UMongameli Emmerson Mnangagwa uvule okusemthwethweni ngoLwesithathu umcimbi wezemidlalo yokuzithokozisa, eyeBulawayo Arts Festival esithi kumele kuthuthukise limdlalo ukuhuga abavakatshela ilizwe bevela kwamanye amazwe.
Abahlabeleli abanengi kanye labokulondoloza amasiko koBulawayo bamukele ngenjabulo ukusekelwa nguMnangagwa besithi lokho kubakhuthaza ukuthi baqhubeke besebenza.
UMnangagwa uthe umcimbi lo uveza ukuba ulabantu abalamasiko atshiyeneyo.
“IBulawayo Arts Festival siyincoma kakhulu ngoba ihlanganisa abantu abavela ezabelweni ezehlukeneyo njalo iveza sobala ukuthi singabantu abalamasiko ehlukeneyo. Kusiya phambili ngikhuthaza ukuthi lokhu kungapheleli ekujabuliseni abantu kodwa kuthuthukise amabhizimusi letourism.”
UMongameli uchaze ukuba kusobala ukuthi idolobho lakoBulawayo yilo ingcitshi kwezokulondoloza amasiko lambali yelizwe.
Uthe izizwalwane zeZimbabwe kumele ziphatheke ekusekeleni inhlelo ezifana lalezi. Ungezelele ukuba lokhu okwenziwe ngoLwesithathu akumelanga kube ngokwelanga elilodwa kodwa ugatsha olubona ngezokwethekela ilizwe leziphathamandla zedolobho ukuba ziqhubekele phambili zithuthukisa imisebenzi efana lale.
UMnu. Saimon Mambazo Phiri, okhokhela imicimbi yeBulawayo Arts Festival, uthi kuqakathekile ukuthi abahlabeleli babukise izipho ezibukekayo.
“Abezamasiko, abezokujayiva, abahlabeleli balazo izipho lokubonisa lokhu abakubonise lamuhlanje. Sithi noma ubhubhane lweCOVID-19 lusakhona asincedisanenini ukuthi sivule imisebenzi yalaba abaphila ngama talent. Kwelikade siyakubona ukuthi inqobe silazo ezokubana sisebenze ndawonye loSodolobho, I-city yako Bulawayo labanye bonke abaphathekayo kulokhu. Esithanda ukukufaka sobala yokuthi laba abaphila ngama talent sebe ready ukuba basebenzele imuli zabo.”
Umqondisi weNational Arts Gallery koBulawayo, uMnu. Butholezwe Kgosi Nyathi, uthi abantu beMatabeleland yibo okumele baqale ukuthuthukisa imidlalo eyenziwa ngabahlabeleli bakuleso sabelo ngokubahlawula.
“Thina esisebenza kwezamasiko nxa abantu besethula ezamasiko bewathengisela inzalo yakithi lalabo abavela phandle, nxa sikhangela thina abalapha eZimbabwe yithi okumele si-consumer okokuqala ama cultural products ngoba yithi inzalo yalapha. Yithi esilomlandu wokulondoloza amasiko lomdlalo. NjengoBulawayo kumele siziqhenye ngakho nxa sesihlanganisa le tourism sokudingakala inzuzo ukuthi abantu baphile ngomsebenzi wezandla, ngakho ke inhlelo ezifana lalezi ziqakathelile kakhulu.”
UMnangagwa, obehamba lomsekeli wakhe, uMnu. Constantino Chiwenga, ubekhangelelwe ukwethekelela indawo ezimbalwa koBulawayo okubalisa isithombe sikamuyi, uMnu. Joshua Nkomo.