The campaign has seen the group bypassing marketing and distribution agents for their latest offering, Sabhuku Vharazipi 2, to sell directly to fans countrywide. Roadshows have also been lined up by the group to discourage their fans from buying pirated discs so that all the sales go into the coffers of the trust and help develop more productions.
Sabhuku Vharazipi 2 was first premiered at Ster-Kinekor in Harare and was received with great critical acclaim. To date the production, supported to the tune of $4,000 by Culture Fund, has registered 27,000 hits on YouTube and has over 32,000 likes on Facebook. The drama tells of Sabhuku Vharazipi, a corrupt headman who manipulates the distribution of food and other inputs in his area to get what he wants, including women.
In an interview on the sidelines of the launch of the campaign in the city, Mubaiwa said the campaign would plug revenue leaks caused by unscrupulous people who pirated their productions and sold them on the informal market.
“We will also be selling our original CDs directly to fans at the affordable price of $1 each. The price seems unviable but we have no option but maintain it so that we realise more revenue,” said Mubaiwa.
He also implored the police to strengthen their resolve in tackling piracy in the country, saying it was the only way the country’s arts industry could rise and match international standards.
Post published in: Arts