Tinomutenda Midzi
GUTU – Emmanuel Madhuyu, an Agriculture Extension Officer from Bhasera in Gutu district, has successfully had his novel ‘Murder or Suicide?’ published after a long time of trying.
The novel revolves around issues of truth and trust in marriages and is centred on a character who is haunted by the past and whose marriage is on the rocks due to lies she told her spouse prior to the marriage.
Members of the Gutu Family of Arts, a local drama club, have praised Murder or Suicide? as a literary masterpiece.
The club is now making a play from the novel with sponsorship from Gutu Central Member of Parliament, Lovemore Matuke.
The 47-year-old Madhuyu is also making efforts to get his work adapted for national broadcasting.
He however bemoaned the tough working conditions in the sector and criticised politicisation of works of art, saying government should provide support to grow talent.
“Shortage of equipment like typing computers and lack of funding are major setbacks in arts.
“This is not my first work though; I had my first novel titled “The Beginning of the End” which was wrongly interpreted by the police in Kwekwe in 2003. A police officer took the manuscript from me and never returned it.
“Even when I was writing this one, some people thought I was being political and they raised it with local politicians. I just told them that state security agents are professionals who can read and above all, who have been trained for their work and they know it better than the hoi polloi,” he said.
Madhuyu did his primary education at Zimbizi Primary School in Gutu before proceeding to Mambo High School.news
