Funds are said to have been diverted from the ZTAs celebrity hosting perception management programme, and the films production has involved a Nigeria-registered firm, Oketex Investments, whose director, George Amarachi Okeke, has caused controversy with his claims of holding exclusive rights to monitor, approve and sell certain films. The Zimbabwe I Know was launched a fortnight ago, but without Kaseke, who was said to be in South Africa on official leave.
The film has already been distributed to designated agents and distributors across the country and is already on sale. An official from the Board of Censors of Zimbabwe claimed the film was shot illegally without the Boards approval, despite the requirement for ZTA and Oketex Investments to follow procedures set out in the Censorship Board of Zimbabwe Act.
The Board had requested the script to no avail, said the official. Instead, Oketex and ZTA went underground and have since illegally continued with their production without our involvement.
Investigations by The Zimbabwean reveal that the authorities in Nigeria have vehemently denied Oketexs claims of being an official representative of the Actors Guild of Nigeria. Their documents are said to be fake. Kaseke dismissed the allegations as absurd and nothing to do with Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwe I Know is my project and I cant be told whom to engage and not. We are definitely going ahead with our future plans, he said.
Post published in: Theatre