Police arrest 2 actors and journalist over satirical play

By Tererai Karimakwenda
October 2, 2007

On Saturday plain-clothes police stormed the backstage area at ‘Theatre in the Park’ after a performance of ‘The Final Push,’ a new play by Daniel Maphosa, and arrested actors Sylvanos Mudzvova and Anthony Tongani. James Jemwa, an independent journalist who was filming the play, was also arrested when he questioned the police as to why the actors were being detained. The 3 were taken to a truck and their whereabouts were not known until Monday. Theatre producer Daves Guzha said the actors were held at Harare police headquarters and were then released on Tuesday.

Guzha, who spoke to Mudzvova shortly after his release, said the police initially charged the actors under the Public Order and Security Act. But this was changed to a section of the Censorship Act just before they were released. He said: “They realised POSA wouldn’t hold water.” Ironically, the police asked Mudzvova and Tongani to perform the play while in detention.

‘The Final Push’ is a title derived from a campaign that was conducted by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) back in 2003. The play is a satire that takes its premise from the current talks between the ruling party and the opposition that are being mediated by President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa. The plot sees the 2 leaders invited to a meeting by the mediator, but get stuck in the lift for several hours when the power goes off. This gives the 2 characters a chance to talk about all sorts of things. Guzha said it is obvious the 2 are Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai. He burst into laughter as he described how at one point the Mugabe-like character tells the Tsvangirai counterpart that he is actually ‘not so bad.’

The repression of individual rights has continued in Zimbabwe despite the government’s assurances to the African Union and the Southern African Development Community that the basic rights of its citizens are respected. Just last week at the United Nations, Robert Mugabe told delegates that his government respects the UN Charter on Human Rights, yet two days later the actors and a journalist were in custody being denied access to a lawyer. The situation on the ground always points to the policies and actions of the Mugabe regime as the major problem.

Other plays were banned by the government this year after police used the Public Order and Security Act to shut them down. Writer and director Cont Mhlanga was detained over his play ‘The Good President’ earlier this year. His other play called ‘Pregnant with Emotion’ was also banned. Both productions gave audiences the opportunity to discuss the serious issues that affect their lives, including food shortages, unemployment and the political and economic crisis that have gripped the country. Guzha said the discussions that follow ‘The Final Push’ have been heated but constructive.

The global media monitor Reporters Without Borders on Tuesday accused the Zimbabwean authorities of escalating repression. In a statement, the group said: “This case is a spectacular illustration of the government’s despotic behaviour. Rather than sending police officers to arrests journalists and actors, President Robert Mugabe would do better to listen to what they have to say and take account of their demands.”

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