Media Institute of Southern Africa : Promoting Media Diversity . Pluralism . Self-Sufficiency . Independence

A line up of artists took to the stage at Lwendulu Hall belting messages of peace and tolerance irrespective of one’s political affiliation, race, religion, ethnicity and creed. The artists included Dragline Arts, a theatre theatre group, Jahunda Theatre group, Mambokadzi, Magesh Tornadoes, Ammafunny Groovers, Coalminers Band, Madiz, and Sniper.

An estimated 1 000 people attended the concert as the artists exhorted the Hwange community to value peaceful co-existence and the sanctity of human life. .

The Hwange concert was a sequel to a similar one held at Beit Hall in Mutare’s suburb of Sakubva which attracted an estimated 2 000 people. The campaign’s main thrust is to promote a culture of tolerance in the aftermath of the political violence which rocked Zimbabwe in the period preceding the 27 June 2008 presidential election runoff.

In Mutare, MISA-Zimbabwe Advocacy Officer Tabani Moyo urged residents to shun political violence. The media, he said, also had the ethical responsibility of promoting peace and tolerance in their reportage.

The peace festivals are an integral component of MISA-Zimbabwe’s promotion of tolerance, media diversity, independence and pluralism. MISA-Zimbabwe believes that the arts are an effective media vehicle which plays a critical role in cascading the message of national healing among people of different political views and backgrounds to foster sustainable peace and economic development.

Rashweat Mukundu
Programme Specialist: Media Freedom Monitoring
MISA Regional Secretariat
21 Johann Albrecht Street
Private Bag 13386
Windhoek, Namibia
Tel: + 264 61 232 975
Fax:+264 61 248016
Mobile: 00 264 813 675 362
E mail rashweat@misa.org, misaalerts@gmail.com

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