Mfumu’s Weeds

Let me mourn MY mother, MY way. It’s on me to survive this tragedy. Keep your Bible verses and careless religious rhetoric to yourself.

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The Commonwealth Foundation conducted a Commonwealth Short Story Prize Creative Writing workshop for Southern African writers from Botswana, Malawi, Lesotho, Namibia, and Zambia at Chaminuka Lodge in Lusaka Zambia.   Facilitators included Award winning writers Ellen Banda-Aaku (Zambia) and Damon Galgut (South Africa), the Judge for the 2018 Prize.   Commonwealth Writers Senior Programme Officer, …

OUTCRY

I find myself staring at nothing but seeing everything. Feeling nothing but experiencing it all. It is depressing watching the whole thing unfold. Media attention. Media drive. The reaction. Then silence. Darkness. Nothing. I’ve been thinking about her lately, her death hit too close to home. If today I told you she was my friend, …

BANTU BA CHALO

  Sibeze ba kapokola Olo ba shushushu. Beze bamuna ba tuma sampato twa blaweni, Tuma jakete, natu ngono tu mitu, Beve banga ku sunge maningi Chakweba ati baku paye, Bezo ku nama ati baku konda Koma ni boza chaye, Bezo kamba mitundu za mbili Kuikilapo na fulenchi Ntawi imozi bana mu peza musikana Pa ka …

12th SEPTEMBER

History is replete with significant events that occurred on this very date, 12th September. People have been born, married, divorced, appointed, and fired on this date. Nations across the world have achieved successes (as well as failures) on 12th September.   To many, this date may be meaningless and may not mean much. But a …

REMEMBER ME?

REMEMBER ME? I met you five years ago I needed you and there was something you needed me for   REMEMBER ME? You came into my home with your people And promised to improve the lives of my people   REMEMBER ME? My family and I sat under that scotching sun, on broken down stools, …

MOFYA

It’s quite amazing how feelings have been cornered by words in a sad song. Thoughts continue to refuse to dwell upon a mind that eagerly calls upon them for inspiration. Trying to write down something deep but the mood feels wrong. No impact, no affection. The music in the background is loud and un-relatable; posing …

MWILA

Wasn’t much of a talker, only loved to watch; preferred looking, observing, experiencing things. Being there when it happened, being the hand that ignored the scratch. Until that moment when what was seen was grave. Mwila watched her mother, a strong woman of immense African beauty but very little modern education, pushed below, further and …

BARBARA

“Come up here and say something that will hold our attention for at least five minutes,” she says then trimly moves to the side. Without much thought, I walk up to the front, pace left to right, swing my hands back, and turn around to face them. At least thirty pairs of eyes look up …

SANDRA

They tell me they appear in threes; I hurt one, kill another, so where is the other? That’s the brand of nonsense he and I talk about. We are a faultless pair; I was the hit and he was the run of that equation. But I don’t care. He might as well go. I forgot …