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Tafadzwa Zimoyo Entertainment Reporter
The National Arts Council of Zimbabwe has condemned the violence that rocked the Zim dancehall show held at City Sports Centre last weekend. NACZ communications and marketing officer Catherine Mthombeni said they have appointed a team to probe the matter.
“The council has appointed an investigating team that will be chaired by the NACZ deputy director, Nicholas Moyo, to look into what happened on the fateful day, as well as recommend steps to avoid its recurrence. The team will thoroughly look into the matter and make recommendations on how best such behaviour could be avoided in future,” read part of her statement.
She said they have sat down with the show promoter who also gave them a report of what transpired.
“We have received a report from the promoter of the show and had a meeting with him. The information in the report will be used by the NACZ team in compiling their report. However, the team’s core issues of examination would include interviewing all stakeholders involved in the showbiz industry as well as those involved in dancehall on ways to avoid the recurrence of violence,” she said.
Mthombeni said the investigation team would also establish the cause of violence.
“They will ascertain the real causes of the disturbances at the City Sports Centre last weekend, indicating how many people were injured and the damage to property. The duration of the investigation period is 21 working days and thereafter NACZ will issue a statement on its course of action. The solutions will be for the whole sector and not only for specifically Zimdancehall,” she said.
The communications officer said arts and culture events, particularly the showbiz, are mainly for entertainment hence issues of violence should never be allowed to happen.
“We are committed to ensure that such a scenario will not recur. We will work with law enforcement agencies as well as the arts stakeholders to ensure that measures are put in place to stop the violence once and for all,” she said.
She urged artistes, arts organisations and promoters alike to make professionalism central to their conduct of arts business.
Violence at the City Sports Centre erupted when Soul Jah Love and Seh Calaz were on stage at the Sting 2014 clash.
Online Reporter