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NewsDay

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Masvingo’s artistic floodgates open

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WHEN the comedy Sabhuku Vharazipi came to the capital city, it should have been a massive relief for the Masvingo creative sector that had remained in the doldrums, being overshadowed by other bigger cities.

WHEN the comedy Sabhuku Vharazipi came to the capital city, it should have been a massive relief for the Masvingo creative sector that had remained in the doldrums, being overshadowed by other bigger cities.

SILENCE CHARUMBIRA ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER

It restored faith in a bright people that had hit one brick wall after the other on their way up.

The mischievous Vharazipi and of course the equally notorious Mayaya were for some time permanent features on numerous small screens across the country and beyond.

Now that legendary farcical piece that healed the wounds of the country with laughter appears to have opened floodgates at least according to the proof provided by the latest production from that city.

The same producers have come up with yet another production featuring Mayaya played by Denise Rusoso titled Mayaya: The Seed of Corruption which maintains the reverting Masvingo dialect. The project that is already available on DVD is a spectacular piece of work that tells typical day-to-day stories of an average Zimbabwean. Issues to do with the new fashion of miracle healing and association of the so-called clergymen and well known thugs are put in the limelight. It tells the real Zimbabwean story of a woman, Mai Makodhodho (Tsitsi Magaisa) who is abused left, right and centre all because of fear and lack of knowledge. The police, led by Mayaya, play a pivotal role in envisaging a crooked system that devours the same elements that it claims to protect; talk of a hen playing the predator by pecking its own eggs much to the envy of a carnivorous eagle that awaits the chick. The story is on point, despite the fear that many may have to comment on spiritual issues; miracles are stage-managed and alleged juju traits are exposed. Edward Chombe, the producer of the movie, told NewsDay the writer of the script concentrated on typical vices dogging Zimbabwean society. “These are issues that our society is battling with every day. The comedy aside, it has happened in Rutenga that a woman went to a police station to report a rape case the officer at the station also raped her. She ended up reporting two rapes,” Chombe said. “It happened in Beatrice that police officers lost their bribes loot to a small child picking mushrooms. Dumbfounded as they may have been, their superiors whether corrupt or not they should have wondered how a whole police officer could be outwitted by a civilian.” Chombe said the film was generated from a story that was written long before the famous Sabhuku Vharazipi. “The writer and director of the movie David Dzatsunga has for a long time been teaching actors in Masvingo and has done several productions of different magnitude. Mayaya: The seed of corruption was actually written before Sabhuku Vharazipi,” he said. “Dzatsunga has worked with some of the actors for over 20 years while some are fresh and had to be groomed for eight months before the film was shot.” Among the issues that Chombe noted they battled are piracy which he said even the police conceded they had failed to deal with. Interestingly, the real story of piracy in Zimbabwe clings with firm grip on politics more than the corrupt human behaviour which is often blamed. Chombe said some police officers at the licensing inspectorate on the side-lines of their discussions had pointed out they feared for their jobs if they were to deal with piracy objectively. “One of the officers joked saying he would end up herding goats at his rural home because of the political power that protects people who pirate our stuff. We ended up engaging the pirates in several meetings and all we managed to get was a week to sell before they started pirating the movie,” he said. “It was difficult because they have mechanisms in place that are “mafia like” and they can control what is sold in areas like Mbare Musika which is the hub of piracy. We did not have an option because coming from Masvingo and trying to beat such people who will be getting your product for free and selling it for $0.25 is impossible when you try to sell it at four times their price.” Chombe, however, said he was impressed by the behaviour of some conscious individuals that have continuously sought to buy original copies. He said the movie has in a way triggered self-correctional measures in some people while others say they have been empowered. He said they are now working on modalities to promote the movie and come up with workable distribution plans to maximise on the movie.