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.