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Michael Magoronga, Midlands Correspondent
Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Minister, Kirsty Coventry has urged stakeholders to shun piracy and have a culture of respecting intellectual property rights through buying original CDs as a way of supporting local artistes.

In a speech read on her behalf by the acting permanent secretary in the ministry, Benson Dube at musician Bob Nyabinde’s birthday celebrations in Kwekwe last weekend, Minister Coventry said the Government remains committed to providing a safe working space for the arts sector.

“I want to encourage our stakeholders to keep on supporting our artistes and continue to have a culture of respecting intellectual property rights.

Let us buy genuine music disks and shun pirated copies.

“Let us continue to support the Government in providing dignified workplaces in the form of multi-purpose facilities for the arts sector in all our 10 provinces,” she said.

Minister Coventry said it was important to honour artistes like Nyabinde while they were still alive.

In this regard, she said the annual Winter Jazz Festival will be named after the musician as a way of honouring his contribution to the creative sector.

Dubbed ‘Bob Nyabinde @67, celebrating the life of an icon’, the birthday celebrations were attended by stakeholders from the arts sector from across the country.

Fellow musicians like Victor Kunonga, Terry the Bliss, Tongai Obert Moyo, Agga Nyabinde, Albert Nyathi, Man Soul Jah and Bantuman I were in attendance.

Oliver Mtukudzi’s widowDaisy and promoter Josh Hozheri also graced the celebrations that were held at King Solomon’s Hotel.

An all-night bash followed at The Lit which saw performances from Tongai Obert Moyo, Agga Nyabinde, Trevor the One, Bantuman I, Killaman and Young Junita thrilling fans for the better part of the night.

Nyabinde challenged the Government to assist in curbing piracy saying it is destroying the music industry.

“Piracy is the biggest challenge that we face as musicians.

We may work for many years, but still have nothing to show for it.

I wish the Government could do something to put an end to piracy,” he said.

He said he was elated for being honoured while he is alive.

“Most musicians are honoured when they die, but I’ve been honoured while I’m alive.

I’m grateful to organisers of this function. May you do it for many more artistes,” he said.

Nyabinde, who was diagnosed with diabetes recently, rose to fame in the early 2000s following the release of his debut album Pane Nyaya, which he released while he was still a teacher.

It earned him the title The Headmaster.

In true headmaster fashion, Nyabinde helped usher in a number of artistes in the music scene.

His celebrations that were in the form of a fundraising birthday bash were a collaboration of the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Art and Recreation, the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) and artistes from Midlands.