AT the age of 52, Mapfumo Katsaya, who contested as a CCC candidate for Hwedza South, has creative experience as an actor, scriptwriter and administrator. His journey in film started in November 2017 when Melgin Tafirenyika of Light Image Productions gave him a cameo role in his DSTV-funded film Love is Not Enough. From there on, it has been a rollercoaster journey and was engaged by Daves Guzha on Chipo the Gift as an actor and production manager.
NewsDay Life & Style caught up with Katsaya to share his experience in the film industry and how he has survived in the sector after venturing into politics.
Success stories
I believe the success story I would like to share is being the founding president of the Cinema Society of Zimbabwe (CSZ), an organisation which gave birth to Zimbabwe's own film and television awards, the Zaftas.
That has been a cornerstone of my success story and I still believe that we are still at the tail of our journey with the film industry as CSZ. Among other success stories is writing a script for a non-governmental organisation for a web series against gender-based violence called Ndafunga Kure which is on YouTube. In the 7 years I have been in the industry, I have acted in more than 30 productions of repute including Gazaland Police, Chipo the Gift, Chihombiro, 206 Bones, Tangled, Mugariro, Damaged, Chengaose and Court Sessions.
Blending business with film
It is a challenge to blend film and business as people will be sceptical whether my presence in film is for film purposes only or for investigations (He runs and investigation company). At times there is an element of fear among colleagues. But personally I don't have challenges. Actually, film has helped me in investigations as I am known more for film than investigation so people may assume I am there for film when I am actually doing an investigation.
How film strategy will benefit the sector
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The film strategy will die a natural death as long as the powers that be do not put all hands on deck. As long as the government does not take the first step, that strategy will not yield anything because for instance, we don't have legislation or any statutory instrument that governs the film sector to say an actor in practice for so long should be paid such, a director should earn such, a cameraman or gaffer should earn so much. Without such legislation in place the strategy won't help us and no corporate world will throw their money into film. Film is a multi-billion-dollar industry worldwide and Zimbabwe should not be an exception because everyone wants entertainment. If distribution and viewership is not skewed in favour of local content then we are doomed. Let's see how things go and ask me the same question in a year or two if I am still alive.
Relationship between politics and business
It has been a disaster, I tell you. Politics affected my business to the core. As soon as people realised that I had contested for Parliament under a CCC ticket, they closed me out and even in film. They resent giving me jobs. It is a real nightmare to imagine that Zimbabwe is polarised to that extent. I can even show you some WhatsApp messages where I was being insulted as kapopi kaChamisa (Nelson Chamisa’s running dog). Unfortunately things have been on a downward spiral and I am facing serious financial challenges because of this unholy alliance of politics and work.
Closing remarks
The last thing we should lose as Zimbabweans is hope. Indeed 2024 has been a nightmare economically except for thieves that are plundering national resources like confetti at a wedding, but we have to keep hoping for the best for Zimbabwe. It hurts me to see countries like Botswana whose economy is anchored on one mineral, which we also have, doing so well. I am still hopeful that one day Zimbabwe will rise like a phantom and be the nation it is supposed to be, the nation whose success I tested in the early 80s, not a polarised one where everything bad done by the government is considered good and everything good done by the opposition is considered bad. Maybe I am the only opposition candidate who can talk peacefully with my opponents from Zanu PF.
