South African poets impress in Zimbabwe

South African poets, Refilwe Matsose, Hope Netshivhabe and Given Masilela won the hearts of many and were duly rewarded with a roaring standing ovation when they recited their poems at a function which was organised by the Country Club in Harare.

The artists performed during a function marking International Women’s Day on Thursday.

The month of March has been recognised as Women’s Month and this year’s theme is “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow” and it is running with the hashtag #BreakTheBias.

Rufaro Zengeni, one of the co-ordinators of the event, said it was a roaring success.

“As the Country Club, we create a space where meaningful conversations can be held. The purpose of this particular event was to create meaningful discourse about gender inequality through poetry,” Zengeni said.

He was impressed by the composition of the audience, which he said listened to the presentations from all angles and perspectives.

“We had the most diverse audience than we have ever had. We had people from academia, politicians and others from different backgrounds.

“What I liked most is the fact that after the performances, all these groupings expressed satisfaction.”

This was the first time that the Country Club has opened its discussions to the public.

“Usually, we have events such as these for club members only. This time we opened it up to the public. The event was well-attended and the feedback that we got is encouraging,” added Zengeni.

Afro Poetry Times