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Highly anticipated acclaimed play "No Voice No Choice" effectively out of Intwasa as High Court dismisses urgency of the urgent chamber application
Tafadzwa Muzondo
September 13, 2012

"No Voice No Voice" is out of Intwasa Arts Festival koBulawayo 2012 as the urgent chamber application to lift the Censorship Board imposed ban on "No Voice No Choice" in time for the festival, filed by Tawanda Zhuwara and Bellinda Chinowawa of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights on behalf of award-winning theatre practitioner Tafadzwa Muzondo, was dismissed by High Court Judge Justice Gurainesu Mawadze who ruled that the matter was not urgent thus effectively ruling out the play's much anticipated performances at this year's edition of Bulawayo's premiere arts festival.

According to Tawanda Zhuwara of ZLHR, "The judge did not dismiss the case on its merit but rather that it could not be heard on an urgent basis so consequently we are now proceeding in terms of Section 19 of the Censorship and Entertainment Control Act to appeal the decision of the Censorship Board".

A disappointed but not disheartened Tafadzwa Muzondo, the writer, producer and director of the play had this to say of this development, "We had hoped that the urgent application would help us get our concerns heard in time for Intwasa but unfortunately this has not been successful. It is unfortunate that the play is being given a distorted meaning and the whole thing is being blown out of proportion leaving us victims at the end of the day because we are now being stopped from practicing our source of livelihood (theatre) so we are consulting other relevant authorities and getting guidance from our lawyers as we seek to have our case heard and the ban lifted".

Commenting on Intwasa Muzondo said "I travelled to Bulawayo had a meeting with Raisedon Baya the festival director who had kept our slot open pending the outcome of the application that the case could not be set down before Intwasa hence the performances cannot go ahead as the Censorship and Entertainment Control Act spells out clearly the consequences of staging a banned play. From a producer point of view, this renders 150 full colour A2 posters to promote the play at Intwasa useless. It also means adjustment of prior agreements and all efforts that had been made towards preparing for our participation for Intwasa are going down the drain, among the many implications, not to mention the loss to 8 artists and 2 crew members who were expecting some income from the performances".

Civic society organisations and the media (both independent and state) have expressed shock and disappointment over the ban which is a serious blow not only to freedom of expression but to the theatre industry which is struggling to grow with little support. Solidarity articles were posted online and in the print media by organisations like Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, Artists for Democracy in Zimbabwe Trust, ZIMRIGHTS, Zimbabwe Peace Project, Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, and Nhimbe Trust while stories questioning the ban were carried in Daily News, Newsday, The Standard, The Sunday Mail and various online publications.

Before its ban, "No Voice No Choice" was performed at Nyika Growth Point, Jerera Growth Point, Charles Austin Theatre and Rujeko Hall in Masvingo where it had a brush with Masvingo Central Police trying to stop it but getting interdicted by the courts after an ex-parte application was filed. It has also been performed at Nyamhuka Terminus (Nyanga), Boka Shops, Miekles Park, Sakubva Flea Market (Mutare) and Nyagumbo Shops (Nyazura) as part of a Manicaland tour that had to be re-aligned after the play was removed from the Chimanimani Arts Festival program at the instigation of state security agents in Chimanimani. These performances were sponsored by the United States Embassy in Harare as part of a 15 performances tour that was supposed to be concluded by 5 performances in Matebeleland during the time of Intwasa.

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