Standard

14 November 2010

WAR veterans have demanded a meeting with Education, Sport, Arts and Culture minister, David Coltart, escalating the war of attrition over the Senator’s statements that Gukurahundi was akin to genocide.
The ex-freedom fighters, led by Joseph Chinotimba, gave Coltart a seven day ultimatum which ended last Thursday, to apologise for his sentiments but the minister has refused to budge.
“They asked for the meeting,” Coltart confirmed yesterday. “I will not apologise, there is no need to.”
War veterans wrote to Coltart asking him to apologise or face the full wrath of former fighters, who threatened to “invade” his office if he failed to.
“Coltart, your utterances have automatically invited war veterans to your office and we are therefore coming to your office for explanations,” reads the letter signed by Chinotimba and war veterans provincial chairman, only referred to as Cde Mpofu. “Indeed, you owe us and all Zimbabweans an apology.”
The war veterans allege that Coltart was a member of the notorious Selous Scouts and therefore was least qualified to speak on the disturbances that rocked Matabeleland and Midlands after independence.
Coltart denies having served as a member of Selous Scout.
“By virtue of your unacceptable background as a former active member of the Rhodesian Selous Scout, you are least qualified to comment on the Matabeleland post-independence disturbances and the so-called human rights violations — which in actual fact do not exist,” reads part of the letter.
Coltart, the war veterans charged, should be grateful for the amnesty and reconciliation he benefited from after President Robert Mugabe took power in 1980.
“Why are you poking your nose in matters that concern blacks? Remember there is an adage which says; if an owl lives together with chickens (sic), it does not mean that it is also a chicken,” the letter continues.
The former freedom fighters also accused Coltart and Roy Bennett of being unrepentant, jeopardising the livelihoods of white commercial farmers that had remained on farms.
“Your utterances have given us second thoughts on those white farmers who are still on our land. It is crystal clear that some former Rhodies the likes of Bennett and yourself are not even apologetic of their unacceptable background.
“Shame on you Coltart! We have had enough of your nonsense and we can no longer brook in any more (sic),” the letter states.
On his part Coltart said he had been partly misquoted in the story but maintained that colonial and post-colonial human rights abuses should be addressed.

Independent

By Paidamoyo Muzulu

12 November 2010

SENATORS  from the two MDC  formations and Zanu PF said this week that the three political principals should urgently meet and solve the current political crisis which has seen relations between President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai deteriorate further after the president’s unilateral appointments, which angered the premier.
The senators’ call comes after the upper house adjourned till February next year after it failed to sit for two consecutive days as MDC-T Senators disrupted business arguing that the disputed reappointed provincial governors should be barred from the House. Tsvangirai declared last month that the re-appointments were null and void.
They said an urgent political solution on the senate dispute should be found to keep the country from sliding back into the pre-2008 political and economic quagmire.
Besides staying away from cabinet twice, Tsvangirai had stopped attending the Monday meetings with Mugabe and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara. The MDC-T leader has also threatened to sue Mugabe for the “illegal and unconstitutional” appointments.
The senate was expected to pass the National Security Council Amendment Bill, Public Order and Security Act Amendment Bill and a number of international treaties already approved by the lower House.
Governors Faber Chidarikire (Mashonaland West), David Karimanzira (Harare), Thokozile Mathuthu (Matabeleland North), Jaison Machaya (Midlands) and Martin Dinha (Mashonaland Central ) refused to leave the House arguing their re-appointments were done above board.
MDC senator and Education minister David Coltart said the principals should show their statesmanship by putting the interest of the nation before parochial party interests.
“The political impasse risks undermining all the political and economic gains recorded since the promulgation of the inclusive government in 2009,” Coltart said. “They (principals) have an obligation to the electorate. It requires statesmanship from all the three principals to resolve the matter and resolve it urgently before it deteriorates further.”
The dispute, however, seems far from being resolved as both Zanu PF and MDC-T have burrowed deeper into their entrenched positions.
MDC-T senators have vowed never to recognise the “controversially” re-appointed governors, saying they should not take up their seats in the Senate.
MDC-T Senate chief whip Gladys Dube said: “We are sending a strong message to the principals that they should resolve this dispute the soonest if any senate business has to go ahead. We will continue calling for the disputed governors not to be recognised in the House until the president appoints governors according to the Global Political Agreement’s agreed ratio.”
Zanu PF senate chief whip Tambudzai Mohadi said the principals should meet to resolve the dispute as it was interfering with the House’s business.
“We are worried about the disruptions of business in the House,” Mohadi said.  “Some of us travel more than 1 000 kilometres to come and conduct House business only to see this (disruption of proceedings). The three principals may have to sit down and make a decision quickly.”
Mohadi said Zanu PF was worried that the electorate was being shortchanged by the senate’s non-sitting.Mashonaland Central governor Dinha said they would continue attending senate sessions as they were constitutionally reappointed.

The Independent

www.theindependent.co.zw

By Wongai Zhangazha

12 November 2010

SIXTEEN-year-old Tino Mutemwa is a distressed Form 4 pupil at a secondary school in Dzivaresekwa Extension after government cancelled seven Zimbabwe
School Examinations Council (Zimsec) Ordinary Level exam papers following a break-in at a school in Masvingo. Like any pupil sitting for examinations that started on October 19, she had planned and was well- prepared. But now Tino is confused, anxious, fearful and unsure of her future since the re-setting of the tests.
Tino, showing the confusion that has shrouded the examinations, said: “I didn’t go to school that day (November 3, the date set for the Geography Paper 2 examination) because my understanding was that the paper was going to be re-done. But to my surprise when I went to school the following day to sit for another exam some of my friends told me I had missed the geography paper the previous day. “I couldn’t believe it. It affected me so much such that when I sat for the exam I lost concentration, all I could think of was that I had missed the paper and automatically had failed the exams.”

Luckily for Tino, she can still sit for Geography 2, which was one of the seven papers to be reset. While Zimsec has been commended for improving the delivery of exam papers, perennial problems seem to haunt the examination body each year. In 2006, a Hurungwe headmaster Makisi Jimu of Dandawa Secondary School in
Magunje, lost three O’Level examination papers to a stranger he had given a lift to on his way from collecting the papers.
In 2009, thieves broke into Maxim Primary School in Matabeleland North and stole Zimsec Grade 7 general and mathematics examination papers, answer sheets and stationery. Last year, due to strikes by markers protesting against poor salaries, dates for examinations had to be changed on several occasions.
In addition to lack of resources, students have been getting results for subjects they did not write.
While things seemed to have improved a great deal due to government effort and donor assistance, controversy seems to follow Zimsec and people are now
questioning whether it is capable of running smooth exams. Trouble resurfaced for Zimsec two weeks ago when seven exam papers were stolen from a school identified as Chingogwe Secondary School in Masvingo.
When the papers were stolen, pupils had already written Shona Paper 1 which has now had to be reset. Other affected papers are English Language 1 and 2, Geography 2, Shona 2, Mathematics 1 (non-calculator) and Mathematics 1 (calculator).
University of Zimbabwe lecturer in the Education department Godfrey Museka said the continued leaking and disruptions of Zimsec exams each year had a
negative impact on the credibility of the local examinations body. “Leakages can never be tolerated in the Zimsec system and I personally think that heads must roll at Zimsec to ensure efficiency and professionalism. I want to assume that some of the bosses at Zimsec are political appointees some of whom don’t have the skills to run the examination body,” Museka said. “It is the responsibility of Zimsec to ensure that there is adequate security at schools where Zimsec examinations are written.”
“Because of these leakages universities outside the country might begin to doubt the credibility of the students’ results or the quality of education in Zimbabwe because they will take into consideration that exams during that year leaked.”
An independent campaigner of governance, public policy reform and democracy David Takawira told the Zimbabwe Independent that the leakages of exam papers made one question Zimsec’s competency level.“At one goal, one is shocked at the current operational paralysis that has bedevilled a transitional academic authority. Zimsec, no matter which yardstick of human development is used, the institution has regressed significantly in the last years,” Takawira said. “I think Zimsec is committing academic fraud, its institutional credibility as the oasis of academic leadership is at stake not to mention the competence of academia we as a country would produce.”
He said Zimsec should put in place current international academic standards “hence someone somewhere should answer to this mockery.” “While many have asked the leadership and competencies of the institution, it is still worrying to note that the institution stills fails to achieve the basics. Is it that government has failed to secure institutional and financial support for Zimsec or it’s the general reflection of what went wrong in the country?” queried Takawira.
“The failure to adopt new modules and syllabuses which are in-tune with the 21st century leaves a lot to be desired, hence the process of education is all but flawed and the result would be shameful.” He added that: “Because of the failure by Zimsec, Education has not been spared as facilities have dramatically declined over the years. The
underlying challenges of the inadequate management of conflict, poor administration, corruption, partiality, political interference and nepotism
in the institutions of higher education have been a daily occurrence. The failure of leadership and management has resulted in all the current prejudices.”
However, Education minister David Coltart said Zimsec had worked hard this year to make sure the smooth flow of exams and it would be unfair to blame the break-in on Zimsec as it was a criminal matter. “There are regulations that I set to ensure that schools have security and that exams are stored in safe houses. It is very difficult for Zimsec to make sure that each of the 8 000 schools nationwide are complying and even if they comply it is difficult to prevent criminals from breaking into rural
schools most of which are flimsily built,” he said.
Coltart said the break-in and leakage of the exams impacted heavily on pupils and the consequences were massive – costing Zimsec tens of thousands of United States dollars. “It prejudiced a lot of children and children are the ones who suffered most. They had planned for their exams and were fully prepared. Teachers had
to extend their invigilating periods, not to mention the costs. Tens of thousands of dollars meant for other projects had to be used,” he said.
“Objectively we have seen a huge improvement in Zimsec as compared to the past two years. I don’t argue that Zimsec is perfect. A lot needs to be done to re-establish public confidence and it’s a process. At the moment we have a strong board and a financial team that has brought a lot of financial discipline. Zimsec will become a centre of excellence in the region.”

Newzimbabwe.com

12 November 2010

WAR veterans leader Joseph Chinotimba has demanded that Education Minister David Coltart apologises within seven days for calling Gukurahundi a “genocide”.

“We cannot continue folding our hands and watch former Rhodesians insulting us,” Chinotimba, deputy chairman of the Zimbabwe Liberation War Veterans’ Association, declared on Thursday.

The public threats against Coltart, who is white, came as the minister posted a letter he received from the chairman of the Harare Province of the war veterans’ association, and his reply to it, on his website.

Chinotimba is incensed that Coltart, whom he erroneously called a former ‘Selous Scout’ – the special forces regiment of the Rhodesian army – used the annual Lozikeyi Lecture on October 29 to state that the first 30 years of Zimbabwe’s independence had been marked by “serious and consistent human rights abuses, including a politicide, if not genocide, which occurred in the mid-1980s in the south-west of the country.”

The minister’s lecture, reproduced on New Zimbabwe.com in full, was reported in a news story by the NewsDay newspaper which used the headline: ‘It was genocide – Coltart’.

“It is quite preposterous in the extreme for Coltart to preach about human rights violations and post-independence disturbances when taking into cognisance his background as a former member of the brutal and murderous Rhodesian Selous Scouts,” Chinotimba blasted.

He claimed Coltart’s comments were a “despicable attack” on the war veterans, adding: “The utterances are unacceptable and an insult to our country’s liberation struggle, national reconciliation and the legacy of national independence.

“Coltart owes us and the rest of the nation an apology within seven days. We cannot continue folding our hands and watch former Rhodesians insulting us.

“Your utterances have given us second thoughts on those white farmers who are still on our land yet you benefited from the reconciliation policy.”

Coltart has now released a letter he sent to Charles Mpofu, the Harare province chairman of the war veterans’ association, explaining his comments.

Coltart said: “I was misquoted by NewsDay in so far as their headline is concerned. In this regard, I attach a copy of the actual speech I gave which I trust will set the record straight.

“Amongst other things, you will note that I made reference in it to the Nyadzonia Massacre and to my concern that human rights violations of the past, including the colonial era, have not been adequately dealt with in my view.

“… human rights are universal, eternal and sacrosanct and whenever they are breached, men and women of goodwill have a duty to speak out against such breaches.”

Coltart, a respected human rights lawyer, used his letter to clarify his role in the white minority Rhodesian government.

“For the record, I was never a member of the Selous Scouts or any unit of the army,” Coltart said. “I was a member of the British South Africa Police (BSAP) having been conscripted by the Rhodesian government (as applied to all white 18 year old men).

“As my speech (and many others I have given) makes clear, I strongly believe that racial discrimination and many other actions of the Rhodesian Front government were unjust and wrong.

“However, we now all have an obligation to reconcile and move forward in the best interests of our beloved nation and her future — which predominantly rests in all our children.

“As my speech makes clear, if we do not deal with the mistakes we have all made in the past in different ways, then our nation will be doomed to repeat them in future.”

Zimbabwe Guardian

Newsday

By Veneranda Langa

11 November 2010

Tsholotsho South MP Maxwell Dube (MDC-M) has called for the setting-up of a truth and reconciliation commission to heal the wounds inflicted on people during the post-independence disturbances.

Dube on Tuesday told parliamentarians that there was nothing as painful as passing by mass graves daily where there were skeletons of people who were buried alive.

He was contributing to a motion in Parliament debating the Presidential Speech.

“The people of Tsholotsho have walked with pain for a long time and they have wounds that need to be healed and issues that need to be resolved,” said Dube. “Can you imagine yourself passing daily by a mass grave where teachers were buried alive standing, and imagine the skeletons that are vertical in the soil?”
Dube said that kind of scenario did not give the people of Matabeleland a sense of security in their country.

“Why can we not be given the freedom to properly bury our beloved ones and resolve the affected estates and births and death registrations that have not been done so far?” Dube said.

It was not feasible to talk of national healing and then appoint the victims to preside over the healing process.

“Are we serious about resolving the point of conflict in our history, or we are postponing it in the hope that the passage of time will resolve it?” asked Dube.

He said it was high time Zimbabwe faced the truth and its consequences so that they could hand over a clean and harmonious nation to future generations.

“I believe that a truth and reconciliation commission is one course of action that we might consider to be taken to close this black chapter in our history,” Dube said.

“For the record, let me make it known to this House that these issues are of deep concern, not only to the people of Tsholotsho, but to the entire Matabeleland region.”

His MDC-M party has been at the forefront in demanding national healing for people of Matabeleland who were affected by the Gukurahundi massacres.

Last week, the Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture David Coltart, whose polling agent Patrick Nabanyama was abducted almost 10 years ago and was declared dead in August, incurred the wrath of war veterans leader Joseph Chinotimba when he demanded that the realities of what happened during the pre and post-independence era be dealt with through a truth, justice and reconciliation process.

“I personally feel that it is a shame that we have never been able to deal with the reality of what happened in our nation in the 1970s through a truth, justice and reconciliation process,” said Coltart.

“The white community has never had to confront the excesses and gross human rights violations of the Rhodesian Front war machine and the fundamental injustices of white minority rule. It is the great dilemma that all citizens of our nation have as we grapple with our bloody past. We pretend as if it did not happen; we run away from it and bury it.”

SW Radio

By Irene Madongo

09 November 2010

Lawyers in Zimbabwe have unveiled a model constitution on which the Constitutional Parliamentary Select committee (COPAC) can base its own draft. Their model will be debated by key members of the three political parties next week.
The influential Law Society of Zimbabwe has spent more than a year in preparing its draft, a process which involved getting ideas from its members and from the public, and consulting experts both inside and outside the country.

Next week the Law Society will host its summer school program and negotiators from the three political parties will attend and debate its model constitution.
On Tuesday, Law Society President, Josphat Tshuma said: “I can confirm that Minister Chinamasa is going to be in attendance, we will be discussing with him issues of the constitution. He will be in the panel with David Coltart and Eric Matingenga. We also have in attendance Tendai Biti, where we will be debating economic issues, Kasukuwere will also be coming.”

Commentators have pointed that, as it stands, COPAC’s draft constitution will be deeply flawed as outreach meetings were marred by ZANU PF instigated violence and the outcome will be biased in favour of Robert Mugabe’s party.

Another criticism raised against COPAC is that the process asks ordinary people to help draft a constitution, when most of them do not understand the legal framework required. In addition, there is a danger that a “people-driven” constitution could result in mob justice which ignores the interests of minorities.

Tshuma said that the best constitution is one that protects minorities and the vulnerable. He added that their organisation’s model constitution had addressed that problem by proposing a system of proportional representation, which allows different groups to be fairly represented.
The lawyer’s constitution also has a section that enshrines the rule of law in the country. The government’s failure to observe the rule of law in Zimbabwe has led to chaotic developments, such as the farm invasions.
Also included in the document is clause which states that the army, police and intelligence services will be subject to both civilian and parliamentary scrutiny and control. There will be a complaints mechanism for dealing with complaints of misconduct of members of the security services. Several commissions should be set up, it states, including a Truth and Reconciliation body aimed at providing help for victims of past human-rights abuses.

Herald

9 November 2010

By Gwendoline Mugauri

All schools charging registration fees for 2011 Grade One places have been ordered to stop doing so as it is against the law.

Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart yesterday said Government would take action against any schools charging registration fees.

This follows reports that some schools in Harare are demanding between US$5 and as much as US$300 for registration.

Minister Coltart yesterday said schools can only charge Government-set school fees and levies.

“We will need to carry out investigations to establish the truth about this matter.

“Government never approved registration fees for securing Grade One places. School committees will have to apply through their local education officers to be granted such approval.

“The law must be complied with and any school or school development committees that fail to comply will be brought to book,” he said.

Minister Coltart, however, referred questions on the Government-approved registration process to his Perma-nent Secretary, Dr Stephen Mahere, who said he would provide the details today.

Dr Mahere is on record as discouraging schools from charging registration fees, saying they can only apply for provisional or deposit fees/levies for registration.

Indications from senior Education Ministry officials are that the minimum requirement for prospective Grade One pupils is a birth certificate.

Schools are also advised to ensure that they peg a minimum age restriction of five years while the child must turn at least six by the second term of Grade One.

Some schools in Harare are demanding registration fees of up to US$300 from parents seeking Grade One places for their children.

Among the schools fingered by parents are Avondale, David Livingstone and Selbourne Routledge primary schools.

Some schools in high-density suburbs are demanding between US$5 and US$10 as registration fees.

According to a letter handed over to a parent who had secured a place for her child at North Park, failure to pay the registration fee will lead to forfeiture.

School authorities will interview the parents/guardians whose children/wards should wear a complete uniform on the day of the interview.

Affected parents and guardians have described the practise as daylight robbery.

Newsday

8 November 2010

By Veneranda Langa

War veterans’ leader Joseph Chinotimba has reiterated his disdain for Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, saying he would never salute him even if he were to become the President of Zimbabwe.

Chinotimba also said in a long-ranging interview that elections were long overdue because Zimbabwe had become ungovernable as the three principals in the inclusive government were constantly at loggerheads.

He however said he would only salute a president who had liberation struggle credentials.

NewsDay reporter Veneranda Langa (ND) caught up with Chinotimba (JC) at his offices in Harare last week and had a one- on-one interview with the comic veterans’ leader.

Below are excerpts:

ND: President Robert Mugabe has announced that the country will go for elections in June 2011; do you think the country is ready for those elections?

JC: My view is that Mugabe is 100% right. We need elections soon in this country, whether other people want it or not. We become surprised when we hear other leaders in the GNU saying they do not want elections.

ND: But they have said they want elections in a free and fair environment?

JC: It is not true that there was intimidation during elections. People should now choose whoever they want.

ND: Are you saying the environment for elections has always been free and fair?

JC: Even in court when someone is accused of stealing they deny the charge. As I see it myself, the previous elections were free and fair.

Even when you study the American elections, you will find that they also disagree.

However, Zimbabwe is the only country where people say elections are not free and fair.

In Afghanistan, where there was a lot of killing the Americans said the elections were free and fair.

I can confirm to you that there are many war veterans who were killed and beaten up by MDC supporters during elections. So, let us go for the elections.

ND: Supposing Morgan Tsvangirai wins the elections, are you going to endorse the results and salute him?

JC: If I cannot vote for Tsvangirai, how can I salute him?

Mugabe will win, but if Tsvangirai wins the elections, he should know that war veterans brought independence and he is the one who is supposed to salute us. It would be very dangerous for him to expect that we will salute him.

How can people who did not vote for Tsvangirai salute him?

He should clearly understand who war veterans are and why they are important in Zimbabwe. If he does not salute us, it would become a very big problem.

Even the British know that the two MDC factions should salute war veterans and if they do not do that, it would be a big mistake.

We will only salute Mugabe because we suffered together with him in the bush and we have never been cowards. As war veterans we will only salute leaders who are war heroes.

ND:What are your sentiments on life presidency for Mugabe?

JC: What is the problem with that?

If he dies today, would we not say he was a life president?

We do not know when he is going to die and why should we start asking why he is not dying? We are not talking about death here; we are talking of someone with leadership qualities to be a life president.

What we are saying is that Mugabe should always be there for the benefit of Zanu PF. We still need him even if it takes 20 more years.

In the new Constitution, the people should indicate that they want Mugabe to be life president. How can we stop people from saying that when it is their wish?

Right now, we do not have anyone with leadership qualities in the country like Mugabe and so he must remain President.

War veterans say that he is our leader because we were together in the war.

ND: Is it true that there is factionalism amongst war veterans?

JC: War veterans have no factions. War vets will always be war veterans. If we were divided into factions, we would have a situation like the one in MDC where there is MDC-T and MDC-M.

Have you ever heard of a group called War Veterans –Mugabe or War Veterans – Nkomo?

We are united; it is only the Selous Scouts who want to divide us like the Minister of Education, David Coltart. We do not have two names.

Even those war veterans who are in the MDC factions work for us and we planted them there.

Even the war veterans who are in leadership positions in Zanu PF work for us. We send people to do our work in political parties.

ND: Do you have any political ambitions for high-ranking government posts?

JC: I can be an MP, senator or minister, especially the Ministry of Education, Arts, Sports and Culture. I can handle that one; it is a very good post for me.

I cannot be President myself because we already have a President. When he dies then we will have another President. It would take me 3 000 years to reach that position. The Presidency is for Mugabe, Vice-President Joice Mujuru and Vice-President John Nkomo and they will succeed each other by death. That is what we do in Zanu PF.

ND: But you are young and when all these people are no longer available to take the post of Presidency, would you not be interested?

JC: We do not know when they are going to die and we are not prophets.

As a child you cannot be too ambitious to want to take your father’s position whilst he is still alive.

That is witchcraft and I cannot comment on that.

The only position I want is to be Minister of Education, or even the Ministry of Lands.

ND: Would you agree that the land reform programme spearheaded by the war veterans was chaotic?

JC: That is a Coltart style of talking and that is cheap politics. People are doing very well in the farms.

When the whites took over our land, the Rhodesian Front supported them with cheap labour by Africans and they never paid for electricity and water.

Sunday News

7 November 2010

Arts Focus with Raisedon Baya

Where do Bulawayo artistes meet? Do they even meet? Once or twice one bumps into fellow artistes on the streets and hellos and goodbyes are hurriedly exchanged from a distance. And can one honestly call these “bump-ins’’ a meeting?
Anyway, I know journalists meet at the Press clubs and other Press gatherings. I have seen them meet and talk about issues affecting their profession over a few glasses of cold beers. I also know journalists have a national union and whenever the need arises they can speak with one voice and be heard.
I also know footballers meet at football matches, especially at social soccer matches and other places of interest. Some social football teams are even burial clubs!
But where do artistes, particularly Bulawayo artistes, meet? I ask this question because I was asked the same question by a colleague and drew blank. My mind just jammed and I thought he was just being funny.
It was only after he had gone that I gave the question some serious thought and the answer that floated onto my mind was shocking, to say the least. Artistes meet at funerals.
Now, I know a lot of artistes might not agree with me here. I had a hard time accepting that answer too. And if there is a better answer, if there is some place somewhere in the city where artistes meet, then I would be happy to get the name of that place.
In Harare if you want to meet artistes all you have to do is wander around the Book Café and you are sure to meet a couple of artistes. I have been to the Book Café several times and seen a number of artistes sipping drinks and discussing art business.
In Johannesburg I hear there are a number of places you can go looking for artistes but I know if you linger around Market Theatre and the restaurants in Newtown near the theatre complex, you will surely bump into several artistes.
I hear in Nigeria there is a place where you can go and meet all the stars we see in “African Movies’’. But again where do artistes in Bulawayo meet?
The sad truth is that most artistes don’t know each other, socially. We don’t even know each other’s families. We see each other on stage, costumed to entertain others, we read about each other in newspapers and on the internet, we talk behind each other’s backs but we never gather together to discuss sector business like professionals from one sector.
I know if there is no workshop or meeting called by other sectors where we go hoping to get some kind of a performance and a couple of dollars, then we don’t meet. Even during shows we don’t meet as we don’t go to watch other artistes’ shows.
Recently, I went to watch a musical show with a friend and he kept looking around in the hope of seeing familiar faces from the arts fraternity. There were only two or three artistes. Kind of disappointing but that is the everyday reality.
Honestly, there is no place in Bulawayo where someone who wants to meet artistes and engage in serious discussions with them, can go and meet them. There is no place for artistes to meet in Bulawayo and as a result artistes don’t meet, unless, of course, it’s during a funeral and one of them has died. How sad.
A couple of months ago Cont Mhlanga said something that touched at the core of my heart. Unfortunately, he said it at a funeral — when we were burying a fellow artiste. He said: “it is high time artistes stopped meeting at funerals. Let us meet to discuss business, to discuss projects — let us meet in happier times and get to know each other better’’.
Sadly; several months after the speech, nothing seems to have changed. There is still no meeting place for artistes away from funerals. There are still no meetings. And no one seems interested in meeting in good and happier times to discuss future projects over a cold beer or soft drink.
Unfortunately, no one from any other sector will come and create the space and time for artistes to meet. The artistes have to create that space and time for themselves.
I yearn to see a place in Bulawayo where artistes will meet and laugh over a beer. I want to see that place, to be part of that place.
Thumbs up!
To the National Art Gallery in Bulawayo for hosting Senator David Coltart last weekend. The senator delivered a beautiful and thought- provoking speech about art and the law. It was just unfortunate that the venue was half-empty. Artistes who were meant to benefit from the talk were nowhere near the venue! It is opportunities like these that should never go to waste.