The Sunday News
Limukani Ncube
THE beautiful City of Bulawayo is historically known as the principal industrial centre of Zimbabwe. The city became home to diverse people, bringing with them different cultures and traditions, making the city a true melting pot of arts and culture in the country.
The city is rich in arts, and it was befitting that it hosted the historic interface between artistes and President Mnangagwa for the launch of the National Arts, Culture and Heritage Policy recently. In attendance were First Lady, Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa, Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Cde Monica Mutsvangwa, Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, Kirsty Coventry, Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprise Dr Sithembiso Nyoni, Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube, and other senior Government officials. You will have to scratch your head all day to remember any other arts forum that attracted such a “high powered delegation” (sorry for the cliché). Moreover, led by the President and his wife!
The two-day milestone event set a new trajectory for the arts, and also helped remind everyone of the critical role that arts can play in the economy, as is the case in Nigeria and South Africa, among other countries. Arts is an industry. It has long evolved from a being a pastime activity, and if well-structured and supported, it can contribute meaningfully to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
It is a potential mass employer and can also attract tourists, both domestic and foreign, through festivals and exhibitions. Arts does not only benefit those on stage, but many others backstage, and a host of other industries that stand to benefit from the spill-offs of big arts gatherings.
Writing on his social media handles, President Mnangagwa aptly summed it up.
“Launching the National Arts, Culture and Heritage Policy in Bulawayo yesterday, I endorsed the idea of Bulawayo becoming our National Cultural Capital. I was impressed by the clarity and focus of those I met from the arts industry and assured them that their concerns will be addressed. The arts have a big role to play in promoting unity and harmony, and they will always have the support of this Government.”
For a long time, artistes from all genres have been crying out loud for attention from policy makers and Government so that their works can be appreciated in a commercial sense. A number of times there were promises of a national arts policy of some sort, but all such promises were soon to fade, and disappear with nothing tangible having been realised.
But now that the Head of State and Government took time off his busy schedule to meet with artistes, the message has been sent to all and sundry that it is no longer business as usual, and it is high time the arts took their place in the sun and contribute positively to the economic turnaround of the country.
In fact, having received the support of the President to become the National Cultural Capital, Bulawayo can reposition itself in that direction and become the true centre of arts festivals all year round that keep drums booming, disco lights flickering like veld fire, sculptors hitting the chisel, musicians, actors and dancers ever on stage and writers burning the proverbial midnight candle. There are many historical buildings of interest in the city that still boast of unique architecture as well as tourism areas of interest in and around the city. All these support the idea of a National Cultural Capital. What is needed is funding to oil the wheels of the arts. Maybe Bulawayo should leave churches to continue with the gospel at the Belmont industrial areas, and focus on creating a conducive atmosphere for arts to thrive and grow into a million dollar industry. Arts practitioner and newspaper columnist, Raisedon Baya, a few years ago argued that festivals can be a mechanism for re-organising cultural products in the context of economic challenges and to make artistic works accessible to the general public. He said from 20 festivals across the country, only five or so festivals were still being held, owing largely to donor fatigue, lack of funding from local authorities and Government.
“To date the biggest success story in terms of festivals in the country is Harare International Festival of the Arts (Hifa). At one point it was rated as one of the biggest festivals in Africa and among the best eight festivals in the world. Hifa brings thousands of artistes into Zimbabwe and tens of thousands of tourists. Hifa is proof enough of how festivals can impact on a people, a particular place and country both in terms of arts and culture and the economic contribution to the country’s coffers. Apart from Hifa we have had Intwasa here in Bulawayo, Shoko in Harare and the Vic Falls Carnival bringing in foreign artistes and marketing Zimbabwe as a tourism destination. Festivals should be part and parcel of the country’s strategy to preserve and promote Zimbabwe’s rich and diverse cultural heritage and in the process market Zimbabwe as an important tourist destination.”
On its own, Bulawayo is home to Intwasa Arts Festival, Intwasa Extra, Ibumba Festival (Siyaya Arts), Isiphiwo Sami Talent Search (Iyasa), Nyawo Lwami Arts programme (Nhimbe Trust), Black Umfolosi Festival, Skyz Metro Music Awards, Friday Live at Amakhosi, a host of visual arts exhibitions and many other artistic events that take place all year round, some low key but powerful in terms of intent and content.
You can add that Kalawa Home Coming music concert that had become “a calendar date” in recent years. And more telling has been the Bulawayo Arts Awards, held in the past three years that have taken the city by storm. The awards have become the real dress up event in the city, one event that has put the city at the apex of arts and events management in the country. To put icing on the cake, the Bulawayo City Council recently acceded to a request by artistes led by Nhimbe Trust to declare 1 June every year Bulawayo Day. The day will then be followed by a week-long arts and cultural festival to celebrate the city and its people. All these events, among others, back up the idea of Bulawayo being declared the National Cultural Capital.
United Refineries chief executive officer Busisa Moyo, whose organisation has been the anchor sponsor for the Bulawayo Arts Awards, once remarked that he would like to see Bulawayo follow in the footsteps of the likes of Hollywood and have what he termed Bulawayowood.
“We are about Buy Zimbabwe and we are about Buy Bulawayo. In addition to consuming products that are made outside, Nollywood, Bollywood, Hollywood, let’s also think of Bulawayowood although I don’t know whether that makes sense. Let’s consider our own artistes. In African culture we’ve got a unique thing called cousin brothers or cousin sisters. I’m sure that out there you have got a cousin brother that is involved in the production of a local product or arts material. Therefore they are all looking to us as a public, as a market,” said Moyo.
The city is also set to host the first ever National Cultural Festival, once modalities to declare it the National Cultural Capital are complete. President Mnangagwa also urged the Ministry of Higher Education, Innovation, Science and Technology to incorporate requirements of Creative Cultural Industries (CCI) in their innovation hubs and requested greater clarity on operationalisation of the hubs. This will go a long way in positioning the arts as an industry.
To show that the Government is keen to support the arts, Minister Mutsvangwa, told the same gathering in Bulawayo that national broadcaster, Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation owes local artistes more than $600 000 in royalties and that money will soon be paid. Finance Minister Prof Ncube said all musical equipment and Public Address system will be exempted from paying duty, with licences to host foreign acts, among others, to be reviewed. The regional director for the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Mr Butholezwe Kgosi Nyathi, said Creative Cultural Industries (CCI) contribute significantly to enhancing productivity, economic growth and job creation.
“As of 2012, the sector was contributing six percent to the Gross Domestic Product but what is lacking is consistent gathering of data for us to make a strong case with Treasury to increased investment,” he said.
Mr Nyathi called on the Government to assist the arts sector by sourcing funds from the gaming industry and to identify other ports of money within other sectors of the economy to support the industries.
With all the support from the President and his Government, artistes just have to keep the fire burning. They have to keep knocking on the doors of policy makers and businesses. The sweat on stage can be salty, but it will soon bear sweets!
