Poetry Corner Title: Shedding Light On Shedding And Sheds Poet: Ndaba Sibanda Not in the dark, wondering that there's load shedding? I'm here to pour furious facts forth in drops, I'm no duck's plumage shedding watery rocks, I'm here not to please but to seize a moment, & jog memories, since l see no development, their promises were countless : like we'll construct sheds or shelter, yet it's all hell! have the souls been shedded from distress? no, they steal & smile, shed blood & supress, people are put or housed in handcuffed shame, they can't tame it, l proclaim: the economy isn't lame, have you seen shedlike structures they have built since they usurped offices, or you wince at their rot or mince? it had nothing to do with national development or protection, but a divide of land: their shed, interests, a lust for accumulation, understand that shedding can simply be a casting off of natural covering like a caterpillar shedding its skin, yet it's still a caterpillar window-dressing! shed your illusions & inhibitions since companies are shedding jobs and incomes, shed tears for the jobless like pathologists shedding viruses in the feces & dirty dams ***************************************************** Title: Talking in Tongues Poet: Sheikh Al Dirani Rubric of incantatory abracadabra Tongue-swapping tongue-twisting tsotsis, Is this a kind of heavenly slang? Aren't these pulpit rappers Tupac-ing the congregants With a Jimmi Hendricks' rigmarole? Or the rag-tag rub-a-dub of Mutabaruka's throat Rain the contrite with tots of spittle To seduce a Pharisee lady And steal a sex or stash a cash While the masses sway stupefied under the opium of prayer, Between now and the next 'amen'. ***************************************************** Title: A Damn Wrong Turn Poet: Obey Chiyangwa After I took a very wrong turn The faces that faced me were not smiling The debris of yesterday's sorrows littered their furrowed brows Traces of unprovoked anger lingered in their tormented eyes The way they walked is the way only mentally crippled people walk The way deranged people talk There is no way some sane people could ever walk or talk the same way I smiled widely though the cold plastic that my face was must have looked placid to the outside world Gap-toothed smiles rarely fail to endear even to the cold-hearted Not even one of them cold stooges ever smiled back Not a single grimace nor sheepish grin The wrong turn was slowly turning into a dangerous turn A nightmare of some ill-adorned sorts A compromised situation of all sorts What with the blood-thirsty singing in the background Nerve-wracking to say the least Hair-raising at their best Gut-wrenching to say the worst I looked around for a safe place to run to and hide All the places of peace were high-walled and barricaded The lanes leading to such places were manned by stern-faced roadblocks The acrid stench of death was rising like a demented phantom There was virtually nowhere safe to run to The damned elections were falling flat into my exposed face The slogans they chanted were death knells to the ears of the trapped like myself I stopped breathing and decided to sleep forever No amount of fiercely contested elections could ever bring me back my normal life. ************************************************ Title: Days That Matter Poet: Samuel Chuma The days that matter Are not these That sit stagnant On the calendar Staring endlessly at eternity Whilst the throat of time Has vomited them Into the blair toilet Where clean futures Frequent to spew out Diarrhoeal discharges Into the face of hope Days that matter Are yet to be born These I see in my dreams Days not strung together In seconds and minutes On the strings of impatience Like the waist beads Of a Shangaan temptress Enticing and mysterious And open to exploration By any who would muster courage To stare and wink Days that matter These lie in The uterus of the universe The result of orgasmic Interplays between twinkling stars And the bashful dark These are the days Of conflict and pain The days that would be born Brandishing whip and sword To amputate prosperity preachers Of lying tongues And smirking grins And inexpensive three hundred thousand dollar chariots. *********************************************** Title: The Poor Worker's Wealth Poet: Patrick Hwande For a couple of decades, I've been in the trenches, Trying to build my beloved nation. Here's the wealth l've accrued: A pair of shoes that has seen better days, A single white trousers that leaves very little to imagination, A creaking single bed that betrays my romantic evening. Should l die today. Kill my limping goat, And feed the mourners. Sweet talk the well-wishers to pool resources and pay a sea of my debts. *********************************************** NewsHawks Page 51 Issue 119, 17 February 2023
Page 52 NewsHawks Issue 119, 17 February 2023 People & Places AKA funeral in pictures
championship. Ireland have also won their two opening matches, 34-10 over Wales who cracked badly in the second half. And an impressive victory over France by 32-19. This brought to an end France's remarkable sequence of 14 winning internationals. Ireland and Scotland have both scored a total of 66 points. However, Ireland have the easier ride ahead on paper with encounters scheduled against Italy, followed by a "cruncher" match against Scotland, which must favour the Irish even though they have to go to Murrayfield, Edinburgh. This might just be the match that settles everything. Meanwhile England hammered out a 31-17 win over a spirited Italy yesterday (Sunday), with both sides showing fragile defences, but with many on-theline escapes. And so they are in mid-table. There is much work to do by their new national coach Steve Borthwick. As to Wales, this is certainly not the rugby force of previous years. THE 2023 Six Nations rugby championship in Europe has moved into its middle section, with Scotland and Ireland showing the early way to the title. Scotland repeated their 2022 victory over a shocked England, scoring a converted try with two minutes left to give them a 29-23 victory, their first at Twickenham in 40 years. They consequently retained the Calcutta Cup, narrowly won last year with a 20-17 score. This is the revered oldest international trophy in rugby. They also hammered Wales 37-7 to secure a maximum four points, giving them an effective joint lead with Ireland. Scotland will probably therefore have some hopes of taking the championhip for the very first time in its 140 years history. But ahead of them are matches against the holders France, then against Ireland, the two recognised "power-houses" of the Sport Page 53 High rugby hopes but lower expectations for Scotland John Kelley HawkZone Ireland defeated France 32-19 last week to end the French's 14-match winning run. They join Italy at the bottom of the log, having conceded 71 points while scoring only 17. There is now a two-week gap before a resumption of the championship, which will feature Italy v Ireland, Wales v England, and Scotland v. France. *Veteran sportswriter John Kelley, who contributes to The NewsHawks, who now lives near Portsmouth, England, is taking a keen interest on the Six Nations this season. From page Tsiga had horrible first innings on debut after he was beaten for pace many times by Alzarri Joseph. He however made amends in the second innings by helping Zimbabwe save the first Test, scoring an unbeaten 24 from 83 balls. In the second Test, he gave his wicket away. He would hate to watch footage of his two dismissals! He needs to work on his keeping, missed some crucial stumping, and let in a few byes. – 5/10. Wellington Masakadza: It is hard being a Masakadza, let alone if your brother Hamilton is Director of Cricket of the board, and a Test centurion on debut. You have to justify your place all the time. Little brother “Wezha”, who has done remarkably well in the Logan Cup, Zimbabwe’s premier domestic competition in the longer format, justified his place by taking wickets and contributing with the bat. He made the West Indies captain Kraigg Braithwaite his bunny in the series, dismissing him three times in the same manner, lbw. Masakadza gives his captain options because he can bowl with the new ball, something that leggie Mavuta struggles with. In batting, he kept Ballance company in the first Test, but should be disappointed with the way he got out just before lunch when he tried take on Motie but couldn't get the elevation. Masakadza made amends, helping Zimbabwe save the first Test with his unbeaten 0 from 36 balls. – 7/10. Brandon Mavuta: A maiden five-wicket haul and maiden Test half-century marked a triumphant return to Test cricket for Mavuta. Mavuta has been knocking on Test doors for some time and took his chance with both his hands in the absence of Ryan Burl, who is more of a batter who can bowl leg spin. Batting with Ballance and helping to save the first test, was sign of somebody with potential to become a genuine all-rounder in Test cricket. – 8/10. Brad Evans: The son of former Zimbabwe batter Craig Evans made his Test debut on a lifeless wicket, which didn't suit his seam bowling. He managed to get his maiden wickets in the second innings of the first Test. Evans's biggest blemish has to be his batting in the two innings he batted, after which he was dropped for the second Test. For someone who is touted to be an all-rounder of sorts, the manner of his dismissals is the biggest disappointment. – 5/10. Victor Nyauchi: He has to be the most underrated Zimbabwe Test bowler. “Vicky Jojo” was unlucky in his three bowling innings of the Test match until he took the new ball in the second innings of the second Test. He got the ball to move away from both left and right-handers. Then he got a gem of a delivery to bowl Roston Chase to spark a West Indies collapse and more importantly on his way to his maiden five-wicket haul. With the line-up missing both Blessing Muzarabani and Richard Ngarava, he took on the senior role with aplomb for someone so inexperienced. – 7.5/10. Richard Ngarava: When Richard Ngarava is low on confidence, he goes to his default mode, which is to bowl short every second ball. With his pace and docile surface, he was largely unsuccessful. But when he decided to ball fuller and allow his natural left-arm seam angle going across the right handers, he was a marvel to watch. He is mug with the bat, he can defend and also hit big sixes when needed. Ngarava however needs to work on his fitness. – 5/10. Tanaka Chivanga: He made his debut as a replacement for Ngarava, but wasn't trusted by the captain with the new ball. When he got his chance to bowl, he bowled both sides of the wicket and got carried away with bowling the short ball. He bowled well at times, but not enough to put enough pressure on West Indies. – 5/10. Milton Shumba: The left-handed batsman was given a chance to stake a claim within the top six of Zimbabwe's batting line-up in the absence of Ballance. “Milito” failed to score runs in both innings of the second Test and probably summed it up by dancing down the wicket to a Motie delivery and failed to connect to be bowled. That shot was unnecessary, looking at the match situation. With Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza and Burl set to return, Shumba has made it easy for the selectors. – 4/10. *The NewsHawks contributor Brian Goredema covered the recent Test series between Zimbabwe and West Indies in Bulawayo. Zim vs West Indies Test series: How they played NewsHawks Issue 119, 17 February 2023
cided to take on West Indies left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie. He perished playing the sweep shot and fell seven runs short of his second Test fifty. All great players know how to make their form count. This is the difference between winning, drawing, or losing a Test match. At the ripe age of 30, Kaia is proof that if you allow a player to play a lot of first-class cricket without rushing them to the Test arena, they will be ready when given the opportunity. – 7/10. Chamu Chibhabha: Chibhabha's second coming in Test was disappointing, to say the least. The veteran’s high score of 31 in the second innings of the first Test came when the hosts needed someone to stay until the end to try to salvage a draw. When he was dismissed, it opened one end that West Indies desperately needed, a further three wickets before the match ended as a draw. The way he got out in both innings of the second Test shows a man short on confidence. He played away from his body and in another incident, didn’t get either forward or backward, playing on the ball onto his stumps. The former Zimbabwe white-ball captain was brought in to bolster the fragile batting attack and we saw glimpses of it in the second innings of the first Test, but nothing really after that. – 4/10. Craig Ervine: Zimbabwe’s stand-in Test captain would be the first to admit that he left a lot of runs at Queens Sports Club. His highest score of 72 reminded everyone of what he is capable of. It’s fair to say you can question the captaincy of “Slug” in the West Indies' second innings of the first Test when he gave in-form leg-spinner Brandon Mavuta only seven overs with the ball when he was fresh from taking his maiden five-for in the first innings. – 6/10. Gary Ballance: The former England batter marked the perfect homecoming back to his country of birth by scoring a century on his Zimbabwe Test debut. Many had questioned the logic of having your best player bat down the order instead of at three or four. But the way “Gazza” managed to bat with the lower order showed his class, and brought Zimbabwe right back into the game. He looked comfortable throughout his stay on the crease on his way to an unbeaten 137, a record for Zimbabwe. And, also, the second time a player has scored two Test centuries for two different countries after the great former Australia and South Africa star Kepler Wessels. His calming effect on the rest of the team was missed in the second Test when Zimbabwe's bating line-up capitulated like a deck of cards. Ballance missed the match due to a severe migraine headache. What should worry Zimbabwe technical team and the fans is that the former Yorkshire man has failed to play consecutive games ever since he made his white-ball debut for Zimbabwe in January. – 8/10. Tafadzwa Tsiga: With Zimbabwe playing their first Test series without Regis Chakabva in a while, debutant Tsiga was looking at making the wicketkeeper-batsman slot his, especially with the home team playing six specialist batters. ...Continued on page BRIAN GOEREDEMA IN BULAWAYO Tanunurwa Makoni: The diminutive Zimbabwe opening batter made his Test debut and showed that he has the temperament to play the longer format by batting long – 5/10. His 33 runs on debut, facing the likes of Kemar Roach, Alzarri Joseph, and Jason Holder was remarkable even though it was on a docile surface. Opening the batting in Tests, then the added pressure of being the son of Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) Managing Director, Givemore Makoni, and having to justify his place in the team, was all weighing heavily on his young shoulders. He fared well but didn't do enough to make the opening slot his. The young Makoni needs to work on his footwork, and knowing where his off-stump is, otherwise he will go out caught by the keeper and in the slips more often than not. Fielding at silly point is normally reserved for juniors in the team – Makoni dropped far many catches in that position because he has hard hands and doesn't have the level of anticipation that is needed when fielding in that area. He however took a blinder at midwicket to dismiss Joseph in the second Test. Innocent Kaia: Kaia scored a half-century on his Test debut and was unfortunate to be given out leg before wicket. He would have probably scored more had he converted all his starts. Kaia was the only Zimbabwe batsman who looked comfortable against both pace and spin. He wasn't afraid to take on the short ball. His scores of 67, 24 (46), 38 (52), 43 (57) is proof of a batter in form. Kaia however needs to learn how to start again after a break, or the end of day's play. In second innings of the second Test, he was again the set batsman and his third wicket partnership with captain Craig Ervine was crucial if Zimbabwe was going to get something out of the match. Instead of playing within himself and starting all over again after lunch with Zimbabwe two down, Kaia de50c PRICE SPORT Zim Cricket launches Premier League NEWS $60 Covid tariff for visitors & tourists CULTURE Community radio regulations under review @NewsHawksLive TheNewsHawks www.thenewshawks.com [email protected] Thursday 1 October 2020 WHAT’S INSIDE ALSO INSIDE Finance Ministy wipes out $3.2 Billion depositors funds Zim's latest land controversy has left Ruwa farmer stranded Story on Page 3 Story on Page 8 Story on Page 16 Chamisa reaches out to Khupe Unofficial president calls for emergency meeting +263 772 293 486 Friday 17 February 2023 ALSO INSIDE High rugby hopes but lower expectations for Scotland Sports Mandela’s grandson in African football political row at Chan opener Pull up your socks, it’s no more business as usual Zimbabwe vs West Indies Test series: How Zim players fared Gary Ballance (left) and Wellington Masakadza