Bona, don't let them take us back to Stone Age

I doubt that most of the people making noise about the board actually went through the list of names that make up that panel – it is just opportunism – a chance to vent anger about things that are not even related to the issue at hand.

I'm angry too about a lot of things in this country, but the character of the Censorship Board is not among my grievances. I think this is an opportunity to influence a lot of changes around the issues of censorship in this country, maybe even start by dropping the colonial name of the board itself.

Why not call it a regulatory or review board, so that from the onset, the people on the panel know that their job is regulation not complete banning and censoring? Some people are even calling for the abolition of the board, what madness. Even the most mature democracies of this world have regulatory bodies that put controls and monitor the consumption of content. For instance, there are some movies that cannot be allowed to be screened in a movie theatre. One can watch the film in their home, privately. How would we deal with issues of child sexual offences without a regulatory board?

Some content has to be rated; criminality, extremism, hate speech, morals and other things that affect our civilisation as a people. We cannot have content that teaches our children how to make bombs and cook illegal drugs. There has to be some order. We need gate keepers. Most people are worried about censorship of the internet.

Besides that the Censorship Board has nothing to do with the internet as this is Potraz's domain – it simply cannot be done. In this day and age you cannot ban sites or block the internet highway – there are ways to bypass such kind of censorship and the authorities know this.

The censorship board is no Dracula. The people that make up that board were born of a woman, just like you and me. They have seen the world develop and Zimbabwe along with it. There is no way they would succeed in taking us back to the Stone Age. If for instance, the chairman of the board Aeneas Chigwedere, a traditionalist, were to gang up with Chief Nyamukoho and Father Fidelis Mukonori to take us back to the 18th century – they would be countered by the young people in that board.

Besides Bona Chikore, who has traversed the lengths and breadths of this world and was educated overseas, there are two young lawyers in Chenjerai Daitai and Tungamirai Muganhiri plus the free thinking Shingai Rukwata Ndoro. These guys represent young people and I do not see them being bullied in there.

My message to Bona, particularly as the youngest member in that board, is that she should help make decisions and foster the kind of change that she would want her own child to live in. The whole world saw Bona's lavish, modern wedding. She and her husband are still young. We expect her to represent the young people, use her exposure and weighty name to be a true ambassador for young people.

Build a more modern country, a nation where her kids and Bolt Cutter's kids can live happily, unconstrained by the shackles of obsolete thinking, yet grounded in the traditions and culture of Zimbabwe.

There is gender balance as well in this board, women are well represented – the vice chair –  Konzani Ncube, law enforcement representative Charity Charamba, academic Runyararo Magadzire and now Bona.

In terms of the cultural aspect, we have Chigwedere and the chief.  Religiously, the Christian Father Mukonori and the non-religious Rukwata Ndoro will balance each other off. So as the Ministry of Information's Regis Chikowore and team take on the colossal task of regulating public entertainment in the digital age – there is no need to worry unless they give us a reason to. Let us give them a chance and if they fail us – we voice our concerns.

Otherwise, thumbs up to the Minister of Home Affairs Dr Ignatius Chombo for coming up with this balanced board.  However, I want to challenge everyone in that board not to sit on their laurels. People have become lazy in this country – hiding behind silly excuses. You have not been put in that board to be cheer leaders. Stand up for what you believe in.

Refuse to let one person dictate how things should be run in that board. Change things for the better.  Do not be cowards in there – you have children, brothers, parents; you live in the communities that we also live in and breathe the same air we do.

You know what is good for your children and what is not.  You know how the world has changed and continues to change.  Let your decisions in that board reflect that you are cognisant of the few facts above.

As you digest the above words, weigh your responsibilities to this nation and future generations, remember these words by American thought leader William McDonough: "The Stone Age did not end because humans ran out of stones. It ended because it was time for a re-think about how we live."

Anyway, enough about Chigwedere and team.  I just had to get that off my chest, in fact, I'm feeling charitable. Not sure if it is about the Time and Jazz Festival where Josh Hozheri introduced a cute new CBD venue for live music at his rented premises at Cresta Oasis or MTM's chaotic video "Chekeche".

It could be the rave reviews Peter Moyo is getting for his efforts on Mopao Mokonzi, his latest album launched last Thursday. Maybe I'm feeling this way because I saw Elvis Mari and team attempt to do something good for the industry, the Culture Week Festival.

The whole thing was a fiasco but it's the thought that counts. Let's hope they get it right next time.

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