Chairman of Fools
Chairman of Fools
Shimmer Chinodya
First published by Weaver Press, Box A1922, Avondale, Harare,
2005.
Second edition: 2006
Reprinted 2010
© Shimmer Chinodya
Typeset by Weaver Press
Cover Design: Xealos
Printed by Sable Press, Harare
The publishers would like to express their gratitude to Hivos for
the support they have given to Weaver Press in the development of
their fiction programme.
The author would like to express his gratitude to the Civitella
Rainieri Centre, Umbertide, Italy for awarding him a fellowship in
August 2004 which enabled him to write this book.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form
by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording,
or otherwise – without the express written
permission of the publisher.
ISBN: 1 77922 041 3
The author acknowledges with gratitude the following
musicians and songs quoted in the novel:
Brenda Fassie – Weekend Special
Harare Mambos – Kudendere
Tina Turner – I don’t want to fight no more
Thomas Mapfumo – Joyce
Stevie Wonder – (Unnamed)
Peter Gabriel – Don’t give up
Bruce Springsteen – Born in the USA
Simply Red – Fair-ground
Sankomota – Stop the war
B.B.King – Hold On
Ray Phiri – Can’t spend your life just talking
SHIMMER CHINODYA was born in Gweru in 1957 and educated in Zimbabwe. On completion of his first degree he went to the Iowa Writers Workshop where he did an MA in Creative Writing. His publications include the novels Dew in the Morning (1982), Farai’s Girls (1984), Child of War (1985), under his pen-name, Ben Chirasha, Harvest of Thorns (1989), an anthology, Can We Talk and other stories (1998) and a teenage novel, Tale of Tamari (2004). Harvest of Thorns won the Commonwealth Writers Prize (Africa region) in 1990; Can We Talk was shortlisted for the Caine Prize in 2000. Chinodya has also written children’s books under his pen-name, as well as the script for the award-winning feature film, Everyone’s Child. In addition, he has developed a highly acclaimed language textbook series Step Ahead: New Secondary English Course. Chinodya has won many fellowships abroad and from 1995-97, was visiting professor in Creative Writing and African Literature at the University of St Lawrence in the USA Chinodya works as a free-lance writer and consultant.
Contents
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baba – father
babamukuru – father’s brother/husband’s brother
bhudhi – brother
blaz – slang for brother
buda ndibudewo – literally ‘come out (of mother’s womb) sibling, so
that I can come out too’
chikafu – food
chinamwari – a ritual practised in south and central Africa to prepare young women for better sex, wifely duties and motherhood
chiramu – playful but innocent way in which young in laws from the related families act as ‘wives ’and ‘husbands’ to each other
combi – a mini-bus used as a public taxi
futi futi – and, and
gogo – grandmother
guru – offal, tripe
hakata – the diviner’s bones
hes mhani – hie there!
Hesi mhani – oh, yeah!
hwindi – conductor in a combi taxi
iwe – you
kanga – roasted maize grains
kanjani – how is it?
kaya – servants’ quarters in suburban yards
kuchirungu – the city; in this particular context, the USA
kumusha – rural areas
kutyei – why not?
kwakanaka here – is everything all right?
maakunzwa sei – how are you feeling now?
mabva nekupi – where are you coming from?
mabhoyi – half-derogatory name for black people
madora – a type of edible caterpillar
mai – mother of
maiguru – mother’s older sister/brother’s wife/wife’s older sister
mainini – mother’s younger sister, or wife’s younger sister
majuru – a type of ant, edible when fried
makadii – how are you?
makadii mhamha – how are you mother,/mother–in–law?
mamuka sei – how are you this morning?
manheru – good evening
matumbu – offal, intestines
mazhanje – a sweet wild fruit, a wild loquat
mazondo – boiled cow hooves
mbuya – grandmother, aunt
mhaiwe – oh, Mother! Exclamation of surprise, pain, etc.
mhamha – mother/mum/mother-in-law
mkoma – brother, usually older brother