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Musaemura Zimunya

Entertainment Reporter
The Zimbabwe Writers Association AGM held last Saturday saw the members elect to retain writer and academic Musaemura Zimunya as chairperson after his fellow board members all testified that he had proved to be a stalwart leader and none of them would want to stand against him.
Creative writer and journalist Monica Cheru-Mpambawashe was elected the new board vice-chairperson unopposed, taking over from Eresinah Hwede, who was elected – also unopposed – to the resource mobilisation post.

Journalist and performing artiste Nqobile Malinga comes in as the seventh committee member in which role he is expected to be in charge of membership issues.
Beatrice Sithole was unanimously elected to keep the finance seat while another academic Memory Chirere was moved from the committee member position to that of the secretary general where he will be deputised by another journalist Dakarai Mashava.

Tinashe Muchuri and Karukai Ratsauka, who held the posts of secretary general and fundraiser respectively in the first board decided not to stand for re-election citing other commitments.

The election was held at the Zimbabwe Film School with Beaven Tapureta of WIN Zimbabwe presiding over the polls. According to the ZWA constitution, the new board will run the affairs of the writers’ forum for the next two years and at the end of that period only Malinga and Cheru-Mpambawashe will be eligible for re-election if they choose.

Speaking on behalf of the new board, Musaemura Zimunya said the issue of piracy, which has seen many writers fail to make a living from their works is set to be dealt with in a more decisive manner soon. “I would not like to pre-empt any developments but I want to assure you that something will happen and I urge all writers to unite so that we can amplify our voices to ensure that we stop piracy,” Zimunya said.

ZWA is a fairly young organisation that has managed to unite writers of all stature and description under one banner and counts among its membership luminaries like Aaron Chiundura Moyo, Shimmer Chinodya, Albert Nyathi, Virginia Phiri, Elvas Mari, Mashingaidze Gomo and many others.