Bulawayo arts festival hangs in balance

Bongani Ndlovu, Showbiz Correspondent
The inaugural Bulawayo Arts Festival (BAF) set for June hangs in the balance with organisers saying they are monitoring the Covid-19 situation in the country.

Meant to celebrate Bulawayo Day, the festival is supposed to take place from June 1 to 5.

The Bulawayo City Council last year declared June 1 Bulawayo Day, which they said would be set aside to commemorate the declaration of the city as a town in 1894. It is to be marked by arts and cultural activities.

This year, the city will be celebrating 122 years of existence.

The spread of Covid-19 and the ongoing lockdown has seen the organisers adopting a wait and see approach.

“We aren’t saying anything yet, but waiting for the Easter holiday to end and then we’ll be able to map a way forward,” said BAF director Saimon “Mambazo” Phiri.

Like many other events around the country and the world, organisers of the festival are waiting for what the Government will do next in order for them to plan their event.

As of yesterday, close to two million people had contracted the deadly virus around the world with 126 000 having died. In Zimbabwe 18 people have been confirmed to have the virus.

To avoid the spread of Covid-19, public gatherings and shows around the country have been banned. In Bulawayo, this has affected some major events such as the national Independence celebrations that were supposed to be held in the city for the first time in 40 years and the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair.