Writivism Campaigner Mbizo Chirasha interviews prominent Zimbabwean Journalist and Writer Francis Bingandadi

MC: Who is Francis Bingandadi and What are his creative traits?
FB: Francis Shupayi Bingandadi Sr. is a journalist, with extensive Television, Radio, Print, Online and Social Media news production and gathering, broadcasting and alternative media content creation production and dissemination. Francis is a father of five, married to Alvina, and stays in Gweru, Midlands, in Zimbabwe.
Francis S Bingandadi, is a news and current affairs journalist, with extensive experience in print, online, radio, and social media.
The writer, has developed a whole career in journalism and has over the years from journalism school, worked for the national broadcaster, in Zimbabwe, and left to work independently as a reporter for weeklies, monthlies and online publications in the region.
The author has developed a taste in writing analytical and thought-provoking issues in matters to do with politics, religion, the environment, human and civil rights, social change and social development.
In his radio and television production years the author enjoyed production and directing of commercials, documentaries and infomercials.
The future looks bright to many African writers and content developers given the wealth of opportunities digital technologies now afford us for us to showcase, market, monetize and share or creative work.

MC: How long have been writing stories, poetry and literature?
FB: I started writing poetry and short stories after meeting authors and academics  Ngugi wa Mirii and Professor Micere Githae Mugo, for the first time in my life, at a career guidance event at my rural primary school, Chitakatira Primary School, in Mutare South where I was doing grade five.
Incidentally had I had finished reading their book, THE TRIAL OF DEDAN KIMATI, A BOOK co-authored By Ngugi wa Thiong'o and. Prof. Micere Githae Mugo.  She was very impressed and gave me three novels to read and told me to read as many books as I can and later in life write my own.
I have been writing poems, short stories and kept them ever since and feel it tie to dust some of my childhood works and publish them.

MC: You have a journalism background, how been your experience in media, journalism and broadcasting?
FB: Francis prides extensive media experience from Journalism School to inhouse media training and subsequent employment by the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation under the Programmes, News and Current Affairs department.
From ZBC, the journalist pursued an independent media career, producing news articles, video documentaries and adverts, radio adverts and features, among many journalistic productions and products.
Francis has, after leaving the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation worked on a number of media consultancy projects including the JUST ICT project with the Ministry of ICT, the Youth Innovation Conference 2016, with the Zimbabwe Youth Council.
The author has also written news articles for a number of independent publications like the Business Diary and the New Farmer Magazine, both now defunct, the Mmegi - of Botswana.
Television introduced Francis to video stage; documentaries, dramas, and movie script writing and this is thanks to inspiration from the writings of several African American writers, civil rights activists and human rights defenders like Langston Hughes, Malcom X, Martin Luther King to name but a few.   

MC: How magazines, newsletters and web zines have you created and how is that received by the Zimbabwean and African community?
FB: I have created several magazines on several sector themes like Agriculture: IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE, POULTRY BUSINESS
Mining: The MIDREVIEW Housing: DREAM HOUSE among many that were either online or printed versions.
ICT: just ICT and TECHPREVIEW.

MC: How are human rights defenders respected or treated in Zimbabwe and Africa?
FB: Zimbabwe like many African countries has her sad Human Rights records chiefly suppression of Freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly. Rising incidences of Arbitrary detention; Unlawful killings, Right to health, Right to Health, Voters Rights and Children's rights are among some of the rights that are threatened in Zimbabwe and many other countries.
Many African countries have never known any peace from the brutal days of Slavery, Colonization, and the so-called days of Independence. The countries that got their Independence from their colonial powers or masters through wars have never really known peace, freedom or the Independence that they saw themselves battling under, as many slid into maladministration, corruption, banditry, civil wars, criminality, pestilence, disease, famine, dictatorships, military takeovers, authoritarianism, privation and perversion.
Many people in different parts of Africa have never clearly managed to learn how to manage Neo-colonial complexities. Geopolitical realities, global political and power dynamics have always been less understood by many African leaders who always enjoy leverage and support from either the West or the eastern power brokers. Africa is not really free, and will never really know any freedom.
In Africa, Democracy is generally Undone, meaning its widely considered an American construction that has failed to take route in Africa that experimented with Socialism and Communism. The literal arts sector in many countries are going through a rebirth or renaissance and the Gates of Hell the Demons are Unchained.
Authoritarianism, extremism and religious extremism and fanaticism are battling the new age of digital disruptions and liberalism. Today the Dialectical Materialism is not the only Authoritarian Bible any more.
African brutal and authoritarian governments are experimenting with many tougher and occultic repressive practices promoting more punitive culture, leveraging military heavy handedness, and closing all forms or dissent. Critics and creative minds now know that they can be harmed if they oppose.
Given the above and so many unknow realities of polities, education, religion, the supernatural and the surreal, Africa will never be free. African writers can only take to pen and paper to prod those dark corners of our sad realities and try to explore the truth through prose of rhyme.

MC: Have you written anything that have traces of Human Rights, free speech and gender rights?
FB: The writer has been one of the chief writers for the now defunct MOTO MAGAZINE, and wrote many political and Human Rights articles for the print magazine.

MC: How many books have you written and where are they published?
FB: So far, I have published one novel, THE STAY AT HOME HUSBAND, with LULU, and I am working on a number of screenplays, poems and novels at manuscript stage.

MC: Have you won any awards for literature and journalism?
FB: Not yet.

MC: Where do you see yourself in the next five years
FB: There are a number of projects that I am working on, would like to work on and publish and five years from now I should have published close to ten books, 4 anthologies, and 2 magazines. In five years, I also would like to explore Writers In Residence programmes to expand my literal output and gain extensive skill in content creation, production and publishing. The digital space offers extensive opportunities for content creators these days and the sky is not the limit.

Francis S. Bingandadi, is a news and current affairs journalist, with extensive experience in print, online, radio, and alternative media content creation production and dissemination. Francis is a father of five, a boy and four girls and is married. The author is a devout Catholic and based in Gweru, Midlands Province in Zimbabwe, but is a telephone call or an email away from the next assignment. The writer, has developed a whole career in journalism and has over the years from journalism school, worked for the national broadcaster, in Zimbabwe, and left to work independently as a reporter for weeklies, monthlies and online publications in the region. Francis has, after leaving the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation worked on a number of media consultancy projects including the JUST ICT project with the Ministry of ICT, the YOUTH INNOVATION Conference with the Zimbabwe Youth Council.
The author is also the proud editor and publisher of  the magazine, DREAM HOUSE and the Novel, THE STAY AT HOME HUSBAND, published on LULU.