PRESS STATEMENT issued by the National Arts Council Of Zimbabwe
By Novell Zwange – It has come to the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe’s attention that some scrupulous artists, in an effort to evade regulation and compliance with the law, have taken to peddling slanderous stories about the Council, for reasons best known to themselves.
Subscribers to online news articles, facebook and readers of 30 June 2011 issue of the Daily News may have seen the articles claiming that National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) banned the performance of a work of art at the Anglican Cathedral on Tuesday the 28th of June 2011.
NACZ seeks to set the record straight on the facts pertaining to the issue, for the benefit of the unsuspecting public as well as artists and other stakeholders with whom we work with. For starters, the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe has NO mandate to BAN any works of art. In fact, NACZ is keen to promote creativity and free expression and therefore does not interfere with the content of any works of art but endeavours to create a good environment for the consumption of the same. NACZ did NOT BAN the play by Silvanos Mudzvova, Confessor, as said in the peddled media.
NACZ has a mandate to REGULATE Arts Associations and Arts Promoters, by ensuring registration of the same. Vhitori Entertainment, represented by Mudzvova, has been ducking and diving its registration as an arts promoter since 2007, despite repeated calls by the NACZ encouraging Vhitori to register. Suffice to say, the NACZ has registered all arts promoters and arts organisations in the country, and continues to do so without interfering with the content of the productions. The public and stakeholders can communicate with any other players in the sector who can attest to this. As such, there is nothing sinister about the play Confessor as far as NACZ is concerned, but its performance requires the hosting or promotion by a registered promoter in Zimbabwe. The fact that Vhitori chose to host the play means it should also ensure it is registered with NACZ. This is what all other artists who have decided to promote arts have done. The public may be interested to know that many of Zimbabwean senior artists have decided to form companies that promote their works and others e.g. Oliver Mtukudzi (Tuku Music), Alick Macheso (Cheso Power), Davis Guzha (Rooftop Promotions), Jasen Mphepo (Patsime), Dominic Benhura (Dominic Studio) to mention but a few. This is what Silvanos Mudzvova should do. He will not be discriminated nor favoured by NACZ.
It is unfortunate that in his efforts to build hype around his unfounded allegations, Mudzvova claims eight police officers – some in riot gear stopped the play at the Anglican Cathedral. The facts are that the NACZ Compliance Officer, in the company of two (2) UNARMED plain clothes police officers communicated with Mudzvova, in his capacity as promoter of the play – Vhitori Entertainment to regularise his performances. Once this has been observed, members of the public will have unlimited access to not only Confessors, but all the other plays that Vhitori Entertainment produces throughout Zimbabwe.
The NACZ is amazed at how Mr Nicholas Moyo, the Deputy Director quoted in the stories, could have influenced any of the activities at NACZ as he has been out of the country for close to a week and not at work. It is also unfortunate that Mr Ruswa, quoted in the stories as the NACZ officer in Manicaland, passed away sometime in 2008, therefore bringing the question of Mudzvova’s intentions and objectives in slandering even the departed. We are not aware of the other insinuations of some NACZ Officers being “deadly intelligence agents” including the other issues relating to Guest of Honour as this information was never known to us up to the time we saw the articles.
As an organisation, we remain committed to the promotion and development of the arts and culture in Zimbabwe and will continue to perform our mandate of REGULATING arts associations and arts promoters in line with our theme “Towards Professionalising the Arts”.
