The Sunday News
Peter Matika, Senior Life Reporter
FORMER Generations actress Katlego Danke is expected in the country at the end of next month to promote the much anticipated local anti —human trafficking movie Ziyanda.
The director of the film, Dumisani Nyongolo Nkomo said they had already arranged with Danke for the visit, while they were still trying to secure funds to also bring along award winning actor Luthuli Dlamini.
“We will be hosting Katlego on the 31st July, as part of film preps. We are also working on getting Luthuli to come along; we are still negotiating with a couple of sponsors for him. He is dying to come over,” said Nkomo.
He said the motive behind the visit was not only to promote the film but also to promote and turn Zimbabwe into a film destination.
“We need to link these guys with our local guys so we do crosspollination of skills n make Zim film destination. The regular visits are also to market Zimbabwe as a film destination,” said Nkomo.
Ziyanda is a move centred on a young ambitious woman who finds herself in the centre of a vicious human trafficking ring, which is responsible for the capture of her best friend Andiswa.
The film features Zintle Ncipa, Katlego Danke, Fortune Jean Mguni, Bekithemba Sibanda and Luthuli Dlamini.
It is an exciting, action packed Zimbabwean film of international calibre, written and produced by Dumisani Nkomo and Directed by Thando Sibanda.
Work on the movie began sometime in 2015 and the release dates are yet to be announced. According to statistics a shocking human trafficking is a $35 billion illegal global business.
Ziyanda, producers said, was a tool to educate people on the illicit trade in human beings that was being perpetrated under their noses.
“Human trafficking is the fastest growing organised crime in the whole world and is worth $35 billion. According to the United Nations, Zimbabwe is a point of entry and exit for human traffickers. We’ve heard stories about the illicit movement of finances out of Africa, wars and famine, but now we’ve the illicit movement of people from the continent. So Ziyanda will tell such a story eloquently,” executive producer of the film, Dumisani Nkomo said.
He said the level of ignorance around human trafficking was shocking.
“The initial concept was inspired by the story of Joseph in the Bible. That was one of the first incidents of human trafficking.
When we researched further, we realised the problem was far bigger than we anticipated,” said Nkomo.
@peterkmatika
