VOICE OVER VENDOR LOGS in the house with Author Kwanele Khumalo Host: Fortunes Munsaka (CMA)
Fortunes Munsaka (CMA)
Mr. Fortunes:
Welcome on board Mr. Kwanele and congratulations to your newly published Book. The world is eager to know briefly about you. Please share a bit who Kwanele Khumalo is
Kwanele Khumalo:
Kwanele Khumalo is a poetry writer from Plumtree.. Who is currently based in Bulawayo.
I writes issues that affects the rural communities and the lower class people. Have published my book ‘Who Killed grandfather?’ which was nominated for National Arts Merit Awards last year.
Have written many poems which have been published on various papers in the country
…..
Mr. Fortunes:
What is the title of your newly published Book and when was it published and where?
Kwanele Khumalo:
Vendorlogs published by Stanley mushava from Underclass Books and Films
Mr. Fortunes:
When was the book released?
Kwanele Khumalo:
This book was released this month August
Mr. Fortunes:
That’s very interesting Mr. Khumalo. Could you please briefly describe what the book intends to achieve in the market. Or what is it all about
Kwanele Khumalo:
The book focuses on the lower class people who are poor in the communities represented by a vendor who is selling tomatoes in the streets
It is a message to those who are rich not to take hustlers who try to make ends meet for granted
Mr. Fortunes:
Is Vendor logs a poetry or Short story anthology?
Kwanele Khumalo:
The book is a Poetry anthology
Mr. Fortunes:
Interesting… I love this. So what is your take exactly? Are you hand clapping for the vendors and encourage them to be comfortable as they are or are there any poems advocating for them to be top dogs some other day?
Kwanele Khumalo:
Vending it’s not a bad thing as people view.. There is no principle of survival. Each person survives with what he or she has and that should not make him or her less in the public
Mr. Fortunes:
Can you comment about Entrepreneurship in Zimbabwe in relation to *VENDORLOGS*
Kwanele Khumalo:
It is like a baby who is trying to walk and is beaten by his parents who wants him to continue crawling
Mr. Fortunes:
What can you say about how the Vendors are treated out there especially by the Council in Zimbabwe, because I’ve seen them running around the city and some losing their stuff, what’s your comment on that?
Kwanele Khumalo:
Vendors are not considered as human beings… I think they are most hated in our community because they reveal how the economic situation is in the country… If you want to see that a home is starving, you look at it’s dogs and kids. Kids will be loitering around neighbors begging for food, and even dogs themselves go out for hustling and they all meet in the evening at home. It is the same with our country, you look at it’s interp and that’s where you could tell the situation in the country
Mr. Fortunes:
So Mr. Kwanele, since you have noted all these downsides especially from economy of our country, in Vendorlogs are you giving any solutions or suggestions perhaps such that if a vendor or someone manages to have a grab of the book they’ll be guaranteed to find solace. If so, give an example of one in the form of a title or one stanza
Kwanele Khumalo:
The solution is patience and persistence, like I said that there is no formula for living. The vendors are street soldiers, they are the people who know life better in Zimbabwe than any other person including the white-collar guys.
Mr. Fortunes:
Well, well I like how you say it… it seems those guys who still are holding onto office works really haven’t yet started living because they need to experience real life. Right, Sir, tracing from your previous publications, that include WHO KILLED GRANDFATHER? What other challenges have you faced after Publishing your books and briefly comment on the response of the market.
Kwanele Khumalo:
The challenge is to be heard, people think poets are mad.. They support you because they love you but not because they understand what you are trying to say
Mr. Fortunes:
And it’s very sad because some of them buy books not because they’ll read but just to support or just to impress you as a friend or family.
Still on that, do you have any best strategies or recommendations that can be used to minimize the piracy rate in the book industry?
Kwanele Khumalo:
The schools are the ones who are supposed to work with authors if the book is a set book there should be not photocopy to be used. And I think books should be not sold as soft copies it promotes piracy
Mr. Fortunes:
Now that VENDORLOGS is out, are you looking forward to launch her any time soon?
Kwanele Khumalo:
Yes I’m working tirelessly on that, maybe end of September
Mr. Fortunes:
And where do you see yourself in 5 years to come as an author?
Kwanele Khumalo:
Writing is in the blood it’s now the oxygen for me…after five years from now I want to have written more than 10 books.
Mr. Fortunes:
That’s very interesting Mr. Kwanele, it has been a pleasure talking to you and good luck for your new publication and the world hopes for new books to come. Remember writing is therapeutic in as much as reading is. Keep on transforming lives through sharing life stories. You have really glued your roots in the arts industry. Before we call it a day, do you have any words you wish to leave with young writers who are still hesitant to publish their life Stories maybe because of fear of being judged by friends or family members. Kindly strengthen them.
Kwanele Khumalo:………
Young writers should write … They should keep on writing but they should know what to write
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