Artistes welcome power-sharing agreement

Artistes in Bulawayo have joined the rest of the world in welcoming the new political dispensation in the country after the signing of a power-sharing agreement by the country’s main political parties. The Bulawayo Arts Forum said the deal should be a development that would enhance tolerance and diversity of views underpinned by fundamental reforms that respect the right to freedom of expression, including freedom of information, as a fundamental human right that is also central to the protection of other rights. “BAF and indeed the entire arts community in Zimbabwe now hope that the new deal will make life much easier for artistes. Theatre can play a key role in expanding awareness on the agreement between the political parties and inspire positive actions,” said a spokesman for the organisation, Joshua Nyapimpi. He said his organisation was joining other civil society organisations in calling for transitional justice as a critical step towards national healing and restoring democracy and good governance in Zimbabwe. “BAF is particularly concerned with truth telling and institutional reform with a view to promote freedom of expression, and integrity in the media institutions. The media must guarantee independence, non-partisan and impartial discharge of their mandates. Any transitional process or mechanism that does not guarantee freedom of expression is bound to fail from the start,” he said. However, to achieve this, there is need for an enabling environment that also includes free Press and allowing artistes to work without fear or favour and other legislation that undermines some of the values raised by various stakeholders. “In their place, all media policy should be guided by the principles outlined in the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, the Windhoek Declaration and the African Charter on Broadcasting,” he added. Nyapimbi, who is also the director of Nhimbe Trust has been appointed to the civil societies think tank, which seeks to interrogate the power-sharing agreement and reflect on its responsiveness to the current challenges facing the arts industry and the country in general.