No public voting at Pracas

Langalakhe Mabena, Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub

Organisers of the Pumula Royal Arts and Community Awards (Pracas) have revealed that there will be no public voting at this year’s awards which are slated for December 20 at Pumula North Hall.

Such a development came after the organisers experienced technical complications on their website, something that discouraged the online voting system.

In a statement, Pracas organisers said, “After an internal assessment, we have concluded that proceeding with an unstable system on our website could jeopardise the professionalism, fairness and overall integrity of the awards.
“To safeguard the credibility of the selection process (of winners), Pracas has appointed an independent Decision Making Board. The board will be responsible for reviewing all submissions and determining the final results for this year’s awards,” reads part of the statement.

The organisers gave assurance to stakeholders as they said that despite the shift from public voting – fairness, accountability, and transparency would remain at the core of their evaluation procedures.

The Pracas were created in 2019, and they are designed to motivate, appreciate, and promote young people for their contributions in various spheres, including arts, culture, community service, and entrepreneurship.

This year’s event will be hosted by Admire J Banda, Ma Nare, Brighton Beefactor Ncube, Nessa Nobz, Poet Lethu, as well as comedian Sipho Mercent Nyathi.