INFORMATION minister, Chris Mushohwe, says he is so “addicted” to Nigerian African movies that he at times sleeps in the wee hours of the morning after watching them.
The minister said this while urging Zimbabwean creative content producers to emulate their Nollywood (Nigerian) colleagues as the country migrates to digital broadcasting that will result in the opening of twelve television stations.
Mushohwe was speaking to content creators in Gwanda, Matebeleland South. He urged them to take up the opportunity and create jobs for themselves as the twelve television channels will require constant flow of content.
“We need content which has cultural value to us which makes you identifiable. You know, I watch Nigerian films because they have something which makes you identify with our culture. I am very addicted to Nigerian films. When we were preparing to come here I slept at 2 am watching Nigerian films. My wife tried to dissuade me but she now likes them,” said Mushohwe
He added, “You should be able to tell the same stories that will reflect on our culture as a country. It’s a billion dollar industry that has the potential of creating 3, 8 million jobs.”
Mushohwe and colleagues made a hasty trip to Gwanda after none of the Matabeleland South content creators submitted proposals to the ministry despite numerous calls to do so.
Content producers urged government to decentralize the process so that all aspiring producers should be catered for.
“We just heard of this meeting last night and the car that Charamba bought me is too small otherwise I could have brought two busloads of talented producers here,” said Talent Munda, the district Information Officer in the area.
“We need to have similar meetings in Beitbridge because a lot is happening there. Right now there are floods but the story is not being told, border jumpers crossing flooded rivers and the story of truck drivers,” she added.
Of the twelve planned television stations, six will be owned by the state broadcaster, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Cooperation, while the remainder will be allocated to private individuals.
ZBC will have a 24-hour channel exclusively for Sports, News, History, Music, Kids and a full spectrum channel.
Mushohwe was accompanied by his deputy, Thokozile Mathuthu, Permanent Secretary, George Charamba, ZBC Acting CEO Patrick Mavhura, Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe CEO, Obert Muganyura, and a host of staff members from Zim Digital Migration who all urged the youths to take up film making.
Nigerian movies tend to have similar themes of witchcraft, domestic brawls and failed or stormy sexual relationship with people fighting and hurling abuses at each other.
The minister recently torched a storm after he issued an angry statement attacking South Africa’s Julius Malema for saying Zanu PF members were too scared to tell ‘grandpa’ Mugabe to go.