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By Gilbert Munetsi
As Zimbabwe joined the rest of the world in taking stock of the ravaging effects of corruption, a community-rooted creative arts organisation put together a festival in the high density suburb of Highfield, Harare.
On the entertainment side, yesterday’s World Anti-Corruption Day commemorations were centred on a timeless satirical theatre production whose theme is an ablution facility – ‘The Toilet’.
Friday, the day was succeeded by the International Human Rights Day running under the theme “Equality: Reducing Inequalities, Advancing Human Rights”.
Edzai Isu Trust, supported by HIVOS and partnered by the Zimbabwe International Film Festival (ZIFF), Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development and ActionAid, have committed to host this festival in commemoration of the day. It is the third in as many years.
A hybrid event of theatre, poetry, film and music punctuates an assortment of activities which will be shown at Gazaland and Machipisa courtesy of the Trust.
The main highlight, however, is the play by veteran playwright, Tafadzwa Muzondo, which is titled “All Systems Out of Order.”
Centred on a looked-down-upon but extremely critical room, people are made to bribe their way in and the underprivileged are supposed to see, hear or speak no evil as the toilet is transformed into a place of immorality where money becomes the root of all evil.
Said Muzondo of the play: “All Systems Out of Order uniquely, satirically and powerfully depicts corruption in its filthy sense, using the public toilet as a symbol for a basic right.
“It takes a lighter look at how society can sink low in terms of corruption and mismanagement of public resources.
“…it depicts the anarchy caused by graft and its effect on the basic rights of the majority, in support of long-lasting solutions to societal ills.”
He added that corruption in Zimbabwe is the major factor hindering the achievement of equality and human dignity for all.
Written by the award-winning Muzondo himself and produced by the Trust, its cast includes Charles Matare, Gibson Sarari, Patrick Tembo and Samantha Ndlovu.
Meanwhile, as the World Human Rights Day will be celebrated tomorrow, this year’s theme resonates with the 2030 United Nations (UN) agenda: ‘Shared Framework On Leaving No One Behind’.
Adopted in 1948 as a declaration of human rights, the UN proclaimed the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to regardless of race, colour, religion, sex and language, political affiliation or opinion. Nhau/Indaba
