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Simbarashe Mutizwa Showbiz Reporter
THEATRE lovers at the Ibumba Festival on Wednesday came face-to-face with the real life of a retired civil servant when Bambelela Arts Ensemble staged their play, The Civil Servant.The play was staged at Stanley Hall in Makokoba.  The Civil Servant is based on the trials and tribulations of retired civil servants who have gone through hard times in the last two decades.

The play revolves around Elton played by Josphat Ndlovu, and his family, who realises that he has not achieved his dreams after being told he should retire from the public service. He becomes paranoid and irritable. All he can show for his 37 years of service are invalid insurance policies. Elton’s wife Khaya played by Nokwanda Sibanda tries to comfort him.

When he retires his son Themba, played by Leonard Phiri, who had been in South Africa for five years to seek greener pastures, returns home empty handed.

Elton tries to convince him to look for a job but Themba refuses to do so. His other son Elvis played by Bongelani Ncube tries to be the bridge between Themba and his father to solve their impasse but fails.

As all this is happening Elton is having an illicit affair with a woman where he is always happy and in a jovial mood. One day Themba catches his father with the woman who had been hidden in the bathroom at their home. After confronting his father he is warned not to speak a word about what he has seen.

Still with the vivid images about what he discovered Themba has an argument with his father later on in the play, telling his father that he was no good  because he had not achieved anything in life and  so should not tell him to seek employment. After those harsh words Elton commits suicide using a rope to hang himself.

Bambelela Arts Ensemble director Witness Tavarwisa said the play which was written and directed by Thabani Moyo featured at Ibumba International Festival for the first time.

“We are glad that Ibumba Festival gave us this opportunity to perform the play here though it was on short notice. We believe that this play has a lot of meaning to the people because it is based on real life situations.

“It is pleasing that people braced the cold weather to come and watch us perform,” said Tavarwisa.

The Civil Servant premiered at Inxusa Arts Festival 2014 organised by Amakhosi Theatre Productions and it was nominated under this year’s best theatre production category.

The play was also staged at this year’s Hurungwe Arts Festival (HAF) which was organised by Baptism of Fire (BOF) in Karoi on November 28 to 29 and was again staged at Protest Arts International Festival (PAIF) organised by Savanna Trust in Harare on December 12- 13.