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Bongani Ndlovu, Showbiz Correspondent
THANDANANI Women’s Ensemble, Iluba Lemvelo and Cool Crooners were yesterday given food relief in the form of mealie meal, with the groups saying the intervention was timely.

This was done during the launch of the Bulawayo Arts Festival by Bulawayo Arts, Culture and Heritage Endowment Fund (BACHEF) at the Large City Hall as part of Bulawayo’s 126-year celebrations.

Restrictions on public gatherings have all but cancelled activities for local artistes and this means they cannot get income from live shows, something that has greatly affected their livelihood.

BACHEF fund manager, Josh Nyapimbi said through the donation, they wanted to help senior artistes who are the hardest hit by the lockdown.

“We recognise the challenges that our senior artistes as senior citizens of this city are facing in accessing the most basic commodity which is mealie meal. We couldn’t cover as many deserving senior artistes because of limited resources.

“We could only extend the help to Iluba Lemvelo, Cool Crooners and Thandanani, but we hope to help more of our senior citizens (artistes) in the future,” said Nyapimbi.

Iluba Lemvelo group spokesperson, Muchaneta Dube welcomed the donation saying artistes are on the brink of hunger.

“The donation has helped a lot because as artists, we sustain our livelihoods through the stage (performing). Take away the stage from us then we don’t have any income.

“There are many problems that we’re facing such as hunger and women are hardest hit,” said Dube.

“As women of Iluba Lemvelo, we were used to always being out of our homes at rehearsals or performing, but now, we’re always at home doing nothing so we’re appealing to any donors who can help us during this time to come through.”

Thandanani Women’s Ensemble leader Florence “MaTshabalala” Sithole said she was grateful to those who thought of them through this donation. Cool Crooners spokesperson George Salimu said if it was not for their children who are taking care of them during this trying time, they would have starved. – @bonganinkunzi