the warning bells are ringing and the people in charge need to pay attention.
Tell me a bit about your job?
I am the Web Editor of the UCT corporate website. Besides the usual content management stuff my main focus is on finding strategic ways to use the website as a communication and marketing tool for the university. We’re now looking at social media to see how we can connect with our stakeholders that way. It’s all very fun and interesting.
Tell me about your children’s books?
My three children’s books are part of the recently launched Cambridge University Press (SA) Readers Series.
Dancing Star – is for Grade 3 and it’s about a boy who can’t run fast but can dance.
Little Gogo (Level 7) is a play about four children who are left to fend for themselves after their parents die of AIDS. I wanted to highlight the plight of child-headed households in SA.
Then Growing Pangs – which I co-wrote with Nicole Levin, is a collection of poems (Nicole) and plays (me) about the usual teenage dramas of growing up.
I hope to do more such projects because they are a welcome relief from the other heavy stuff I do – editing an academic website and writing a novel.
When can we expect to get hold of your first novel and would you mind sharing a bit of what it’s all about?
I am putting the finishing touches and I hope to see it on the shelves some time late next year – looking for a publisher at the moment. I wrote the book as part of my dissertation for my MA in creative writing at UCT (graduated in June this year). In a nutshell it’s about love, marriage, relationships and family against the backdrop of contemporary Zimbabwe – power cuts, fuel shortages etc. It’s not a political commentary – I’m tired of reading political books about Zim. I think it’s very important to stress the fact that ordinary Zims actually managed to lead normal lives in between the hardships.
Who are you hoping will read your book? Who do you think needs to read it?
Well, I hope anyone and everyone who sees it in the bookshop will pick it up and read it! But to be more specific, I guess in SA and internationally, anyone who is interested in getting a glimpse of life in Zim through a lens that’s different to that of journalist or a political analyst. And I would like Zimbabwean women to read it as well because they will see themselves through Tina, my main character – how she tries to negotiate her way through her life while being pulled in different directions. On one end, she’s a modern, young professional woman and on the other end, she’s expected to observe certain ‘rules’ governed by culture and tradition. It’s a common dilemma.
Why is dancing so important to you?
When I first saw the advert for Biodanza – the Dance of Life, I was hooked and I’ve been hooked ever since. I do feel a sense of true freedom and absolute joy when I dance. If you dance regularly long enough, that sense of feedom and happiness stays with you in your daily life. It’s such a gift and a privilege to have access to that – which is why I decided to train to become a facilitator so I can pass that gift on to others who care to look for it.
Source http://www.ananziwomen.co.za