adminShowbiz Correspondent
SOME music promoters in Bulawayo have expressed concern over the move by the Department of Immigration compelling international artistes to seek police clearance before coming into the country saying it would likely cause delays and possible cancellations of shows. The Department of Immigration recently announced that promoters needed to get foreign artistes’ police clearances from their respective countries in order for them to be awarded temporary work permits to perform in Zimbabwe. Promoters who spoke to Chronicle Showbiz yesterday said their fear was that this could cause a delay in processing paper work.
Previously, the Immigration Department used to do the police clearances on behalf of promoters but they recently communicated that they could no longer do so as they were inundated with applications. It is now the promoters’ responsibility to get the police clearances.
3D Events promoter, Mduduzi Mdlongwa, said some international artistes were not forthcoming with sending their police clearances from their home countries.
“Last month when I brought in Black Coffee to Bulawayo, I asked him to send me his police clearance but he did not respond and did not give a reason. Fortunately, the Immigration Department was still handling international acts’ police clearances so they, together with Interpol, worked on the clearance,” said Mdlongwa.
He added that he hoped artistes would co-operate and submit their police clearances on time, or else they would have difficulties in bringing international acts.
Top promoter, Clint Robinson from C&A Entertainment said the new policy would make it hard to bring in international acts.
“Imagine telling Elephant Man that you need him to get a police clearance to perform in Zimbabwe? This will make it hard to convince artistes to perform here as the process will now be strenuous,” Robinson said.
Another local promoter Babongile Sikhonjwa said the police clearance procedure would likely see some foreign artistes missing out on shows in Zimbabwe.
“Some artistes especially those in South Africa are likely to miss out on shows and the heaps of monies we give them because of their criminal records in their country. It is a pity that some of them will fall short because of this,” he said.
Sikhonjwa also appealed to the Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture to look into the statutory payments for shows saying they were exorbitant.
“The statutory payments that we have are quite huge. I think the new ministry needs to have a look at that because we have to pay Zimra, National Arts Council of Zimbabwe, Censorship Board, Immigration and Zimura.
“On average you are looking at forking out $3,000 just for the payments before you organise everything else for the show,” he said.
derick.khumalo