Rituals may never be ready for Broadway, but all over Zimbabwe its packing them in. Thousands of Zimbabweans have flocked to open-air performances at bus stops, train stations and shopping centres in the past couple of months. A morality play about free speech, a new Constitution and the right to vote, Rituals has provoked not only cheers but stones and threats. More than once, outbursts of violence have forced the cast to flee half way through.
The actors have been arrested a record four times for allegedly violating Section 33 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act. The play has been stopped by police in Centenary, Mashonaland Central Province, in Bulawayo and in Manicaland.
The artists have taken the fight to the courts. A Bulawayo Magistrate Rose Dube interdicted the police from prohibiting Rooftop Promotions from staging the politically charged satirical performance at the Bulawayo Polytech after rights lawyers filed an ex-parte application. Their latest arrest and detention followed complaints filed by some Zanu (PF) supporters.
As a forthcoming presidential election sees President Robert Mugabe battling for his political life, the arts has become a bastion of dissent. Civil society, the opposition and independent press here have been targets for beatings and arbitrary arrests. The MDC party has tried to use its control of the lower house of Parliament to force amendments of draconian laws – but calls for reforms have been vigorously opposed.
There has also been increasing use of laws banning any criticism of the president. But some musicians, writers and actors are fighting back. We can be persecuted, but we will not stop, says
It takes courage to keep performing. The show was allowed to open in Harare, but only after the Zimbabwe Republic Police questioned the producers. Intimidation is a thing many Zimbabwean artists are used to. Some have credentials that go all the way back to the liberation struggle of the 1970s.
The controversial play was written by award winning playwright Stephen Chifunyise and directed and produced by Daves Guzha. The Artists for Democracy in Zimbabwe Trust (ADZT) denounced the continued arrests and intimidation of artists and civic actors by state security agents on what it called
Post published in: Arts