The ManicaPost
Friday Lessons with Sir Mwanyisa
Greetings learners, parents and guardians!
Welcome to your Visual and Performing Arts weekly lessons brought to you by your favourite newspaper, The Manica Post.
Learners are expected to have an exercise book and a pen to write the work given as exercises.
Parents or guardians are encouraged to assist learners with special needs.
This week our topic is on development of television in Zimbabwe.
You are expected to be able to answer the questions given as an exercise.
The pre-colonial societies had no television.
Television programs were introduced by the whites when they colonised Zimbabwe.
In order to share television programs with the indigenous people, mobile cinema which screened anti-nationalist films were set up.
Can you think of reasons why anti-nationalist films were shown to the people?
The whites feared the spread of nationalist feelings amongst the blacks.
Some war films were made during the colonial period.
Neria
The war films were made for both the blacks and the white audience.
They did not want the rural communities to support the liberation struggle.
The guerrilla armies were challenging colonial rule.
However, the audience resisted the propaganda messages sent through colonial films.
The films produced by the whites also portrayed black people as very simple and sometimes ignorant.
Blacks featured in the white films were seen doing the worst jobs or roles.
Radio and television were the means of educating the indigenous people about European culture and creating loyal servants for the whites.
During the post colonial period, television programs were changed to suit the needs of an independent Zimbabwe.
Most of the films produced were funded by the donors.
The themes changed from white propaganda to HIV and AIDS, teenage pregnancy, child abuse and gender equality.
One of the most popular movies to be produced in the post-colonial era was Neria by the late Dr Oliver Mutukudzi.
Everyone’s child and Flame were also popular.
Besides moves, donors also sponsored soap opera Studio 263.
The main themes of the soap were health and entertainment.
The soap Tunga is another post-colonial film made to depict traditional ways of life among the Shona people.
Some comedies have also been produced and the earliest featured Safirio Madzikatire and Mutirowafanza.
Gringo, written by Enock Chihombori, was a drama series that entertained society. Since then, theatre has grown to be big industry.
Today’s task
Say whether the following statements are true or false.
1. Mukadota was the stage name for Safirio Madzikatire.
2. Films were produced in Zimbabwe during the pre-colonial era.
Mukadota
3. Colonial films encouraged nationalism.
4. Oliver Mutukudzi acted in the film Neria.
5. The main aim of films in independent Zimbabwe is to make profits.
6. Tunga was produced in the colonial era.
Also answer the following question
1. What is a soap opera?
