Feature
By Kwacha Mahachi
Overcoming resistance to public speaking is one of the most powerful gift Gweru based teen poet, Fungai Goronga mastered at a tender age.
From the time she joined a community poetry group, High Voltage Poets her life was never the same again.
Although poetry and public speaking are strange bedfellows the imaginative, ambitious and energized young poetess Goronga has managed to merge the two into dynamic Siamese twins. The young A’ Level student has embraced the use of poetic devises to come up with decorated speeches that would even leave renowned public speakers drooling with envy.
Since the time she started receiving training from her community group in 2018.A year later she competed at the 2019 Star Bright poetry competition. She managed to reach to national competition. Goronga has become a two-time provincial and national poetry champion. It was her second high profile performance at the 2020 World Diabetes day commemoration that won the heart of the Minister of Health and Child care, Vice President Constantino, Guvheya, Dominic, Nyikadzino Chiwenga. Goronga was offered a scholarship up to University Level, together with her poetry counterpart, Lesson Ndlovu in appreciation for their five star combined performance poetry showcased.
The unrestricted nature of High Voltage Performance Poetry is what attracts most prospective young poets to join the entity. Thus, incorporating Poetry in her speeches is what transformed Fungai material into a different ball game altogether.
The 17 year old Goronga who joined Midlands based High Voltage Poets group as a junior team member in 2018 while she was in grade 7 at Muwunga Primary School is a marvel to watch presenting. “Fungie the poet” as Goronga is affectionately known in poetry circles grew from an ordinary Fungai to a celebrated poet, a talent that earned her several accolades.
Fungai, a certified professional poet, has proven beyond any reasonable doubt that she is a force to reckon with in the future when she gave mouth watering presentation at the recent junior parliamentarians selection process. It was her exhibited dexterity and devotion in public speaking, which again made her win the heart of many scholars who eventually voted her junior Member of Parliament in admiration.
She rose from a professional poet to a pioneer Junior Member of Parliament for Mkoba South Constituency ahead of junior parliament official opening on Friday 16 June 2023.As if that was not enough, because of eloquence and communication prowess, Honourable MP. Fungai Goronga attracted the ministerial post after again exhibiting life changing public speaking competency under the theme “The Right of the Children in the digital environment”.
At the national junior parliamentarians selection process in Harare Goronga was voted Junior Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services ahead of the official opening of the Junior Parliament by President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Friday 16 June.
The official launch of the 31st Junior Parliament was held at the National City Sports Centre in commemoration of the Day of the African Child.
The Junior Parliament mirrors the structure of the Parliament of Zimbabwe. And the young parliamentarians were chosen from across the country’s ten provinces to represent various constituencies.
This is aimed at empowering the youths in face of the challenges they encounter and the need to facilitate youth empowerment and well-being. The veteran Junior Minister now, a lower six student at Mambo High School, has five years experience in literary poetry, poetry analysis and performance poetry.
The senior member of High Voltage Poets said will work hand in glove with the Current Junior Minister, Goronga to disseminating accurate information to help curb misinformation spreading like veld fire in social media and other digital platforms,
Speaking to her professional arts mentor and artistic director, Dumisani Ndlovu, who is the Founder of High Voltage Poets and Hodzeko Arts and Culture Association’s Information and Communications Manager expressed joy over Fungai’s success.
“I am far more impressed by Fungie, the Poet’s constant rise. This has always been, I am highly impressed, she has fulfilled High Voltage and Hodzeko’s aims and objectives to produce artistic content and nurturing young and early stage urban and rural based artists, helping them to survive and grow during start-up period when they are most vulnerable. Cutthroat world of arts, “he said.
“It took confidence and highest degree of discipline for her to excel to such heights, “he added said.
Goronga’s rise is a huge score for his local poetry entity. He said although he was working with various artists in promoting young talent, Goronga is so far second to none in terms of discipline and behavior.
Since 2015 he said the organization adopted a push-start approach with the aim of graduating trainees poets and groups to the cut-throat world of literary and performance poetry business, with better chances of survival, self-sustenance and growth while fostering a culture of respect for people’s rights and freedom, and to encourage the strengthening and protection of human rights at all levels of Zimbabwean Society.
In an interview an exclusive interview, Honorable Goronga credited her passion for the art form as the greatest contributor to her success as a storyteller through poetry. But also as practical advice she got from High Voltage Poet for speaking clearly and capturing emotion with her voice.
“My success story started when I joined High Voltage Poets in 2018. I must say the performance poetry skills and techniques I learnt there gave me the courage and ability to communicate in a way that never made me feel misunderstood or unheard, “she said.
“The rehearsals and trainings from my artistic professional mentor, Mr Dumisani Ndlovu did not only ensure a clean, crisp voice, but also helped I speak confidently whether I am presenting in a meeting or delivering a speech to a crowd,” Goronga said.
“Like what High Voltage Poets motto which says “We shape lives and drive results, the motto and learnt skills has played the magic in my life. Poetry is truly shaping my live and driven my results and now I am not only a junior parliamentarian for Mkoba South Constituency but also nationally, I was voted junior Honourable Monica Mutsvangwa,’’ she said with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes,” adding that she wish to speak to the future generation through poetry and public speaking.
Since High Voltage Poets entity was inspired by the urge to correct many wrongs present within our imperfect society, she said “Wrongs perpetrated by fellow human beings grow each day”
“Poetry warns them, advise them and inform them. The power and influence of poetry is in realism and imagery. Whether literary or performance poetry, art should create a vivid imagination to the audience “she said.
Indeed Fungai has demonstrated the ability to work in diverse cultural settings, along the way perfectly balancing her academics and artistic works.
Her humbleness and capacity to translate written scripts or poetry to astute performance has earned her awards — a testimony to outstanding performance as recognized by their High Voltage Poets Academy. Goronga was among the second to group of poets to graduate from High Voltage Poets.
Poetry is powerful. That’s why there are many benefits to using poetry in a public speech.
A poem can really serve as a highlight of a speech, breaking the usual monotony. It adds a fresher element to the speech, and helps to capture the audience’s attention better.
Poetry can also be a very good reference point in your speech. Hence having a poetry background, fungi has become a force to reckon with in Child parliament. By adding a poetic flare in her speech to the audience, Hon. MP, and Information Minister, Fungai Goronga can help the audience understand the subject that she is trying to convey better in a way that would leave seasoned senior parliamentarian reeling with envy.
Good poetic lines often infused in her speech really add an additional depth to her speech, as she knows how to use it right.
This was evidenced when Hon. Fungai Goronga’s audience at both provincial and national level, can’t help but feel a strong influence, giving Hon. Goronga a much better chance of leaving an impact.
Asked about her secrecy in all her astronomic rise to such greater heights she said “Poetry has an air of literary elegance to it. By adding poetry to my speech, I also bring that elegance and a lot of class into my presentation.
Finally, sometimes, poetry can say a lot more with less. Adding a poem at the right moment of the talk can help the orator being more concise and establish a deep connection with the audience.
“Indeed I am a living testimony, it’s a good idea to try adding poetry into your speech as I aspired to inspire my fellow High Voltage Poets members and the nation before I expire, “she said.
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Fungai Goronga–Poet-cum junior Minister
