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Babongile Sikhonjwa

Bongani Ndlovu, Showbiz Correspondent
ARTISTS have appealed to the Government to come up with a stand-alone arts ministry.

Speaking at the Bulawayo Arts Awards at the weekend they said the ministry would help develop the arts sector.

On a night when artists from Bulawayo showed off their bravado on stage with thousands watching online, comedian-cum-radio presenter Babongile Sikhonjwa challenged the politicians in the crowd to lobby the President to set up the separate ministry.

“To my politicians from Bulawayo that are sitting here, libelenhloni next time lingabuyela eParliament liyehluleke ukutshela uPresident ukuthi sifuna iministry of arts.

“Sifuna eyethu yodwa lominister wethu okhangele iministry of arts kuphela kasifuni divisions here and there,” said Sikhonjwa.

In the audience were Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Bulawayo Nomthandazo Eunice Moyo, Bulawayo Mayor Clr Martin Moyo, legislators Joseph Tshuma and Thokozani Khupe.

Sikhonjwa’s cameo speech was greeted with applause from the crowd.

Over the years, artistes have complained that their industry was sidelined as the arts has tended to be lumped up with other sectors such as education and sport.

As part of his efforts to respond to those complaints in 2011, President Mugabe separated sports, arts and culture from education. Sports, Arts and Culture remained as one ministry but artistes maintained their criticism.

The arts component was later dropped with the culture section being given to a new ministry, that of Rural Development, Preservation and Promotion of Culture and Heritage.

Artistes are still arguing that the ministry is shunning them.