Theatre Company takes the police to court
By Henry Makiwa
7 November 2007

One of the leading theatre groups has applied for a court order to bar the police from interfering with its work.

Bulawayo-based Theatre Company, Amakhosi has applied to the High Court seeking the courts to prevent the government and the police from constantly meddling into its work.

In a landmark case, Amakhosi director, Cont Mhlanga wants the courts to specifically stop the police from demanding play scripts or editing such scripts. He also argues that the police should be prohibited from stopping theatre works if they have not been informed of the productions.

Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi, Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri and three Bulawayo-based senior police officers are cited as respondents in the application.

The case was filed on October 31 and is yet to be set down for hearing.

Mhlanga said: “The police and the government seem unaware of the expenses we incur in the course of producing our work. They don’t understand that they are repeatedly denting the confidence of our market by continuously banning our work.

“They simply need to give artists some breathing space and that’s what we want to get with our court order. Let them deal with their political paranoia while we do our work.”

Mhlanga’s latest legal battle comes after the police last month cancelled the premiere of the controversial and provocative political satire titled Overthrown. Police banned the play which information minister, Sikhanyiso Ndlovu intended to watch on the day of its premiere. The police argued that the play attacked Robert Mugabe and was meant to embarrass the veteran Zimbabwean leader.