When politics interfere with art.

Evans Dakwa and Misheck Shambare

“If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him,” once said former United States President John F Kennedy.

Art gurus have said in art there are neither boundaries nor limits; it only takes great courage from the artist to fully express themselves in an amusing way to the people consuming their products.

The just ended Harare International Festival of Arts (HIFA) was just another victim of Art not being recognised its role to the society.

The deportation of South African outfit Freshly Ground who were scheduled to be the closing act at the festival by Zimbabwean authorities has once again reignited the debate on whether Art should have limitations or boundaries.

Conflicting statements have been given for the reasons why the group could not perform with the Zimbabwean authorities highlighting that their paperwork was not order while the band has maintained the position that they had followed all requisite permit requirements.

However HIFA media on Wednesday set the record straight that they had followed proper procedures in order to bring the band to perform as their final act on Sunday the 4^th of May 2014.

With the organisers of the festival maintaining they had done everything above board, allegations are pointing to the fact that the group’s video “Chicken to change” which they did in 2010 that caricatured President Mugabe as a dictator was the reason why the group was denied entry bringing fourth the question whether art should have certain confines.

Expectant fans of Freshly Ground were left disappointed as the news broke out at the Festival a couple of hours before their sold out show was set to commence.

History has also proved to us that Zimbabwean authorities do not tolerate expression of art that shows any inclination towards the criticism of the regime.

Self-exiled Chimurenga music legend Thomas Mapfumo quickly comes to our minds as the musician had some of his songs blacklisted for allegedly mocking the Zimbabwean leadership.

Although the government of Zimbabwe denies forcing Mukanya as he is popularly known in the public circles into exile, the Chimurenga music icon whose song ‘mamvemve’ literally translated to the country’s woes have worsened was once quoted as saying he feared arrest if he returned to the country.

Leonard Zhakata, Hosiah Chipanga, and Rooftop promotions join the list of Zimbabwean artists who had some of their works banned from receiving airplay allegedly for their critical lyrics.

Artists by nature are inspired by what happens in their surroundings and their works represent what is happening in and around them be it in the social, political or economic spectrum but it seems the authorities in Zimbabwe are not open to that idea of freedom of expression to the artists.

Stand-up comedians at the just ended HIFA were clearly not at liberty to fully express themselves for fear of victimisation.

David Kibuuka, a naturalised South African stand-up comedian clearly stated during his performance at HIFA that he has been given a warning not to delve into any matter with any political inclination.

“It’s funny in South Africa you can go to the parliament and say the president is a fool and go away with it which is a different situation here in Zimbabwe as I have been tipped not to say something that involves politics’” said Kibuuka.

The same can be said of our own Carl Joshua Ncube who in his closing performance at HIFA at the Reps Theatre in Belgravia asked the audience to join him undertaking a joke about the president so that if he was to get arrested he will take his audience with him.

Ncube instructed the audiences to sing along with him saying “Mugabe, Mugabe, Mugabe” and suddenly said “can you see my president they all love you” before leaving the stage without cracking the joke.

This underlines the fact that Art in Zimbabwe is seriously censored as artists find themselves having to skate anything political in their works to avoid clashing with those in high authorities in the country.

If art is allowed to express freely it has the potential to break destructive cycles of suffering, anger, and violence that permanently disfigure the society but it seems the powers that be in the country do not see it that way as several laws like censorship and entertainment control act have been used to stifle artists.

Evidently the popular saying by art gurus that art knows no boundaries remains a pipeline dream in the country as the authorities do not seem to find humour in comicalising and the inclusion of what they term  politically sensitive issues in art leaving artist with limitations in the manner they express themself.

Visual and craft art: The least appreciated domains

In many developing countries art as a career discipline is not taken seriously yet it plays an important role in economic development through attracting foreign tourists.

In Zimbabwe, art contributes a significant 20 percent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency culture survey report 2012.

Training institutions such as Harare Polytechnic, Bulawayo Polytechnic, Chinhoyi University of Technology, Zimbabwe College of Music and Midlands State University have churned out many artists who are renowned internationally but little known in Zimbabwe.

Ministry of Sports, Arts and Culture permanent secretary, Dr. Thokozile Chitepo agrees that art is an ignored occupation yet it contributes immensely to the development of the economy.

“Not only does art contribute to economic development but it is important also in nation building and shaping our culture.

“Beautifully crafted artworks carry important messages in them which speak to our way of life and history.

“Art plays an important role in the livelihoods of people as many artistic expressions that we see whether it is a social idiom, music, writing, painting or poetry, tell a Zimbabwean story more so to foreigners who buy them,” said Dr Chitepo.

Zimbabwean artistes are recognised internationally, yet locally they remain relatively unknown.

 “As a new ministry, our task is to promote the development of the sector in integrating the people of Zimbabwe and to spread the idea that the art industry in all its forms is important for the development of the country,” said Dr Chitepo.

Art has been leading in re-branding the country through the creation of a positive image, and telling the story of Zimbabwe through festivals such as Harare International Festival of Arts (HIFA).

These gatherings attract large groups of people including local art connoisseurs and international art consumers and collectors.

Local artists however, believe that not all forms of art in Zimbabwe are given due attention and appreciation.

Visual arts and crafts have been identified as being among the least appreciated domains. 

Zimbabwe National Art Gallery curator, Raphael Chikukwa said the major consumers of the country’s artefacts are foreign nationals, because; locals see the industry as an extra-curricular activity.

“Art pieces are mainly sold to foreign nationals who frequent the Art Gallery from time to time, especially during HIFA festivals when many tourists visit the country,” said Chikukwa.

UNESCO defines crafts, or artisanal products, as “those produced by artisans, either completely by hand or with the help of hand-tools or even mechanical means, as long as the direct manual contribution of the artisan remains the most substantial component of the finished product.”

It takes great courage for artworks to be produced and so much time and money is invested by people who have a burning passion for the career.

Some of the records of past events in our modern libraries owe their existence to artefacts that were dug from the ground by archaeologists, yet the discipline is not prioritised in our educational curricular.

Not only do the public have a negative perception about visual arts and crafts, but parents have contributed to this negative perception through influencing career choices for their children.

As a result, many people are stuck in careers which they do not like and this is affecting their performance and causes a lot of stress in their lives.

On the other hand, parents feel that they are being unfairly judged as they cannot allow their children to pursue a blunt career.

“There are no prospects of a good future in art,”

 “I cannot allow my children to do art because it will lead him or her nowhere in this country unless they relocate to developed nations where art is taken seriously,” said Mrs Ellis Kanenungo a parent from Kuwadzana.

Art is done mainly at primary and secondary levels. Only a few people pursue the career at polytechnics and universities due to lack of public support and negative perceptions attached to it.

Nevertheless, government is making efforts at correcting this misconception.

Addressing delegates at the Tertiary Institution Festival of Arts (TIFAZ) held in Bulawayo last year, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development, Dr Washington Mbizvo emphasised the importance of the arts industry in nation building.

“Art is important in building blocks of identity, inspires collective action and debunks the notion that it is a profession for the less intellectual,” he said.

Recycling Art: Art with a difference

By Evans Dakwa and Misheck Shambare

When you open your soft drink and throw the bottle top away or when you finish drinking your beer from a can and throw it away, have you ever thought that these seemingly obsolete materials can be assets that can be used productively by other people?

In bars, cafes, restaurants and even on the streets cans and bottle tops can be seen scattered all over the place yet some people have mastered the skill of breathing life into the supposedly useless materials through Art.

Mabvuku Disability Art and Craft Centre have managed to come up with the concept that could come in handy towards achieving a cleaner environment using recycling art.

Using discarded materials like bottle tops, beer and soft drinks cans and the notorious bron cleer empty bottles, they have managed to come up with beautiful art pieces that have captured the attention of international buyers. Their innovation has brought together waste management and art, making significant strides towards a clean environment in the process creating employment for less privileged people in the society.

The eight member group which has disabled people amongst its ranks has made an array of artifacts including rubbish bins, handbags, light bulb chandeliers, kids’ toys, tables and chairs using apparently useless materials.

Royt Bisiwasi who is the Director of Mabvuku Disability Art and Craft Centre which showcased their art pieces at the just ended Harare International Festival of Arts (HIFA) said the innovation was inspired by the massive littering in the city and the desire to reduce the scourge by using litter productively.

“Initially we started our art using wire but we then merged with waste materials found scattered everywhere, an idea which received strong support from art passionate people encouraging us and from then on we never looked back,” he said.

Bisiwasi who has been actively involved in Art since 1994 said they get most of the materials they use from restaurants, bars and individuals whom they pay for bringing rubbish materials to them.

On working with disabled people, Bisiwasi said it was proper to include them as he understood their plight in society since his leg was amputated after an accident and to also prove that disability does not necessarily mean inability.

Although there are some local customers, Bisiwasi credited foreigners as the major clienteles of their products.

“The majority of our customers are from the United States of America (USA) and France as most Zimbabweans do not appreciate such type of art coupled by the liquidity crunch in the country,” he said.

He however thanked HIFA for the exposure and going out of their way to link them with new customers as they recorded brisk business during the course of the festival.

The group has taken recycling art to a new level as they have gone to make roof tiles from cans.

“We have managed to make a roof that is made up of empty soft drink and beer cans as tiles at a house in Milton Park suburb of Harare,” said Bisiwasi.

It seems recycling art is gaining popularity in Harare as more artists are coming up and incorporating the idea into their works.

Borrowdale based Jesa Arts which was also exhibiting at the just ended HIFA said they had turned to recycling art as it provided double benefits of being more viable and also keeping the environment clean especially in Harare.

“We saw it fit to turn to recycling Art as a way of keeping our environment clean by using waste material productively whilst making money from less capital by adding value to what some people call useless material,” they said.

Booker Sipeyiye who is Jesa Arts Director under a project dubbed Sunshine Zimbabwe which they are running from Sam Levy’s Village has been at the fore front of training youths as a way of empowering them with skills in the process of creating employment for young people.

“Our country at the moment is experiencing an economic meltdown and as a result many youths are jobless which made me to include them in my art as a way of empowering by training them and also to spread the idea across the country since we cannot eradicate the problem of rubbish in Harare alone.

“We need as many people as possible to come on board,” he said.

Environmental Management Agency (EMA) Public Relations Officer Steady Kangata appreciated recycling art as it goes an extra mile towards their quest to for a cleaner environment.

“We are really thrilled by the efforts of these artists in coming up with such initiatives as they go a long way in the cleaning of the environment as well as saving the resources of the country,” he said.

Informal Sector Preying on the Technologically Ignorant.

Technology is beginning to affect everything from communication to entertainment to our own convenience. We are increasingly inter-connected with our iPhones, laptops, Facebook and Twitter.
Zimbabweans, particularly those in urban areas,   can’t imagine living life without our cell phones and social media.  And as the technology advances,  we are constantly adapting and adopting these relatively new mobile phone inventions into our everyday lives.
Many people in Zimbabwe however have a tendency of overlooking the improving social media applications on mobile phones because they are ignorant of their more convenient and less costly uses.  The reality is that these new applications available on phones eventually  do matter as is now the case with Whatsapp, Facebook and increasingly so, Twitter.
When they do decide to use them, most middle aged men and women, in their rush to catch up with fashionable communication trends tend to get duped by the new informal sector ancillary service providers for mobile phones.  Especially for smart phones.

Swindled Due to Ignorance of Mobile Phone Technology Cloning
 One victim of these new informal service providers is Mr. Tinashe Mudzengi. He was conned by a cellphone dealer who  exchanged his original Samsung S4 smart phone with a fake one. The cellphone was sent to him by his brother who is in the United Kingdom. Such phones will be locked according to their networks and unless it’s reformatted, one cannot use it Zimbabwe.
Mudzengi decided to take the phone with him for it to be fixed of which he was referred to a specialist in the field who works near Zimpost post office. He was charged $80 for the service and instructed that it will take about close to an hour for the restoration of the gadget and that’s where he lost it.

When he returned he was overexcited that his phone had been fixed and took it home not knowingly the cellphone has been swindled for an imitation one. Incidentally these imitation mobile phones have flooded the Zimbabwean mobile phone market. After using the phone for some days he found out that its battery was not lasting so he decided to change it with the spare battery that his original cellphone had come with but to his surprise it could not switch on the cellphone.
Upon returning to Harare Post Office, the person who had formatted his original phone was said to no longer be based there.  Mr. Mudzengi then approached another mobile phone dealer who advised him that he was now in possession of a cloned mobile phone and not the original. He was stunned when he checked for the devices serial numbers which did not correspond with that of the original phone and that is the moment he did know that he was duped.
In total Mudzengi lost his Samsung galaxy S4 smartphone valued at $650 and also the $80 which he paid for the service rendered to him which equaled to $730.

These clone or imitation devices have also been sold to many unsuspecting clients who have been misled that they will be purchasing original ones at a price near to cost of original versions.

View of Informal Mobile Phone Service Traders and Analysts
Simbai Tsikai a former Ximex Mall second hand cellphone dealer said these fake devices had helped them to get more money than they have desired for.

“Some people are technologically shy to the extent that they cannot even tell the differences between a fake cellphone and an original and as a matter of fact we will utilize that chance for us to make money on them,” he said.
He added that the Imitation cellphones are made in such a way that they resemble the original gadget and it will need one to have a sound background of technology and a closer look.
Zibbie Mukwauri, a Harare polytechnic Information Technology student also added that the imitation devices look so real that with people’s ignorance they are so easily deceived.

“Unlike the imitation phones of many years ago, the ones that you can purchase now look very similar to the models that they are based on. And not only that, but in some cases, clones can even surpass the original in terms of features (which is quite confusing),” he said

Whatsapping away your $3-$5
 Midlands State University (MSU) student Tanaka Nyamande also added that many people are capitalizing on the lack of knowledge of people regarding the technology and its negativities.

“I witness a lot of people in town being duped of their hard earned money by silly things such as whatsapp and internet settings installation which can be easily done at home or by mobile phone network operators at free of charge,” he said.

These people charge between $3to$5 for this simple service and women are the most targets to this glitch.With the ever changing trends in technology there has been a lucrative expansion of counterfeit products.
Samsung having become the world’s biggest smart phone manufacturer but has also been also the hard hit by imitations.
Be Careful Buying an Android smartphone such as the Samsung Galaxy S4 should be a fairly straightforward endeavor. But the fact that there are fake handsets floating around makes things slightly more difficult.
The differences between real and fakes ones seem to be getting fewer and fewer with each generation. But it should always be possible to avoid buying fake units if you know what to look for.
As a final reminder, always be wary of a phone that’s being sold with a markedly lower price tag than its current market value, also look for camera qualities as well as inbuilt memory which is not normally include in imitation devices.

The Case of the Victim of Domestic Violence : Refusing to Report to The Police or Leave Her Abusive Spouse.

Sheila Mugwazi 24(not her real name) bares it all when she got married to the so called husband of her dreams. Sheila married her husband in 2010 when she was 20 years old. She was raised and schooled in a dusty village in rural Gutu where she failed her Ordinary Level examinations.Because her father had so many children to be catered for and limited money for school fees,, she did not have any other options rather than to sit at home and wait for ‘Mr. Right’ to come and by dint of the same, get her out of poverty.

Her husband who also grew up in the same area, after finishing his secondary education, moved to Harare to study Motor Mechanics. In courting Sheila, he used to come back to the village for reunions with his family and friends showing off with different cars that he pretended to be his own. These cars were in fact those of his clients at that time.

He proposed to Sheila and she accepted mainly because he had grown up in the same village with her. But little did she know that her woes were far from over.Having paid lobola price in full to her father and the husband impressed everyone at the poor family. After a colourful wedding ceremony at the village homestead Sheila thought she had defied all odds and she was ready to begin a new happy life.

When they arrived in the capital city of Harare  with her spouse, she found out that he was not as wealthy as he had claimed.  Also the fact that  all those cars that he had bragged about were in effect not his. He also started to ill treat her after they had given birth to their first child.  He started to come home from work late or sometimes not come at all and if she inquired as to the reason, he would dismiss her questions.

He would also remind her that as he was the one who paid the  rent so he will be hustling around to make ends meet. She explained that since she was helpless and given the situation at home in the village she could not go back.  She also had to consider the welfare of her child.Now she is pregnant with her second child and this has compounded her dependency on her abusive husband further.

One night in recent times, he assaulted her.  It was a beating that he appeared to have planned as he had talked about that she did not give him much respect he needed as the head of the house. The major reason for the assault appears to be the fact that he was not happy about Sheila’s relatives who had moved into a house across the street in which they lived. These relatives were single men and her husband could not believe that they were related to her.

Sheila narrated her ordeal thus,

“ It was on Wednesday when he came back from work at 5 oclock in the evening and he found me leaving the premises of my relatives who had invited me to meet their wives which got him so angry”

She continued, “I  never thought he would go to the extent of beating me and thought that it would end like every time when we  had a quarrel but this time he did it.”

“I have never  been  beaten like that in my  life. He used his hard knuckled fists on my  face and all over my body. I was eight months pregnant but he appeared not to care.”

After the beating, she hid herself in the house as she had too many visible injuries all over her body.  She did not venture out of the yard for at least three weeks to avoid her neighbours even though they knew what had happened .  Sheila explained the reason for hiding herself and her injuries even though she knew she needed medical attention thus, “I did not go to the hospital because I knew the hospital staff would demand a police report and I cannot afford to get my husband arrested”

Her neighbours also encouraged her to report to the police because they heard all what had happened to her but she stood firm in refusing to do so.In the end it appears she has decided to stay with her  abusive husband for the sake of her children.  This is despite the fact that her relatives have urged her to leave her  husband and apply for maintenance fee at the civil’s magistrate courts.

She refuses to do so, because she has heard from other people that the money that one sometimes gets through that process is never  be adequate to look after the children. Or it means that she will always have to go to court to get him to pay.

Analysis

This is one of the many examples of the plight of married women in Zimbabwe who after being married they experience gender based domestic violence. Many women are also not utilizing the laws that have been made available to protect them   mainly out of fear or out of concern for the welfare of their children.

Where a man commits acts of violence against his wife, partner and family, the likelihood that he is the breadwinner is high.  Because the wife is also usually economically dependent on her husband, she is pushed by circumstances and will not report the case to the police or to anyone.

In cases where the legal structures are proceeding with a case, I do believe the law is serving its purposes. The problem is that the women concerned, who drop their domestic violence cases, are not allowing the law to serve them for a number of reasons. This indicates to me that inequality in other areas needs to be maximized before women are in a position to allow the laws on domestic violence to serve them

The Domestic Violence Act is not meant to protect wives against physical abuse from their husbands only — it is an extensive law that applies to ex-girlfriends/boyfriends, step children, adopted children or biological children of the abuser, those co-habiting, and any other person (male or female) living in the same house with the abuser whether or not they are related to the abuser. The scope of the abuse stretches to verbal abuse, psychological abuse, harassment, stalking among other forms of abuse. Generally, the Act is to be applauded and it is up to the abused and/or those aware of the abuse to take advantage of the provisions of such law