Chronicle Editor
Mbulelo Mpofu and Angela Sibanda, Showbiz Reporters
LOCAL creatives have been actively involved in the fight against social ills and they have been on the forefront, preaching the gospel of anti-drug abuse since time immemorial.
They have consolidated the Government’s efforts in taking a holistic approach to getting rid of social ills through the philosophy, “Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabaninilo/Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo.”
These artistic soldiers have fought drug abuse through songs, poetry, paintings and campaigns and these will go down in history as their contribution to the society’s sanity.
However, one important question that is always avoided and taken off the discussion table is; are our creatives safe and immune to this scourge? By trying to save the community from perishing from drugs, who looks out for them and checks that they are not dying from the same thing they are trying to save the society from?
On Tuesday, multitudes gathered at Lupane State University to commemorate the annual National Youth Day under the theme “Drug and substance abuse; a threat to vision 2030, every community has a responsibility”.
Young people take the lion’s share of the population when the percentage of creatives worldwide is under consideration and just like everyone in the society, they are not spared from issues such as depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts that are fuelled by several experiences.
In Zimbabwe, a few creatives manage to make a living out of their craft as many find themselves having to venture into other professions for disposable income and end up treating art as a hobby.
In the arts sector, not all is rosy as creatives come across challenges such as high budgets on projects that fail to plough back, failure to get sponsors, low turnout at shows, bills and even the pressure of balancing being their ordinary selves and public figures at the same time because some artists do not have the confidence to be on the stage but because they have to make ends meet, they find themselves in a dilemma.
In light of the above, most creatives turn to alcohol and marijuana among other substances in the name of boosting confidence and getting in the mood for performances.
It even goes beyond as some start smoking and drinking on stage or around audiences, some, especially artistes from the hood go as far as bringing their cheap (yet considered deadly) alcohol ‘Injengu’ in public.
Local shows have seemingly become safe spaces for public drinking and drug-peddling environments and this has dealt the “support local” chorus a major blow in the process.
Chronicle Showbiz has noted with concern some of the lyrics sung by local artistes as some of the songs fuel the abuse of substances as a way of escaping the pressures of real life and this has fuelled delinquent behaviour from children who look up to them.
Recently, two artistes from plumtree, Babongile Sibanda and Dj Yugoe embarked on anti-drug campaigns in a bid to save the border town from this pandemic that has seen the national police force declaring war on peddlers and dealers.
Last year in June, musician Real Shona released a song to fight drug abuse, titled “Pindirai”, in November, Khaya Arts group was part of the prisons rehabilitation gala in Khami Remand prison, early this month Keith Ndlovu penned a poem titled “Inhale and blow your future away”, also meant to tackle drug abuse issues.
The art sector is in dire need of a sure economic renaissance as it shapes characters and moulds the manner in which the young carry themselves around and for that to happen, unity between the Government, National Arts Council of Zimbabwe, the public and the creatives themselves must be achieved.
In an interview, National Arts Council of Zimbabwe marketing and communication manager Rodney Ruwende confirmed that artists are exposed to a lot of situations that are prone to drive them into drug abuse and the organisation is doing all it can to try and assist artists.
“Drug abuse is a big problem for the sector and the NACZ through its various programmes embeds awareness messages targeting artists focusing on anti-drug abuse.
“The NACZ is totally against drug abuse and rallies with current efforts by the government to deal with the scourge in the country. Artists should not use drugs nor condone their use in society,” he said.
It will however take more than a song, portrait, poem, a campaign to beat this problem rearing its ugly head and threatening to end a promising future for local youths. — @MbuleloMpofu/@angelasibanda18
Online Reporter