ZIMBABWEAN artistes are demanding to meet President Robert Mugabe over what they termed manipulation by the sole State broadcaster Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), saying intervention by the government would help hundreds of them who are now living in abject poverty.
BY WINSTONE ANTONIO
Artistes have gone for years delivering their products and services to the national broadcaster without being compensated which observers say was not unacceptable and unethical.
Boniface Chimedza, who is Zimbabwe Arts and Culture Industry Association (ZACIA) president, said they were tired about the non-payment of artistes by ZBC, hence the need for the highest office to intervene.
“As an association, we expect to see justice prevailing in the industry and we are tired of being manipulated on the local showbiz, forcing us to meet President Robert Mugabe as our last hope as we demand ZBC to improve their approach in handling the financial affairs of the artistes,” Chimedza said.
“While ZACIA remains cognisant of the enormous effort and positive contribution that the government has put towards the improvement and sustenance of the arts sector to date, a lot of work still needs to be done to propel the sector to a higher realm of productivity and visibility on both the national and global platforms.”
Chimedza said lack of media plurality was worsening the predicament of artistes and they had for long been dictated to regarding how much they were worth for the provision of both their services and products.
“This has got to change,” he said.
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“The national broadcaster has worked with many film and television artistes in the production of their varied television programmes. ZBC has for the past 10 years failed to compensate the artists adequately and timeously,” he said.
“The national broadcaster must not use its financial situation as a shield to the prolonged unfair treatment of artistes. There is no basis why ZBC should continue to expect the artistes to understand that it has no money when the national broadcaster does not seem to be willing to understand the plight of the artistes,” Chimedza queried.
He said artistes should be paid in time for their work at competitive rates that are at par with regional rates, which would in turn allow them to feed and clothe their families, take their children to school and provide for their beneficiaries adequately.
“ZBC is failing to pay the artistes even after making a commitment to them during our meeting on the January 9 this year at the Rainbow Towers to clear its debt before or by February 15.
“What is discouraging is the attitude with which ZBC is handling this issue. They do not give the artistes time and at times, they do not answer their landlines and mobile phones when artistes call to make a follow-up on their money.
“The arrogance of not answering phone calls and refusing to convene for meetings, after giving artistes false promises, should be flushed out of ZBC’s administrative system with the contempt it deserves,” Chimedza said.
The national broadcaster has, for a long time, been underfire for failure to pay television and film artistes.
Early this year, the ZBC management met with actors to make a payment plan and they were assured that they soon would start getting their dues.
Efforts to get a comment from ZBC spokesperson Gladman Bandama were fruitless as his mobile number was not reachable.
