News / National
South African poet deported from Zimbabwe
26 Sep 2011 at 04:48hrs | Views
SOUTH African poet Ntsiki Mazwai's debut visit to Zimbabwe turned out to be a nightmare after she was deported last Thursday because she didn't have a work permit.
Mazwai was scheduled to make two performances at the on-going Intwasa Arts Festival koBulawayo.
She only managed to throw verses at her first show on Wednesday evening when she performed alongside Chiwoniso Maraire and Edith WeUtonga at Horizon Pub and Restaurant.
Mazwai was also scheduled to join several local poets including Mbizo Chirasha, Sypho, Zaza, Bhekumusa Moyo, Zana Kay, Likwa okaNcube, Mgcini Nyoni, Solwazi and Swaziland's Phinda Mkhonta, in an event titled, "A Gathering of Poets".
A source at Intwasa told The Herald that immigration officials called the Street Queen on Thursday morning and asked her to leave the country, as her papers were not in order.
"When Ntsiki entered the country on Tuesday, she told immigration officials that she was coming to perform.
"They informed her that they were giving Intwasa two days to sort out her permit.
"When she arrived in Bulawayo she told Intwasa officials but apparently they never made an attempt to obtain the permit on her behalf," said the source.
Realising that Intwasa was taking long to respond, she was advised to go and she left aboard a 12:30am South African Airways flight.
Immigration officials at the Joshua Nkomo Airport expressed shock at the manner at which Intwasa had treated Mazwai.
"It is unfortunate the way they treated her, from the look of it they could have applied and be given the permit.
"I understand they even failed to apologise properly for their bungling," added the source.
Intwasa Festival director Raisedon Baya, however, denied there were any problems with Mazwai's work permit insisting that everything was in order.
"We just asked her to leave today (Thursday), a day earlier, because some of our programmes had collapsed due to the unavailability of the Small City Hall where "A Gathering of Poets" had been scheduled to be performed along with other acts.
"NewsDay was supposed to pay for the venue but they experienced problems with the Bulawayo City Council and the promise did not materialise," he said.
Baya, however, said "A Gathering of Poets" will still be held but has been moved to the City Hall car park adjacent to the Small City Hall.
Mazwai was scheduled to make two performances at the on-going Intwasa Arts Festival koBulawayo.
She only managed to throw verses at her first show on Wednesday evening when she performed alongside Chiwoniso Maraire and Edith WeUtonga at Horizon Pub and Restaurant.
Mazwai was also scheduled to join several local poets including Mbizo Chirasha, Sypho, Zaza, Bhekumusa Moyo, Zana Kay, Likwa okaNcube, Mgcini Nyoni, Solwazi and Swaziland's Phinda Mkhonta, in an event titled, "A Gathering of Poets".
A source at Intwasa told The Herald that immigration officials called the Street Queen on Thursday morning and asked her to leave the country, as her papers were not in order.
"When Ntsiki entered the country on Tuesday, she told immigration officials that she was coming to perform.
"They informed her that they were giving Intwasa two days to sort out her permit.
"When she arrived in Bulawayo she told Intwasa officials but apparently they never made an attempt to obtain the permit on her behalf," said the source.
Immigration officials at the Joshua Nkomo Airport expressed shock at the manner at which Intwasa had treated Mazwai.
"It is unfortunate the way they treated her, from the look of it they could have applied and be given the permit.
"I understand they even failed to apologise properly for their bungling," added the source.
Intwasa Festival director Raisedon Baya, however, denied there were any problems with Mazwai's work permit insisting that everything was in order.
"We just asked her to leave today (Thursday), a day earlier, because some of our programmes had collapsed due to the unavailability of the Small City Hall where "A Gathering of Poets" had been scheduled to be performed along with other acts.
"NewsDay was supposed to pay for the venue but they experienced problems with the Bulawayo City Council and the promise did not materialise," he said.
Baya, however, said "A Gathering of Poets" will still be held but has been moved to the City Hall car park adjacent to the Small City Hall.
Source - TH
