Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. SOUTH AFRICA-BASED Zimbabwean writer, Godwin Sweto, has released his second novel, Kunze Kwashata Uko, hard on the heels of his debut, Here Lies the Truth, which was published last month.
Both books, which were almost written concurrently, were published by Royalty Books.
Sweto, a senior executive in the gas and oil industry, told NewsDay Life & Style that Kunze Kwashata Uko was inspired by a nasty personal experience.
“I have been a victim of fraud a few times. In all cases, this involved persons who were close to me. They won my trust and deliberately led me into trusting them,” he said.
“This set me back financially and really hurt me emotionally. I decided that for now, the best I can do is to warn others of the dangers of trusting too much, of the need to exercise vigilance.”
Sweto said although the book was written in a humour-filled style, it was a warning to people to look out for potential deception.
Although his debut novel was written in English, Sweto said he opted for his mother tongue, Shona, in the second offering as a way of preserving his language and culture.
“I should also admit, though, that one of the reasons for this Shona project is that I truly enjoy the language. Yes, Shona is now incorporating many new words from other cultures, but it remains an extremely rich and enjoyable medium of communication,” he said.
The author said the novel was packed with important messages that he hoped would resonate with the readers.
“The main message relates to the need for everyone to have a heightened sense of vigilance and awareness in the face of the continued societal degradation. The love for money is turning friends, relatives and neighbours into unsavoury monsters,” he said.
The issue of disability, Sweto said, was close to his heart, and one of the key characters is a disabled lawyer who plays a crucial role in the story.
Following the publication of Here Lies the Truth, Sweto said he had a few copies produced in Braille, which were donated to Capota School of the Blind.
“The overriding message here is about the need to treat all with due respect, regardless of their physical or mental challenges. It is also about the need to provide opportunities to all, a battle that we still have a long way to go before we can declare victory,” he said.
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