Online gambling is increasing throughout Zimbabwe. Young people, in particular, have been flocking online casinos to bet on sports, slots or poker in the hopes of winning lots more. But guess what? Scam casinos are also on the rise.

If you play casino games frequently, safeguard yourself by using licensed, reputable online casinos. Below are ten of the best ways to find such casinos.

#1: Read Casino Reviews

Reading recommendations made a professional casino review expert is arguably the easiest way to find an excellent casino. You don’t need to waste hours analyzing multiple gambling sites. You don’t even need to know how to find a legitimate casino.

If you read reviews from a respected online casino expert, you’ll be able to find a safe gambling site you could use stress-free. Lucky for Zimbabweans, there are lots of websites that review safe casinos that accept Zimbabwean players.

The best sites not only suggest the best casinos to play but also guide you on how to select and play games. www.scams.info also tells you which top real money online casinos give you welcome bonuses and how much you receive. More importantly, the site features comprehensive reviews for each casino to help you better understand the different casinos.

#2: Casinos with Trusted Licenses

Although not every licensed casino is worth your time, you don’t want to risk your money at an unregistered gambling site. If it’s unlicensed, there’s nothing that protects you should the management close down with your payment.

Licensed casinos are regulated by authoritative bodies that hold them accountable for any wrongdoings. The UK Gambling Commission, for example, fined a casino £800,000 last year for allowing a player to wager thousands of stolen money.

The Malta Gaming Authority, on the other end, updates its rules regularly to ensure all casinos operating with its license are safe. It last updated its policy in May 2018 and cancelled eight licenses of casinos the regulator believed were incapable of operating online casino professionally.

#3: Secure Sites and Apps

It sounds like common sense, but we can’t emphasize the need to play on a secure gambling site enough. The first line of security comes in setting a password to safeguard your account. If the casino provides two-factor authentication, the robust the security.

Besides passwords, the casino must have SSL encryption to protect your data as it travels from your computer to the casino’s site. Without encryption, your personal information is broadcast to the Internet publicly, meaning anyone can view it.

These days, a public audit proving the casino provides fair games is also necessary. Of course, the best casinos have been audited and have certificates to prove their games are fair. Look for these casinos as they tend to be better overall than regular platforms.

#4: Games from Top Tier Software Providers

So, you want to cherish the thrills of slot machines? Pick a slot developed by a respected software provider. Netent, Microgaming, Play’n GO, and BetSoft lead the industry when it comes to supplying high-quality games.

These developers also choose casinos they work with carefully. Not only do they require licenses from casino operators, but they also vet operators to ensure they have the ethics and integrity needed to run gambling sites.

If you are like many people, you also want to play games from top-rated software developers. Whether you love blackjack or poker, Keno or slots, respected developers tend to produce the best games in every category.

#5: Safe Payment Methods

Payment is a sensitive topic to many casino players and operators. So many gamblers lose their money while attempting to use banking options they are unfamiliar with. On the other end, some casinos are so strict with payment policies that they inconvenience players.

So, before you choose a gambling site, find out what deposit and withdrawal options it provides. PayPal is an excellent option for thousands of people in Zimbabwe. But if you prefer to use Skrill, choose a Skrill casino.

You can also use Visa, MasterCard, and Bitcoin on many online casinos. However, compare the payment methods based on their processing speeds and fees before you opt to use any of them. Some casinos also waive fees or give you bonuses when you use specific banking options.

#6: Join Reputable Casinos

Casinos earn their reputations by providing delivering quality games, paying out to winners fast and providing professional customer support. Sometimes casinos lose their reputation while others work on their bad reputation over time.

As such, find a casino with a good reputation presently. Read review sites and forums to find out what people say about different gambling sites. Does a casino you know delay payments? Avoid it. Does a brand name platform ignore customer queries? Don’t join it.

Instead, find a casino multiple people like because it offers excellent services in all departments. That way, you’ll be guaranteed of quick payments, a communicative support department, and a safe gaming website or app.

#7: Read Terms and Conditions

When asked to read terms and conditions online, most of us scroll down and tick the ‘I Agree’ icon. It saves time. But here’s the bigger problem. Online casinos tend to hide clauses they could later use to deny you vast sums of money when you win.

For example, a site could set a rule whereby you can’t win and withdraw more than ten times your first deposit to the casino. So, if you deposit $10 and use the money to win $500, you’ll be limited to withdrawing $100.

Bonus terms are particularly damning. It’s free money from casinos, but it comes with conditions that could force you to spend so much more money at the platform. As such, read these terms or use casino review sites to get recommendations.

To Conclude

Zimbabweans who want to profit of online casinos need to choose gambling sites wisely. Some casinos are outright scams while others use smart terms to steal from players. Use the tips shared above to find safe sites that provide quality casino services overall.

MOTIVATION: Ashley Thaba

Most of us can genuinely say we love our children and would do anything for them. Sadly, in an effort to please and demonstrate our love, we actually end up inadvertently hurting them, particularly around this time of year.

Let me quote 1 Timothy 6:6-11. Then, let’s dissect it for lessons we can learn around Christmas time.

“Godliness with contentment is great gain. We brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of it. If we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.”

Around this time of year, the discussions with my children begin to change and focus immensely on material things. “Mom, so and so is getting this. I want this for Christmas. Why can’t I have…?

Mom, I’ll be so happy if I get…” These types of conversations leave me in concern and prayer. I want my children to understand the value of being content with what they have, but simultaneously, I don’t want to deny them gifts and make them feel unloved in a commercial world that feeds them the lie everyday that Christmas is a time to spend enormous amounts of money, buying people you love gifts. How can I protect them from focusing so much on loving things that will be plunged into “ruin and destruction?” I believe this verse holds incalculable wisdom, because I have observed both personally and through the lives of public figures what can happen to people who set their sights on material gain in an effort to gain happiness. I can testify that for the love of money many, indeed, do foolish and harmful things.

I have observed even in myself how much I have sought certain things of specific monetary value. I have dreamed and obsessed over acquiring some “thing” only to be left dissatisfied when the wait is over and the present is opened. Within a few weeks, I am bored of the “thing” and set my sights on something new, only to end up with closets full of stuff that offered a moment of joy and ultimately end up in a landfill to pollute our earth.

On the flip side, there are a few special gifts that stand out over the years that really meant a lot and still remain meaningful to this day.

What I am trying to say is, I don’t believe it is the presence or absence of gifts/money that makes us happy or unhappy. There is nothing wrong with getting/giving gifts at Christmas.

However, I think we should realise the truth of this verse that the best gift we can give our children is the lesson of contentment. Real gain is found when no matter what you have, you are at peace and filled with joy.

Success in life is gained when we don’t believe the lie that some “thing” will make us happy. We need to ask God for wisdom to teach our children to not love “stuff”, but rather to love Jesus and to be cheerful even if they don’t get presents.

I remember one Christmas growing up very vividly. My parents, affluent people who had always generously lavished us with presents, decided we were too spoiled and needed a life lesson. They informed us that year we would not be getting presents. Instead, we would go shopping as a family and each buy presents that we would want, but to give away to a less privileged child.

Our initial reaction was naturally one of grumbling. Entitled little people that we were, we argued it wasn’t fair! We needed presents! They didn’t budge and we finally gave up. After a couple of hours of family fun time, cruising the aisles of many stores purchasing presents to donate, we put all the gifts in a huge bag. We then drove to a section of town that was notably poorer than our own. We prayed and asked God to lead us to the right house.

We drove around until somehow one just seemed to “pop”. My dad got out of the car, while we all watched from the window, put the big bag on the doorstep and rang the bell. He ran back to the car as we gleefully shouted “hurry dad!” We didn’t want to be caught! The goal was to give without being thanked.

Off we sped and to this day, I have no idea who opened that door and what they thought. Oh, and after we found joy in giving and contentment in the knowledge we wouldn’t get presents, my parents did actually give us gifts. The memory remains, the lesson was learned and I have no idea what gifts we got that year for Christmas. It paled in comparison to the joy of working as a family to give to someone less fortunate.

In the hustle of the holiday season, let’s not forget the last part of this verse, challenging us to actively pursue righteousness, love, faith, gentleness, among other things.

Don’t just give your child a gift they can hold in their hands this year. Give them a gift they can hold in their hearts. Intentionally be aware that the best gift you can give them is contentment regardless of whether they obtain more stuff or not. Godliness with contentment is great gain.

Ashley Thaba is a popular life-coach, team-building facilitator and motivational speaker. She is also the author of Conquering the Giants and Dive In. You can view some of her works on her YouTube channel: Ashley Thaba.

BY NIZBERT MOYO

BULAWAYO police say they will deploy more officers to patrol the streets to ensure a crime-free holiday.

Spokesperson Chief Inspector, Precious Simango told Southern Eye yesterday that they would create a conducive and crime-free environment this festive season.

“We have enhanced deployments of more police officers in the CBD as well as in all suburbs around Bulawayo province. We are also advising parents to monitor their children since some of them may end up engaging in risky sexual behaviour due to influence from friends, wrong associations and peer pressure which will ultimately destroy their future prematurely,” she said.

“Activities such as wild parties and vuzu parties are common during holidays. We as police are urging all youths to observe and uphold ubuntu and desist from engaging in errant and wayward behaviour that expose them to serious diseases like sexually transmitted infections and HIV.”
She urged parents to impose curfews on their children.

Simango advised businesspersons to strictly adhere to their operating licences’ requirements, urging those that deal in liquor to stick to the stipulated times and not to sell alcohol to under-age persons.

She advised residents to avoid keeping large sums of cash at home, adding that robbers could pounce on unsuspecting individuals.

“However, in the event of an attack by criminals we urge members of the public not to fight back or resist as this may lead to serious injuries, in some instances death. We, therefore, advise the public to inform the police promptly after the robbers have left,” she said.

Simango said anti-corruption teams will also be checking on illicit activities around the city.

BY PHYLLIS MBANJE

Health deputy minister John Mangwiro has been elected chairperson of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Africa Region, taking over from Naby Balde of Guinea.

Mangwiro is a consultant specialist physician and diabetes specialist and former president of the Zimbabwe Diabetic Association (ZDA).

He will largely be involved in giving direction and policy to the African Region chapter.

“The IDF is run by a board of chairpersons one from each region — Africa, Asia, Australia, America and Europe. We make up the board that then sits up on the running of IDF. Each region is represented by a chairman and I represent Africa,” Mangwiro said.

Diabetes is still a health burden in Africa, with 19 million adults aged between 20 and 79 living with the condition in 2019.

This figure is expected to increase to 47 million by 2045.

Of concern also was that 45 million adults in the region have Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT), which places them at high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

This figure is expected to reach 110 million by 2045.

The region has the highest percentage of undiagnosed people of all regions — 60% of adults living with diabetes that do not know they have it and one in nine live births are affected by hyperglycaemia in pregnancy.

In monetary terms, US$9,5 billion was spent on healthcare for people with diabetes in 2019.

But despite these overwhelming statistics, it was noted at a recent IDF African region meeting that associations were weak and needed strengthening, particularly sub-Sahara Africa, which lacks knowledge on diabetes.

“We discussed that our associations are weak, they need to be strengthened. We also highlighted that sub-Sahara Africa lacks the knowledge about diabetes, so we are going to work strongly on awareness,” the deputy minister said.

Mangwiro also highlighted that awareness was a problem in Africa as a whole and as part of his pledge, he said he would make use of other diabetic associations’ leaders in other countries to stress on awareness.

As a former ZDA president, Mangwiro opened a Diabetic Clinic at Sally Mugabe Hospital (formerly Harare Central Hospital), which has an ophthalmic unit.

Patients used to get an appointment after three months at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals to get their eyes checked. This long waiting period often resulted in blindness.

ZDA made sure that the Sally Mugabe Hospital had a working diabetic clinic with nurses in the ophthalmologist
units.

“We have also managed to have one running diabetic clinic at Mpilo Central Hospital being run very well by physicians, general practitioners and nurses. All these hospitals have managed to get their nurses trained,” he said.

BY MOSES MATENGA

ZANU PF created the notorious machete-wielding artisanal miners who have wreaked havoc across the country by liberalising the mining sector, a ruling party MP has said.
Last week, President Emmerson Mnangagwa publicly tasked Chegutu West MP Dexter Nduna (Zanu PF), to end the chaos in the artisanal mining sector, raising speculation that the parliamentarian was responsible for the machete wars that have unsettled the country.

Norton legislator Temba Mliswa (Independent) claimed Nduna was exposed and denounced by Mnangagwa at a function in Norton on Friday, where he was “implicated” in the machete problem.
But speaking to NewsDay yesterday, Nduna, however, said he had lobbied in Parliament for the artisanal miners to operate freely and take their gold to Fidelity Printers and Refiners without being criminalised, but admitted that there were some criminal elements using machetes in the process.

He said that there was an unsigned truce between government and artisanal miners for them to mine wherever they want as long as they take their gold to Fidelity.
As a result, Nduna said, the artisanal miners were operating
freely even in claims they do not own and admitted this could have led some of them to engage in criminal activities.

The action by government has led to groups, one of them calling themselves “MaShurugwi”, going around mines across the country and mining, not before killing and harassing other people.
“The whole of the 8th Parliament I fought for the rights of the artisanal miners and government responded, in particular His Excellency, when he was leader of government business when he was Minister of Justice; he responded by making sure that the small-scale miners and artisanal miners were allowed to sell their gold to Fidelity. No questions were asked because the issue was that a lot of gold was being leaked and there were illicit outflows,” Nduna said.

“Artisanal miners who handled lots of gold were criminalised when they went to sell their gold to Fidelity. Because of the intervention of His Excellency and the debate that I proposed in Parliament vociferously, the artisanal miners were allowed to sell to Fidelity, no questions asked. As long as they had an identity document, they would go to Fidelity to sell their gold, get their money and off they go. So having said that at the time, we had 500 000 artisanal miners and now there are more than two million artisanal miners because in a way they were allowed to work on claims which were held for speculative purposes.

“Where there was no one working, they were allowed to have a moratorium. At the time, we thought the Mines and Minerals Act would be in place, but it has not come to Parliament, but there is an undeclared truce between government and artisanal miners to work on whichever claim and to bring gold to Fidelity, which is what is happening. In so doing, now we have people, criminals, who attack each other there and the person who these people listen to and has been championing issues to do with artisanal miners is
myself.”

The Chegutu West MP said he was in 2018 introduced at a campaign rally by Mnangagwa as “mukorokoza mukuru” because he was lobbying for them to be recognised.

“He easily would have called upon the Zimbabwe Miners Federation to actually intervene and make sure that the artisanal miners or vanhu vemabhemba (machete gangs) do not cause mayhem, but he directed his instruction to me because he knows that if I go on radio, into Parliament and physically go on the ground to address artisanal miners to say take your gold to Fidelity, they will respond. First and foremost, get identity documents, that is the second issue, because a lot of them do not have IDs. So it is easy for them to engage in criminal activities because they know they can never be accounted for,” Nduna said.

He said last year, the largest gold deliveries to Fidelity came from artisanal miners and small-scale miners.

“If you look at where these artisanal miners and small scale-miners mined and where their mines are, there is nothing, it’s just the name. They don’t have mines, no claims and I applaud His Excellency for recognising these people and saying they should bring their gold to Fidelity and no questions are asked,” he said.

The Chegutu West legislator added that law enforcement agents had previously made life difficult for the small-scale and artisanal miners and those found in possession of gold would get a custodial sentence.

BY TATIRA ZWINOIRA

LOCAL ride sharing service, TODA Zimbabwe has launched “Fuel Finder”, a mobile application to provide motorists with fuel stations that are stocked amid nationwide shortages.

“The Fuel Finder application which we are launching today, seeks to eliminate most other challenges faced by motorists, especially during the season of fuel shortages and erratic fuel supplies,” TODA Zimbabwe general manager, Nyasha Shereni told reporters at the official launch of the application in Harare last Friday.

In order to access Fuel Finder, a motorist must first download the application titled Fuel Finder-Zimbabwe from TODA on either the Google Play or Apple Store.

Once the application has been downloaded, motorists will be prompted to register on the platform.

After registration, the application will take the user to a map of Harare where the person’s location is pinpointed and at the bottom of the screen there will be the four tabs Home, Fuel, Summary and Alerts.

Users must then select the fuel tab which takes them to another screen to choose from either diesel, petrol, gas or paraffin. Upon choosing what they are searching for, a user will be taken to another page to pay ZWL$5 through EcoCash or through an inbuilt wallet to search for which fuel station has gas or the liquid that was chosen.

The application will search and provide users a series of fuel stations on the map where users can find the gas or liquid they chose, giving preference to the ones closest to the user.

The user must next select the option they want after which it provides an estimated time to get to the fuel station, the number of vehicles that are already there, directions on how to get to the location and the prices of what they have chosen.

However, at this juncture, users must be quick to act on the search because after some time, the results disappear from the screen.

According to TODA Zimbabwe, they partnered about 100 fuel operators in Harare where the application is currently limited to who will regularly update the Fuel Finder in real time and receive a commission.

“So, for every search that goes through, they (fuel operators) get something out of it. So, we have these fuel stations that sign up to the application and do real time updates on the application. So far, we have about 100 fuel stations in Harare that are signed up to the platform and several are signing up. We hope in the next coming weeks we will have all the fuel stations in Harare signed up,” Shereni said.

He said most of the major fuel stations had signed up and these include Total, Puma and Zuva.

BY EVERSON MUSHAVA

ZIMBABWE’s current mealie meal shortages have been blamed on the Industry and Commerce ministry which failed to register over 60 millers for maize subsidy, with millers withholding their stocks to avoid losses.

Government scrapped maize subsidies at the start of the month, but reintroduced them after a public outcry over high prices.

Government, however, introduced a new condition that millers should be registered with the Industry ministry to qualify for the subsidy programme, in a statement released on December 13 by the Finance ministry.

But some millers have complained that the registration process was very slow and about 60 millers have not been registered for the
subsidy programme.

The millers are now withholding their stocks for fear that they may not be registered at all.

“The 60 millers are holding on to their maize stocks and cannot risk producing roller meal without being registered,” a miller who requested anonymity said.

“The few who have been registered are struggling to supply the market and this has caused serious shortages of the product on the market. Only highly priced refined mealie-meal being sold at around $115 per 10kg is found in the shops.”

The gazetted price of the roller meal is $50, which is seen as affordable for the public.

NewsDay observed yesterday that many retail shops did not have roller meal.

The registered millers include National Foods Limited (NFL) and Blue Ribbon Foods, which were allocated

28 000 tonnes and 10 000 respectively, out of the 40 000 which government has availed to millers.

Millers who spoke to NewsDay said they were being sent from one office to another without getting any assistance.

Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) spokesperson Garikai Chaunza confirmed receiving reports of delayed registration process from millers.

“We are receiving calls from our members asking if the association could assist them and it is our hope that the authorities would speed up the process, so that millers who are holding on to their maize grain start milling and supply the market given that we are in the festive season, where mealie-meal is one of the products on demand,” he said.

“We have the capacity to supply the nation throughout the festive season and what we are waiting for is that government registers us.

“Millers are now required to register with the Industry ministry and after that, approach the Finance ministry, which will give them the subsidy money before they go to GMB for maize collection. The process is cumbersome and millers are complaining that there is no transparency in the process.”

GMAZ used to facilitate the process for its members.

Last week, GMAZ Southern region members raised concern over what they described as a show of “unfair and anti-competitive behaviour,” shown by NFL, which allegedly met government privately and secured over half of the total subsidised monthly maize allocation of 40 000 metric tonnes outside the association.

However, according to the December 13 statement by the Finance ministry, not only GMAZ members qualified for the subsidy programme.

Industry minister Sekai Nzenza yesterday said the matter would be addressed.

“I am surprised that the process is taking long as the team is working hard to register millers. However, we need to resolve this matter quickly and there should be no shortages at all. Please do send the questions to my PA, Victoria Sigauke, and we will investigate,” she said.

BY TATIRA ZWINOIRA

FAST food company, Simbisa Brands Limited (SBL) says importation of more efficient machinery has seen the firm reduce its diesel usage by 15% to about 110 000 litres monthly.
In August, Simbisa reported that it was spending $780 000 on diesel monthly to run generators at its Chicken Inn, Pizza Inn, Baker’s Inn, Creamy Inn, Fish Inn, Rocomamas, Steers, Nando’s and Galito’s outlets amid crippling nationwide power cuts.

“Diesel is still a big cost which was not there in the prior year. But, I am glad to say that there have been some improvements in that we have imported more efficient generators from South Africa and China which has helped in the reduction,” SBL managing director Warren Meares told NewsDay in a phone interview.

“We have even tried to import more efficient gas equipment to reduce the reliance on diesel. So, I would not say its huge, but we have managed to reduce our need for diesel by 15% (from our previous) usage. You are talking about 15% of about 120 000 or 130 000 litres, so we are still using around 110 000 litres just on generators alone.”

He said diesel costs forced them to reduce the planned 33 new outlets to just under 20 this year. During power cuts, Simbisa has sometimes employed food trucks that run on generators or used gas to continue serving customers during the daily power cuts.

As a result, SBL reduced working hours to only peak times to cut down on diesel.

According to the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce 2019 Survey Report on Energy Challenges in Zimbabwe earlier this month, about 88% of surveyed firms indicated that the use of generators instead of electricity had seen profits plummeting.

The firms complained that the use of generators for powering business activities was not the best option for Zimbabwe given the rising fuel prices. Diesel currently costs $17.90 per litre. The survey stated that 65% of the firms surveyed reported having electricity for only up to six hours, while 20% reported having between seven and 12 hours per day. These are among the reasons why Simbisa registered as a “tourist facility” under the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority to allow it to start offering United States dollar pricing to reduce pressure on turnover.

“We are getting a bit of forex which is about 15% and 20% of our turnover, but it is still 85% RTGS and swipe. You are talking about $100 million in bond and just under US$1 million per month so it’s tough trying to balance which is why we still need to go to the interbank,” Meares said.

“This is why we have slowed down; we are not opening as many outlets like we used too. We have had to slow down on our expansion.” Currently, Zimbabwe’s main power generation source, the Kariba Dam, has very low water levels due to recurrent droughts which have affected the nation’s power generation capacity. Also, Energy minister Fortune Chasi warned that recent power generation struggles in South Africa could also affect imports from that country that averages 400 megawatts.

BY TAFADZWA KACHIKO

EACH year comes with its own ups and downs. Such characterised the film and theatre sectors which, despite the challenges, thrived in 2019.

The death of artistes who played pivotal roles in the two sectors and unrelenting economic crisis characterised the down part.

Emerging new players and the premiering of new productions locally and internationally marked the up side of the year whose curtain is about to come down in a few days.

Deaths robs creative talents

The film and theatre sectors were left poorer following the untimely passing on of national hero and music superstar Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi in January, novelist Charles Mungoshi in February playwright Stephen Chifunyise in August and Bibiana Mapuranga who played Mai Abhibho in the TV series Mawoko Matema.

Tuku’s role in film is evidently seen in a 1993 production Neria, in which he played Jethro and did the film’s soundtrack Neria, which has remained one of the most celebrated Zimbabwean songs.

Chifunyise played a critical role in the formation of the Zimbabwe Association of Community Theatres, marking the introduction of theatre for development in Zimbabwe.

Mungoshi also took part in some of the local Zimbabwean drama series in the late 1990s and played a role in a local drama Ndabvezera, which was produced by Aaron Chiundura Moyo.

ZIFF fails to take off

The collapsing economy saw one of the platforms for locals to showcase their films, the Zimbabwe International Film Festival (ZIFF) failing to open the 21st fiesta affecting the premiere of Maroro, a film by South Africa-based producer Brian Kugara of Guruuswa Productions.

Despite the annual ZIFF having failed to take off this year, the other festivals held this year included the inaugural International Theatre Festival, another new festival Mashonaland Central Short Film Festival, Mitambo International Theatre Festival, International Images Film Festival and the European Union Film Festival.

As the year progressed, filmmakers were also robbed of the opportunity to showcase their films in Ster Kinekor cinemas after the organisation pegged its fees in United States dollars or an amount equivalent to the local currency.

“US$535 is so much money. We are a struggling industry. If I get charged that amount to premiere my film how much then will I charge for entry to profit? As a result we have opted for cheaper venues. If you, however, have links they charge you differently from the rest,” said one filmmaker who spoke on conditions of anonymity.

The inflated fees have seen the filmmakers opting for cheaper venues such as Theatre in the Park, Jasen Mphepo Little Theatre and the State Lottery House.

New productions premiered

Despite setbacks, film and theatre did not sink into oblivion. Over 20 theatre productions and 10 films premiered this year.

Theatre productions include Song of the Sacred Mountain, Nzara, Harsh Realities, Bongile We Are, Last of the Suns, There Is a Field, Away from Home, Parliament of Animals, Inside Out, A Discussion with the Late Robert Mugabe and Idai: Till Death Do Us Apart. Song of the Sacred Mountain by Polish-American artist Klara Wojtkowska that premiered at the Alliance Francaise revived ceremony theatre.

Of the nine films that premiered, four are features and the other are television series. The features are Weekend Special, Lord of Kush, Boundaries Within, Chapungu, and 5th Anniversary, while the TV series are Chipo, Shungu DzeMoyo, African American, Simbimbino and Marbles
It’s quite sad that none of the television series made its way to the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation’s television station ZTV, DStv’s Zambezi Magic or any other channels.

The Extra-terrestrial by Tatenda Katsande, scheduled to debut at Bulawayo City Hall on September 21, could not see the light of the day as a result of what the producer termed “sabotage due to tribalism”.

The aforementioned productions did well in reflecting the political and socioeconomic environment prevailing in the country with plays playing that role to a greater extent. What is, however, not pleasing is that some productions did not go on tour to be watched by a large population.

This was probably due to financial constraints since many donors withdrew their support from local productions.

Off artists arrests

While this year seemed to be a year in which artists could freely express themselves, freedom of expression was compromised when four players in the industries producer and director Tendai Maduwa co-writer Kudakwashe Bwititi and Theatre in the Park managers Daves Guzha and Peter Churu were arrested for allegedly contravening provisions of the Censorship and Entertainment Control Act after premiering, Lord of Kush at Theatre in the Park without the greenlight from the Censorship Board. The four since July have not received their verdict.

“Lack of freedom of expression” leaves Mirazvo Productions co-producer Nick Zemura arguing that film is one of the fraternity that is not yet open for business.

“We are still working, but against the odds. Film is one sector in which Zimbabwe is not yet open for business. Artistes do not even need to be given anything before you give them the freedom to express themselves,” he said.

“It took me two days to get permits to start a production in New York, but in Zimbabwe, you need clearance from 11 entities if you really want to work without getting arrested. Such should be addressed for the industry to grow.”

The year 2019 was not all that gloomy, in addition to releasing of productions there are activities that took place that kept film and theatre moving such as the opening of Jasen Mphepo Little Theatre, where a number of plays premiered.

The opening of the Jasen Mphepo Little Theatre came along with the premiere of Inside Out, an emotional play centred on the January 2019 protests, which were characterised by looting of shops and killing of civilians following President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s decision to hike fuel prices by over 150%.

Trading microphones for films and plays

This year has seen some musicians trading their microphones for roles in films and plays. Four music stars, Hope Masike, Gemma Griffiths, Tahle weDzinza, Bryn K and a plethora of exceptional dancers featured in a musical theatre, Bongile We Are that debuted at Reps Theatre in Harare.

The year has also seen Seke Mutema hitmaker Noel Marerwa bouncing back in theatre with Harsh Realities, first staged at St John’s Cultural Centre in September.

Talented Afro-pop songbird, Thamsanqa “Tammy” Moyo, also broadened her wings by landing a role in Sydney Taivavashe’s feature film Gonarezhou.

Cape Town-based afro-jazz musician Simbarashe Saini’s seven-year-old son, Kevin also landed a role in an American movie, Run With the Wolves.
Nigerian actor Hakeem Kae-Kazim torches a storm

The choice of renowned Nigerian actor Hakeem Kae-Kazim to play the character of the late President Robert Mugabe in the movie, The Hero, torched a storm among local filmmakers and among social media users during the course of the year.

The discussion triggered by the film produced by United States-based producer, Ofime Rodgers exposed the local industry’s unpreparedness to tell Zimbabwean stories. Despite that locals were featured in the film it also uncovered foreign producers’ lack of faith in local talent. There is, therefore, need to boost confidence in the film industry.

Zim films screened at international festivals

Quite a number of films were this year screened on the international platforms compared to the previous year. Melgin Tafirenyika’s Are We Strangers and 5th Anniversary were screened at Afro-Chinese Arts and Folklore Festival in Egypt. Daniel Lasker’s short film The Man played at Hollywood Silver Screen Festival in United States, Igi Matope’s Goodman at the Montgomery International Film Festival in Unites States and Brian Kugara’s Cry for Help was screened at uMgungundlovu Film Festival in South Africa.

Four films made it to Zambia’s Sotambe Documentary Film and Arts Festival in September. These are journalist Hopewell Ching’ono’s State of Mind and Binga teacher Kalulu Mumpande’s Mwenzule Uupya. Tafirenyika’s 5th Anniversary and Kugara’s Forgiveness.

Mirazvo Productions and Rain Media’s Kushata KweMoyo did not only showcase at the annual Lake International PanAfrican Film Festival (LIPFF) in Kenya, but got a triple award nomination – Best Actress, Best Feature Film and Best Editor, which the producer Shem Zemura described as a greatest achievement.

Kudos to Zimbabwe International Film Festival Trust

The Zimbabwe International Film Festival Trust should be commended for kick starting the Narrative from Zimbabwe project aimed at archiving the country’s culture and heritage on a website for use by artistes in preaching the Zimbabwean story and for the benefit of everyone else.

Off artistes triumphs

United Kingdom-based actor and singer John Pfumojena landed a role in the National Theatre-produced Peter Pan play adapted from an iconic Peter Pan. Playwright Thandiwe Mawungwa was selected to represent the country at the Ojai Playwrights Conference (OPC) held in California, US.

Another notable 2019 development is the grooming of actors by renowned filmmaker Manuel Matsinye who after launching Marbles in May and introduced acting classes at Life Long College in Harare.

The classes benefited both theatre and film and have seen the grooming of — comedienne Tyra “Madam Boss” Chikocho, Monile Murape, Shahmaine Mukutirwa, Hazel Chingwaru, Anesu Matibvu, Mathias Kureva, Munashe Tapfumanei Chitsiga, Joseph Marikano, Wellington Billiat, Mitchelle Sanyanga, Arthur Kupakuwana, Mapfumo Katsaya, Lorraine Mushati, Catherine Vingirai, Lovemore Medzani and Gloria Zengeya.

All the actors have featured in various films and plays such as Marbles Season Two, Estate Blues, Inside Out, Away from Home, Toxic, Harvest of Thorns, Born Again, Pero, Nzara, The Divorce and Chapungu.

Although 2019 had been tough because of the difficult economy, players in theatre and film did not hang boots. In the face of criticism, emerging filmmakers soldiered on. The likes of Nechironga renewed their energy when his production with Down Rains Entertainment, Shungu Dzemoyo was alleged to be a half-baked production.
There were other productions that did not adhere to basic rules governing filmmaking, but this and did not demoralise emerging thespians. Instead criticism gave them an opportunity to learn and aim higher.

What is in stock for 2020
There are many productions that are likely to premiere next year, hopefully they will attract a wide audience.

These include Mirazvo Productions and Rain Media’s Thicker and Kudzamara Rufu, Joe Njagu’s Mirage, Matsinye’s Enigma, Munashe Chitsiga’s Let’s Plot a Wedding, an animation Patriotic Force and Kugara’s Murindagomo and The Legend of the Magical Pot.

The artists’ struggle against odds is proof of their commitment to save the industries from collapsing, reviving and growing it. It’s an appeal to the corporate world and government to support the sectors as this in turn would benefit the nation’s economy. It’s high time trust was bestowed on the sectors as full support consequently means the booming of the economy.

The arts sector and arts industry at large need to be supported financially and technically. Hopefully 2020 will be a great year for the industry players.

BY TATIRA ZWINOIRA

Energy and Power Development deputy minister Magna Mudyiwa has blamed the Finance ministry for the fuel shortages in the country.

The previous Energy minister, Joram Gumbo, also earlier this year blamed Treasury and the central bank for the fuel shortages.

“We do have enough fuel at our depots in Mabvuku and Msasa, but it is bonded. This means that we need to pay before we can withdraw that fuel. We are discussing with the RBZ [Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe] who issue letters of credit to fuel traders so that they access the fuel,” Mudyiwa said in response to parliamentarians who demanded an explanation over fuel shortages during a Parliament sitting last week.

“I can assure the nation that we do have enough fuel at our depots, save for the lines of credit. If the process is expedited, then the fuel can be available. We are doing everything within our means to make sure that we have enough fuel for our motorists during the holiday.

“I think the arrangement of payment between the RBZ and the traders is the responsibility of the Ministry of Finance. Our mandate as a ministry is to ensure that we have got enough fuel at our depot. The details about the issues of payment can be referred to the Ministry of Finance”.

According to official statistics, Zimbabwe has around 1,4 million vehicles, which require on average three and two million litres of diesel and petrol, daily.

However, due to the country struggling to generate foreign currency to pay, most operators struggle to access the fuel.

This is happening even though government earlier this year liberalised the fuel market by allowing oil operators to source their own foreign currency to make direct imports, instead of relying on RBZ allocations.

According to the RBZ’s September 2019 monthly economic review, the country spent US$97,2 million on fuel imports, up 16,4% from the previous month’s US$83,5 million.

“We were informed that government liberalised the fuel market. What then they simply did through the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority was to benchmark the prices and there is a margin of profit. One garage can differ from the other by a few cents, but the fuel market is liberalised,” Mutare South legislator Nyasha Chikwinya said.

“Fuel suppliers were told to go and procure their foreign currency on the market at the interbank exchange rate. Where is the issue of letters of credit coming from because what it takes us to is that now, the RBZ is responsible for issuing out foreign currency when government policy says they are supposed to procure on the interbank market rate. I need the minister to respond to us on the issues of letters of credit.”

Mudyiwa responded saying her ministry’s job was only to make sure there was enough fuel in the market.

“Go to our depots, there is enough fuel which is bonded, but the details of payment is the responsibility of the Ministry of Finance,” she said.