adminNgqwele Dube, Leisure Correspondent
A PASSION for the arts has seen a teacher raking in awards for his school’s drama club despite being two years on the job.
Mzilikazi High School’s arts teacher, Sandisisizwe Bhebhe had been working as a field officer for over four years but decided to go back to school and acquired a degree in Languages that led him to his new profession of teaching last year.
However, it is his passion for the arts that has seen him mould emerging artistes at his school and collecting accolades along the way for his efforts.With no prior experience in the arts, the 35-year-old teacher has created a drama group that has won awards at both provincial and national level.
“I don’t have any experience in the arts save for being a passionate arts consumer. While I have always been attracted to art I have never practiced any form of art with my only flirtation with the trade being at primary school level. My degree programme at Lupane State University focused on Ndebele but I also had arts modules hence it was easy for me to lead the drama club when I started teaching here (Mzilikazi) last year,” he said.
The school scooped the first prize at the National Association of Secondary School Heads national drama competition beating nine other schools in a contest held in Masvingo three weeks ago. Mzilikazi also took the honours at the 2015 edition of Isiphiwo Sami Talent Search, a talent identification programme organised by renowned arts group, Iyasa.
In Masvingo, the school made a clean sweep of the top awards, collecting best actor, best actress and best director accolades.
Mondliwethu Ndebele and Panashe Jima took best actor and best actress awards respectively while Bhebhe walked off the podium as the best director.
Bhebhe, who heads Mzilikazi’s arts and culture department, said he was focused on producing astute and hard working actors that can make it in the arts industry. Already, 10 of his pupils managed to impress during auditions for the Schools Playwrights and Actors Academy and Centre for Talent Development, where they are furthering their arts training.
“It would be sad if the actors I work with at the drama club just disappear off the radar after leaving school; they should further hone in their talent and I believe they can make it in the arts world,” he said.
At the NASH competition, schools were given the theme, “Righteousness” and asked to come up with a related play. The competition started from cluster level up to the national stage.
The drama that won them the top gong was inspired by the disappearance of several youngsters in Bulawayo.
“In the story, two children who are orphans are taken in by their uncle in the city; unbeknown to them he is a member of a Satanism grouping. After providing the older sister with all material needs and paying for her schools fees, he asks her to join them in the occult but she refuses. Threats of her young sibling being starved and presented with endless problems don’t sway and luckily a Christian pastor recognises her dilemma and comes to her rescue,” said Bhebhe.
He added the disappearance of children in the city worried them and they were hoping to bring the issue to fore through the play.Bhebhe said they are focused on using theatre to address the plight of children and last year they came up with the play,
“Disability is not inability”, a drama that looked at disability issues among young people.
He said they are hoping to invest proceeds from their participation in the NASH competition into the school’s hall, which they are aiming at developing. Bhebhe said the first items they want to install are curtains at the hall to make it conducive for acting.
“I believe we need to develop the arts facilities at the school and also buy items used during plays such as props and this will assist us improve our drama.
“I love the arts and with the good start I am making I think the school will support my efforts and we can become a good breeding ground for future artistes,” he said.
Online Reporter