out of africa
MELBOURNE PHOTOGRAPHER
GINA NERO SPENT TIME IN THE
LANDLOCKED COUNTRY OF ZIMBABWE.Growing up in Australia, our perspectives are shaped by the media,
which can often paint a negative picture of the African continent.
But there are many countries, and they’re all very different –
some safe, some not so safe. If you look a little deeper you’ll find
artists, dressmakers, furniture designers, beautiful animals, vast
landscapes and sustainable agriculture.
One of my first observations upon arriving in Zimbabwe was that
every single policeman or soldier had supermodel swag – the
men literally looked as though they were walking the runway at
New York Fashion Week, clasping their rifles like trekking sticks.
Most people I met accepted me into their lives without question.
In Western cultures, people have a tendency to be judgmental,
overly cautious, and to project distinct elements of grandiosity.
Zimbabwe was a stark contrast.In the capital city of Harare, I’d often wake to the sounds of the
doorless commuter buses, with boys hanging off the sides screaming
their destinations. In the Bvumba Mountains, the silence was broken
by Samango monkeys climbing the avocado trees. Meanwhile, at
Victoria Falls, there was a constant hum of Mosi-oa-Tunya (‘The
Smoke which Thunders’) – the world’s largest sheet of falling water.
To my surprise, the landscape was very similar to dry, rural areas of
Victoria: gum trees, arid grasslands, field crops and Acacias. There
are only two seasons in Zimbabwe – wet and dry. Produce-wise,
I inhaled juicy mandarins, succulent tomatoes, spiky cucumbers
and seasoned sugar beans with muboora (pumpkin leaves chopped,
cooked and eaten with maize). The locals certainly know how to eat!
Zimbabwe has had a corrupt history under the iron grip of Robert
Mugabe, and I was very aware of the tension amidst the volatile
political situation. One night, I was sitting in a bar watching the
93-year-old president being gifted a massage chair on national
television. He stated that Zimbabwe was the second most productive
country in Africa after South Africa. I was almost deafened by
hysterical laughter – a good indication of the distance between the
people and their leader. I saw him televised a few more times during
my stay, always wearing matching outfits with his wife, Grace (often
with his own face multiplied and printed across a two-piece), and he
was more often than not falling asleep with the camera still rolling.
Looking back, I admire the Zimbabwean people’s will to survive,
and their resourcefulness – some invented their own jobs by filling
potholes in the roads, while others use their creativity to recycle
materials for clothing, furniture and accessories. (I now have an
extensive collection of bottle-top earrings, bags and papier-mâché
necklaces.) I also learnt to fear the unavoidable ageing process less.
The more I travel and observe how other cultures operate, the more
I realise Australia is an ageist country. In Zimbabwe, the elderly are
appreciated for their experience, knowledge and wisdom.The locals told stories of evil mermaids pulling civilians into the
water, and warned of the mystical peaks of Mount Nyangani, where
a spiritual presence is responsible for the disappearances of many.
I was curious about the African Apostolic Church, and took photos
of believers cloaked in white from head to toe, practising religious
rituals by the side of the road.
I travelled to Zimbabwe with little knowledge of the country and an
open, untainted mind, seeing an opportunity to learn and experience
a reality far from my own – and I was certainly not disappointed.around the world