adminBongani Ndlovu Showbiz Correspondent
GOVERNMENT has been challenged to contribute more to the Zimbabwean arts and culture to stem a deluge of foreign practices being imported into the country by embassies.At consultations with the Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture held at the National Art Gallery of Zimbabwe over the National Heritage, Arts and Culture Policy, Bulawayo arts personalities said the major contributors to the arts were Swedish, Norwegian and French governments.
They said the foreign governments were vigorously promoting their countries’ culture to the detriment of Zimbabwean tradition.
The artistes said there was nothing wrong with what the countries were doing but there was a need for government to be actively involved in vigorously promoting Zimbabwean culture as well.
“We accept that we need to fund our culture. How can the government sit and let the Norwegians, Swedes and the French be the biggest contributors to the arts? Foreigners are ambassadors of their nations and obviously they will promote their cultures whilst ours is eroded.”
During the discussions, Cont Mhlanga was not pleased that the people addressing the gathering were young. He said they did not know anything about the arts industry.
Mhlanga said he preferred older people who really knew the arts industry.
It was only after Dr Charlton Tsodzo told him his credentials and added that he was a writer that Mhlanga stopped his rant.
The delegation was headed by the principal director for Culture Reverend Paul Damasane who said by the end of May, they should have captured every contribution and come up with a holistic document.
He said they were consulting under the guidance of the Constitution that encourages diversity.
“Now we are writing down what is needed in the policy. We will follow the constitution that encourages diversity in the expressions of culture,” said Damasane.
He said expressions of culture define a people and a nation.
“Expressions of culture define who we are as a people and a nation. That is what will determine our cultural policy as defined under the culture industry section,” said Damasane.
Among the participants were Sarah Mpofu, Raisedon Baya, Pathisa Nyathi, members of the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe and members of the local media.
The Heritage, Arts and Cultural Industries have over the past few years emerged as one of Zimbabwe’s major sources of foreign currency, employment and a tool to assert the people’s national identity. They have contributed immensely in attracting tourist inflows and in building the country’s image.
The government has also enhanced this by increasing the support given to national cultural institutions such as the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe, the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, the National Library and Documentation Service and the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe to ensure that culture becomes one of the most important engines of development.
Online Reporter