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Play's hilarity masks serious commentary on women's suffering
Africa University
October 11, 2006

Owen Seda and Bekithemba Ntini’s production "Dance Peace Africa" left its audience in awe after a performance on the opening day of the Dag Hammarskjöld Commemorative Week at Africa University. The pure theatrical prowess and vivid imageries brought to life by the cast proved to be both heart-rending and hilarious.

The two are from the University of Zimbabwe’s theatre arts department. Their dance-drama is described by Seda as a typical presentation of the power balances that exist in society today, which are tipped against women.

"Women are sidelined in issues such as war and violence, but the reality is that once you have sidelined women, you have violated everyone’s rights," said Seda. He noted that women and children are often the most victimized in war situations and are later sidelined in peace-making processes and governance structures.

"Women have also never been able to seek legal recourse for many human rights abuses and these are some of the issues that the play raises," he said.

"I laughed and cried," said Tinevimbo Mtengwa, a final year student in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. "This is a clear representation of the suffering that women go through in many aspects of their lives…many times the stories are never told and may never be heard."

The theme for this year’s event is Peace, Leadership, Gender and Development in Africa. Among others, seminar presentations on peacebuilding efforts in Darfur and the DRC will form part of the discussions for the week.

Now in its second year running, the Dag Hammarskjöld commemoration, co-hosted by the Swedish Embassy and Africa University provides a platform for discussing issues of peace and development in Africa.

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