A young girl’s story While attending boarding school back in 1989 at a respectable church run institution located outside Harare, Ndaizivei (not real name) was … Read more
Chipari/ Chirabwe / Chirahwe/ Chirapi The above are all Shona words for ‘riddle.’ A riddle is, simply put, a trick question. Zvirahwe put to test … Read more
China manenji hachifambisi, chinomirira kuti mavara acho aonekwe While reading the novel China manenji hachifambisi, I was intrigued by the idioms (madimikira) used in the … Read more
Just like in other parts of the world, the Shona held their own beliefs about the sky and celestial bodies. An understanding of such beliefs … Read more
Nyaudzosingwi bring out emphasis The following 70 nyaudzosingwi describe the act of falling. Reference was made to the Standard Shona Dictionary (M. Hannan, S.J.) for … Read more
It’s a vicious cycle of hate A headline from today’s paper reads, ‘South Africa migrant attacks: ‘Why can’t we live with peace?’ Then another reads, … Read more
Shura noun: mysterious occurrence/ bad omen (and less often a good one) verb: symbolise or warn of bad luck (and less often good luck) plural: … Read more
Today we celebrate World Humanitarian Day Celebrated every year on 19 August, World Humanitarian Day is directed towards paying tribute to aid workers around the … Read more
Indigenous pottery From records of early travellers and anthropologists, it has been established that pottery was made in large quantities in Southern Africa, with pottery … Read more
The Shona trace a person’s descent through the paternal line In Shona society, a person’s descent is traced through the paternal line. This means both … Read more