YOUTH, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment minister Patrick Zhuwao, has said government through his ministry will lobby to have music superstar Oliver Mtukudzi’s Pakare Paye Arts Centre get international recognition.
BY NUNURAI JENA
Speaking last week during a youth indaba in Norton, Zhuwao said he felt the arts centre was being underutilised as it could help his ministry by nurturing talented youths who would have dropped out of school.
Zhuwao was responding to a question about what his ministry was doing about the naturally talented youth roaming the streets.
“Yes, I was at Pakare Paye before I came here. I think there is need for my ministry to utilise the centre for the benefit of the youth . . . the government will help the place to be a centre of excellence and get international recognition,” Zhuwao said.
Norton MP Temba Mliswa said government should help by providing a grant to the centre that could be used by the youth in the province and beyond.
“The government can provide a grant to the centre and the youth in and around Norton even beyond can utilise the centre in recordings, performing arts competitions and practising. Government ministries can even start holding conferences there now and that will create employment for some” he said.
Mliswa said as a first step towards publicising the centre, he has this Thursday invited the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Sports and Recreation so that they could see and appreciate what was being done and ought to be done at the centre.
