Dear Mr President,
Congratulations on your victory in the just-ended harmonised elections that were held in July.
Your victory in this election has renewed hope in the people of Zimbabwe and I am happy that you have promised to be a ‘listening President’ . Soon you will be naming your Cabinet. A Cabinet that you promised would be vibrant and would contain young blood. A lot hinges on this Cabinet and your ability to select and choose the right ministries will define your rule.
While Arts and Culture remains a junior ministry, I believe that it deserves your attention.
Over the past years, the ministry has been given to people who were only good at officiating events without having a clear understanding of its full potential.
Government has not provided significant funding to promote the arts since independence and yet Zimbabwe could reap major economic and social benefits if it efficiently develops and promotes its creative economy. According to a Yoruba saying: “Wealth that comes from creativity is true wealth”.
The creative sector is a multimillion dollar industry, Mr President, which can also contribute to the Gross Domestic Product if only it is led by the right people. The creative sector has the power to employ hundreds of people and can also contribute to the injection of foreign currency in the country.
Globally, according to a report from Unesco in partnership with Ernst & Young, the creative economy employed nearly 30 million people worldwide and generated $2,25 trillion in revenue — or 3 percent of the world’s GDP—in 2013.
This is substantially more than global telecommunications ($1,57 trillion) and greater than the GDP of India, Russia, or Canada.
In Africa, however, only three countries derive significant contributions from the industry, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa.
A successful creative industry builds the economy at a local level, enhances surrounding non-arts businesses and provides job opportunities and ways for individuals to participate in activities associated with the arts and cultural events.
What the creative sector needs now is a minister who does not promise to end piracy but one who is able to come up with policies that make the sector survive in the midst of piracy, a cancer that has affected almost every artiste.
Mr President, we have the talent that can be converted to millions of dollars if we have a minister that appreciates the value of the industry as a whole.
A group of young, vibrant and people with hands under the name Africa Innovation Trust recently invited several arts stakeholders such as promoters, lawyers, developmental gurus, music critics and the artistes to discuss the type of minister they want.
Just a summary, Mr President they asked for a minister who is able to come up with a command arts programme that would guide improvement of this sector especially noting its relevance and potential to our economy, livelihood, nation-building and social cohesion.
While individually a few artists have broken into the global scene, the only way that the country can benefit from this and boost its economy is if Government takes a wholesome approach in marketing the arts.
South Africa is quite dominant with its colourful beads and you see this in any of their national brochures; the Kenyan masai cloth is equally popular because promoting arts and culture has been done at a national level. This is not the case in Zimbabwe; our artists are frowned upon
There is need for an investment in Arts Education. A wider understanding of the Arts and Culture industry is needed in the nation and investment in education from primary, secondary to tertiary education is needed.
All they want is a minister who fosters the implementation of existing legislation to extinguish hidden vices such as corruption, piracy and abuse of artist rights. Legal instruments exist but are hardly used.
There is a need for consultative planning to come up with innovative and sustainable strategic plans for arts and culture promotion.
One of them Mr President noted how countries like India support the arts sector.
In India, there is increased spending poured into the arts—$410 million—and this is the reason why Bollywood is doing so well.
Mr President, a minister who ensures that there is public investment in arts in all provinces taking a leaf from countries such as Jamaica’s government that sponsored recording studios in all of their provinces and this incubated musical talent.
Mr President it is not the time to give the sector a minister who is interested in officiating arts events but a minister who is hands on in the sector and make it worth!
I know Mr President this letter will remind you that during your campaigns you told us that ‘you will be a listening president’.
Indeed, Zimbabwe is open for business, so is the arts sector.
Yours Sincerely
Tawanda Marwizi
