The Sunday News
Nkosilesisa Ncube, Sunday Life Reporter
JUST six months after announcing his retirement, arts veteran Cont Mhlanga has proved the age old saying that old habits die hard as he has taken up a new docudrama film project in Binga, Matabeleland North.
Mhlanga is working as the executive producer with a first time-cast and crew for the debut season of the 13 episode, thirty minute series Zyanyongana, which is Tonga for “It is chaotic”.
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It is a film set in Binga and done for the Binga community by the people of Binga with the help of Mhlanga. The film chronicles the life of the Tonga people residing in Binga and promotes the culture and priorities of the Binga inhabitants.
The plot centres on the traditional rainmaking ceremony of the Tonga people and how the law and modernisation have affected and changed this and other such traditional practices.
The film’s production manager Elias Sibanda said the film is done in Tonga because of its cultural content.
“Culture is carried through language and because we are showcasing Tonga culture, we are using Tonga as a medium. For those who do not understand the language, we have included subtitles in Ndebele and Shona because most people in the country understand one or the other of these two,” said Sibanda.
The use of Tonga as a medium will also attract a regional market from the Tonga people residing in Zambia and Sibanda believes that this will promote and market Binga to regional tourists who are interested in community based cultural tourism.
The film is set in various areas around Binga, mainly Binga Centre for the modern, contemporary scenes and the villages for the traditional scenes. The scenes to look out for are the ones done at the famous hot springs of Binga which are fondly known by the Tonga as Chibbwa Tata.
Sibanda said the film cuts across all age groups and genders.
“Zyanyongana is for everyone. The younger people will likely be drawn to the modern day setting while the older, more nostalgic age groups will enjoy the traditional settings. It is something that the whole family can enjoy,” said Sibanda.
He said they had done the film in response to the first broadcast digitisation transmission site being erected in Binga.
“The first booster has been set up in Manjolo and it’s only fitting that we produce something locally. We need to provide the new content so that the world knows about the history, culture and geography of Binga,” said Sibanda.
He went on to say that the project was helping in manpower development within the area as the people involved in the film are receiving training while they film.
“Cont Mhlanga is offering us training while we work on the project. He is training everyone from the producers to the actors and this is something that most people go to university for but we are receiving it for free,” he said.
The first episode of Zyanyongana has been filmed and filming of the subsequent episodes will be done over the course of the year. Sibanda encouraged residents of Binga to embrace the project and participate in the project where they can as it open to them.
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