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Memeza street festival invades Harare's First Street with
a bang
Zimbabwe
Poets for Human Rights (ZPHR)
June 23, 2009
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Saturday
20 June saw scores of people coming to witness the maiden edition
of Memeza Street Festival which was organised by the Zimbabwe Poets
for Human Rights (ZPHR) with support from the Media Institute of
Southern Africa (MISA)
Zimbabwe. Held in First Street Shopping Mall to commemorate the
Day of the African child the festival sought to remind people about
the plight of the African child who find themselves engulfed in
a myriad of social, economic and political problems which could
have been avoided if they had been given an opportunity to speak
out on issues that affect them and proffer solutions to those problems. Addressing hundreds
of people who had come to witness the Memeza Street Festival, the
Advocacy Officer of MISA Zimbabwe Mr. Tabani Moyo said "For
young people's voices to be heard there is need to open up
the airwaves and other forms of media so that their voices can be
amplified and they can speak for themselves, we just need to free
the airwaves for the benefit of the African child and the continent
at large." Many a times young people have been spoken for
and their participation in decision making processes has been at
best minimal as many adults still believe that young people are
not mature and are unable to have a reasonable opinion or to make
a good decision about what they want.
"As we
embark on the constitutional making process in Zimbabwe we saw it
fit through Memeza Street Festival to bring young people together
so that we could reaffirm what we said through the People's
Charter; that young female and male represent the present and
the future of our country and that all those in positions of leadership
nationally and locally must remain true to the fact that our country
shall be passed on from one generation to the next." remarked
Michael Mabwe the Coordinator of Zimbabwe Poets for Human Rights
as he thanked members of the public for showing solidarity to young
people's cause by attending Memeza.
The crowd was kept on
their feet by different young artists such as Hope and Kakuwe, the
sensational Alexio Kawara, John Pfumojena and Munandi band, Madiz,
Calabash of the "Sorry ndanga ndakadhakwa fame" and
Tru Bantu Crew led by Taku Mafika. Not to be out done where the
evergreen Magesh dance group that mesmerized people with their kwaito
dances which were complemented by Highfields based Shooting stars
dance group. To spice up the show were theatre skits from Street
theatre gurus Apiri, Kapfupi and poets such as Mutumwapavi, internationally
acclaimed Julius Chingono, Semalo, Flow Child, Godobori and Shoeslambada
of the Maopareshoni and Makomishoni jingle.
Memeza Street Festival
is set to become an annual event and in the long run an international
street festival bringing together young artists from different parts
of Africa to tell their stories in a language that people will not
only understand but enjoy listening to. It will also be an opportunity
to examine progress towards health, education, equality and security
for all African children and on the implementation of the regional
African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. Bringing
many young people's organisations and organisations working
with children and young people to work together and have a multi
sector approach to dealing with their issues and thus stay true
to the their demands as enshrined in the Zimbabwe People's
Charter is the burden which Memeza will carry forward.
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