Comedians and actors must find ways of transmitting messages of their productions in a constructive manner that will unite and empower the people towards the development of the country, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa has said.
She said this after meeting comedians, actors and content
creators for different media platforms at her offices in Harare yesterday.
Minister Mutsvangwa said as a ministry, they were familiar
with the work done by comedians, actors and content creators, adding that she
hopes they shall continue interacting with the Government to strengthen the
bonds of cooperation, always bearing in mind the national development
trajectory and the expected output.
“First, I need to acknowledge that your work and my
ministry’s work are interconnected. What you do is a critical component of my
Ministry’s information ecosystem and value chain. As a Government, we are
interested in content that instils important values about our collective future
and heritage as Zimbabweans,” she said.
“Zimbabwe is bigger than all of us. We come and go but
Zimbabwe lives on! Our independence should live on, our culture should live on,
our civilisations should be passed on to the next generations to come.
“No one and no place should be left behind as we, through
National Development Strategy 1 and 2, build our country brick by brick, stone
upon stone.”
Minister Mutsvangwa said humour has always been a part of
society from time immemorial.
“Comedy and humour lighten the national mood, smoothen the
rough edges and allows us to look with ease on our foibles and shortcomings as
society.”
She added that comedy was therefore a necessary aspect of
the actors’ communication as humans, as it provides the grease that eases
friction and awkwardness of social interaction.
“In so doing, comedy allows us to admonish, warn and advise
about or against any wrong doing in our midst. It also enables us to keep in
check society’s excesses especially on heavy matters that require a lighter
atmosphere to convey.
“And so, our creative industry ought not to be vacuous and
destructive. We need to find ways of inculcating messaging in our productions
that speak to contemporary issues of the day in a constructive manner that
unites our people, while allowing us to provide solutions to our collective
challenges.
“Your work must enable us to build resilience and project a
positive outlook for our citizens even in the face of despair. That said, we
also need to work together to enhance the commercial appeal of your products,
so that our artists are properly remunerated for their efforts, especially in
the mainstream media,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
In the context of NDS1, comedians and content creators are
at the forefront of shaping the future, said Minister Mutsvangwa, adding that
the skits they create do not only inform, educate and entertain, but liven up
the work of entrepreneurs, industry leaders, public officials and policy
makers.
“So my call to you today is to join hands with my ministry
and that we work together to tell the story of our collective vision as we work
together towards the ‘Zimbabwe We Want’. As leaders and communities, we agreed
that we want to harness and mobilise all our people to channel our efforts,
‘Towards a Prosperous and Empowered Upper Middle Income Society by 2030’.
Herald
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