RENOWNED performance artiste, Albert Nyathi (pictured) yesterday said his decision to feature in a Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) bond notes television commercial was apolitical, as the central bank was a national institution.
BY PHILLIP CHIDAVAENZI
A writer known as Jera posted a screen grab of the television advert on Facebook, with the caption that took a dig at Nyathi.
“I don’t take it well, when I see people I look up to suddenly working with Zanu PF. Poet, Albert Nyathi, plays sangoma in RBZ bond notes advert,” he wrote after posting the pictures.
Nyathi yesterday told NewsDay that Jera was, however, forced to pull off the post a few hours later after his sentiments found no takers.
Responding to the issue on a writers’ WhatsApp group, Nyathi said he was not a political party functionary, adding that he only appeared in the advert because it was an RBZ commercial.
“I have never performed for any political party, not that they don’t approach me. They invariably do so, most of them. I think the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe is not a political party, and for that reason, I saw nothing wrong in doing the advert,” he said.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Nyathi said he had also been affected by the long queues at the banks characterising the cash crisis that has besieged the country in the last few months.
“I, too, like everyone else, have been to the bank a thousand times not getting my money, spending hours and going home empty-handed,” he said.
Several people following the Facebook debate argued that there was nothing wrong with Nyathi, as he was just an artiste doing his job to put food on the table.
Participants on the writers’ WhatsApp group felt that as an artiste, Nyathi had a responsibility to debunk the “single story” myths and it was naive to try and force him to pander to their political whims.
Nyathi said he was pained to see the elderly spending days on end waiting at banks yet failing to access their cash.
“It’s been paining me to see old women and men in long queues almost for the entire day, only to go home empty-handed, having started the day in the early hours.”
The central bank has been on a media campaign to sell the bond notes to a sceptic public.
