Atamu breathes life into twisted metal

"I studied through Kodak to get my certificates in photography, and thereafter I started pursuing my dream."

March 9, 2017

Zianne Leibrandt 2 minutes read

After three years of trying to make a living in Johannesburg, Atamu Charenzva relocated to Newcastle to find greener pastures.

NEWCASTLE CBD – Artists are inspired by all shapes, forms and materials. Atamu Charenzva’s creativity is sparked by taking something as simple as steel, and turning it into a spectacular work of art.

Atamu Charenzva was born 45 years ago in Mutare, the capital province of Manicaland in Zimbabwe, where he spent his childhood. After completing school, Mr Charenzva ventured into the world of photography, and worked for two major printing companies in Mutare.

“I studied through Kodak to get my certificates in photography, and thereafter I started pursuing my dream.”

In 2000, the Zimbabwean Government pressed ahead with its Fast Track Land Reform programme, a policy involving compulsory land acquisition aimed at redistributing land from the minority white population to the majority black population. Confiscations of white farmland, continuous droughts, and a serious drop in external finance and other supports led to a sharp decline in agricultural exports.

After the changes were enforced, Mr Charenzva said businesses quickly started closing down, as more and more people left the country.

“Things got bad. Our salaries were being cut, the economy was dropping, and all of a sudden everything became expensive.”

In 2001, his employer was approached by a well-known news publication to take photos during a State of the Nation address. Mr Charenzva was assigned to the task, and he captured a photo of President Robert Mugabe, fast asleep during the address, which was published in a local newspaper.

Things took a turn for the worse for Mr Charenzva when he was persecuted and harassed by people who wished him harm because of the photo.

“It is like it is against the law to insult or negatively report on the President. I saw many people being tortured, assaulted and even killed for not worshipping Mugabe. I was constantly looking over my shoulder as I ran from these men,” he explained.

Mr Charenzva had no option but to flee to South Africa, leaving behind his wife and five children in Zimbabwe.

In Johannesburg he found employment in a similar company to the one he was working for in Zimbabwe, but it didn’t last long, because his work visa took to long to be approved.

Determined to make an honest living, Mr Charenzva started selling goods at the side of road in Johannesburg CBD.

No matter what hardships he faced, he never gave up.

“I was raised with strong values. I was taught to always be honest, kind and to work hard. I have been lucky so far, and it is because I have worked hard for what I have accomplished in life. I also have instilled those same values in my own children, and it shows every time my family receives compliments about my children,”he concluded.

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