Zimpapers Logo

Yvonne Ncube, Showbiz Correspondent

FAIRTALK communications has mourned the death of veteran playwright and director Cont Mhlanga.

His family said he succumbed to pneumonia yesterday morning.

Fairtalk Board Chairperson Zwelibanzi Ndlovu, in a statement, described Mhlanga as Zimbabwe’s greatest arts and culture icon.

“The Shareholders, Board and Staff of Fairtalk Communications, the holding company for Skyz Metro FM and Breeze FM, would like to express their deep sense of loss on the passing on of one of Zimbabwe’s greatest arts and culture icons, Mr Mdladla Cont Mhlanga. Mr Mhlanga was one of the shareholders at Fairtalk Communications and served as the founding Vice Chairman of the company’s Board.

“Known as Malume to some and Khulu to others, Mr Mhlanga had a long, rewarding and impactful career in the arts and culture industries dating back to the 1980s when he founded Amakhosi initially as a Martial art cum theatre group. The group made waves across many schools and community halls in the city. Experiencing rapid growth Amakhosi soon emerged as the foremost hub for talent development in the arts and culture sector.”

Ndlovu described Amakhosi Cultural Centre as Zimbabwe’s spiritual home for the arts.

“Riding on the vision and talents of Mr Mhlanga, the group later established the iconic Amakhosi Cultural Centre, Zimbabwe’s spiritual home for the arts. Many award-winning stage dramas, movies, soapies and TV dramas followed as everything he touched turned into gold. Aptly so, Mhlanga was recognised locally, regionally and internationally as Zimbabwe’s arts godfather and the awards bear testimony.

“Mr Mhlanga was instrumental in securing the broadcasting licences for Skyz Metro FM, Breeze FM and recently Keyona TV, all of which benefited from his years of experience, his knowledge and his passion for delivering cutting edge content to audiences. Sadly, he was taken ill some ten days ago and despite the valiant efforts of the medical team attending to him, his time on the stage was up and the show has come to an end,” he said.

He said Mhlanga’s passing leaves a huge abyss in the entertainment industry.

“At the time of his death, Mhlanga was working hard to put together content for the soon to be launched Keyona TV. His passing leaves a huge abyss in the entertainment industry as very few can step into those big shoes and walk comfortably. Our loss is heaven’s gain. Today as we mourn him, he sits in the yonder world sharing notes with other departed greats looking back at a life well lived.

“We join the Mhlanga family, the arts and culture sector in the country and the generality of the Zimbabwean populace in bidding farewell to this illustrious son of the soil. We say hamba kahle qhawe lethu, imisebenzi yakho iyakufakazela, ubuyindoda emadodeni! The death of Cont Mhlanga is like watching a whole library of Zimbabwe’s Arts and Culture burning down and yet we still find time and space to celebrate this Giant from Lupane,” said Mr Ndlovu.