By Bongani Ndlovu
The Bulawayo City Council and Intwasa Arts Festival koBulawayo will partner in bringing an artiste from South Africa to be part of the Bayethe Bulawayo shutdown concert during the annual fete.
Intwasa Arts Festival koBulawayo will be held from September 24 to 28 running under the theme “Spring Fever”.
According to the latest council minutes, organisers of Intwasa had requested the BCC for free the use of the City Hall Car Park, the bringing in of an artiste from EThekwini Municipality (SA) as part of the twinning arrangement between the two cities and paying for the PA System to be used during the Bayethe Bulawayo concert.
The twinning agreement was signed on September, 23 2011.
The BCC agreed to bring in the artiste and to pay for their accommodation, transport and food during the visit and free use of the City Hall car park.
“That Council grants free use of the City Hall Car Park for the festivities to take place. The Council bears costs only related to the twinning agreement for bringing the requested artiste that is local accommodation, local transport and food during the visit,” read he minutes.
Intwasa will have to cater for the taxation and registration of the artiste with the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) when the artiste has arrived in the country.
According to the minutes, the BCC will continue supporting Intwasa Arts Festival koBulawayo.
Intwasa director, Raisedon Baya said they were excited that the City Fathers have granted them their requests.
“We applaud the decision. We are grateful to the council for seeing the benefit of supporting Intwasa. We wish to see more, but so far Bulawayo is leading in terms of support and appreciation of the arts.
“We are making the right and great strides. Our City Fathers are slowly listening to us and acknowledging the need to support the artistes. I’m excited,” said Baya.
This partnership might guarantee the coming of an artiste as last time they tried to bring an SA act, Zola in 2017, it fell through as he failed to pitch up due to logistical challenges.
The Bayethe Bulawayo concert is a shutdown show that has featured the likes of Winky D, Martin and Ndolwane Super Sounds, Sandra Ndebele, Sulumani Chimbetu and Jeys Marabini.
Last year the shutdown concert was a partnership between Intwasa and Skyz Metro FM which was celebrating its second anniversary called Umncimbi Wabantu. SA’s Soul Brothers were the headline act although the show ended prematurely due to violence after a power cut. The Chronicle
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