Cont Mhlanga has big feet and giant footprints

MOST people in the arts industry, particularly those in theatre and dance, were inspired by Cont Mhlanga and his Amakhosi Theatre. And most of us who worked closer with Cont for some time consciously or unconsciously wanted to emulate him. Doing it the Malume way, as we call it.

Cont Mhlanga is a great storyteller. And it was exciting to see him receive a Prince Claus International Award for Amakhosi's work in the arts in the Netherlands. The old man deserves all the recognition he keeps getting.

It is unfortunate that most of the meaningful recognition people like Cont Mhlanga keep getting comes from outside Zimbabwe. This is clear evidence of what our people think about the arts and those in the sector.

So there I was a few days before Cont Mhlanga received his Prince Claus Award sitting with this old man I know from way back when most of us were doing arts for arts' sake - not even aware of awards and international recognition.

I remember we would rehearse for months, even a full year, and put up a couple of shows which were only attended by close friends and relatives. For months and years we brought home nothing, and we expected little from our sweat and talent. Our joy came most from being on stage and telling our own stories - township stories of love, violence, gangsters and deferred dreams.

An occasional recognition in the streets was a bonus. Then we were young and artistic and full of dreams. Our dreams were the same; to be the "better" version of Cont Mhlanga or Amakhosi and go on months-long trips to Europe and America.
Yes. Our dreams were inspired by Amakhosi Theatre who were always on international tours then.

During those days I remember Black Umfolosi going on tour and coming back different; every member who had been on that tour had bought a mountain bike and those shiny bikers' suits. We called the shiny suits oshwakashwaka. When going for rehearsals or performance the guys would ride their shiny bicycles one after the other — like a bicycle-cade (if ever there is a word like that). Then cast of Amakhosi's play Stitsha went on a tour and brought similar shiny tracksuits. How we used to ogle at them. How we dreamed of following the same footprints.

During our brief talk the old man said something very interesting to me. After exchanging casual social banter about the coming year and the prospects for the arts sector, particularly under the new Ministry of Rural Development, Preservation and Promotion of Heritage and the arts, the old man looked at me and said: "You are now all grown up and mature. This is good for the arts. The sector needs more grown up and mature artistes to change a lot of wrong perceptions. The arts sector seriously needs to shake this irritating image that the arts and culture sector is a refugee camp for unemployed youths."

We laughed about his observation and said our goodbyes. However, his words remained with me for the better part of the day — and week — until I read about Cont Mhlanga's recognition by Prince Claus Foundation.

The old man's observation rings true even as I write this article. Zimbabwe is one of the very few countries where the arts are viewed just as a youths' activity. It is politically correct in the corridors of power to talk about the arts as an employment creation platform for youths — though our Government is really not investing enough in this employment creation platform called the creative sector.

Today I'm not going to complain about anything. Today I just want to salute the man with big feet and giant footprints. The man who has shown most of us that all one needs to succeed in life are big dreams, passion and hard work. Malume, you continue to inspire us all. Congratulations on the international award.