Strip tease or naked dancing — an entertainment piece in which performers slowly undress in erotic ways, usually with music as an accompaniment — is fast becoming part of the entertainment culture in Zimbabwe.
It seems is the proliferation of striptease in Zimbabwe comes in the wake of the success of two establishments Private and Airport Lounge in Harare owned by Biggie Chinoperekwei, a businessman, and its popularisation by controversial dancers such as Beverly Sibanda aka Bev and Zoey Sifelani as demonstrated by their countrywide tours.
This writer found himself at a strip show at Mereki Liquor Centre in Warren Park D. The bottle store, which has been nicknamed “Kumasofa”, was fully packed since there was no charge for admission.
Kumasofa to the world — Kumasofa hatirare has become the new buzz phrase in Warren Park D. The show began with the DJ Voyage Dambuza known as Baba Harare who is also the one who is renting the bottle store, introducing the girls to the audience.
“Today we have MaMoyo, Milanzi, MaDube, Soko and Chihera,” continued Dambuza.
“We all know what Chihera does much to the ovation of patrons in the bar,” he said.
The strippers started to gyrate to the ragga beats of the music, displaying their stuff and stripping to their birthday suits.
“This is only the introduction, more is yet to come,” shouted Dambuza as the strippers went off stage. After some few minutes the “real” show began.
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“We don’t allow cameras in here,” he shouted.
A stripper, an elegant beauty with slender legs, steps onto the dance floor, with a small see-through mini dress covering her body. She only wore a bra that looked too small.
She started gyrating and swaying to the heavy ragga tune from the loudspeakers. The skimpy waist-covering suddenly drops to the floor much to the admiration of her male audience. With no pants on, she jumped onto the laps of one delighted spectator.
“I am a professional dancer I do what pleases myself. It’s my body, I don’t care. Go and write what you want,” a dancer who declined to be identified said.
At another bottle store, Black Banana at Mereki shopping centre, a girl danced away in her nude closely to patrons in the bar, bending down, twisting and turning at the counter.
The age of most dancers appears to be in their teens and there seems to be no age restriction to these nude shows because young boys and girls under the age of 18 are allowed in these bars.
These dancers are not registered and they double as commercial sex workers that come from as far as Rugare, Kuwadzana and Mufakose. These nude shows have since become their hunting grounds for clients.
It has been evidenced that no location is spared and it seems as though striptease is being performed at unlicensed venues with no proper facilities around Zimbabwe.
Raunchy dances are performed thereby contravening the Entertainment control Act which prohibits physical contact with patrons.
Chinoperekwei was once quoted in the media advocating for the separation licence for venues by the Censorship Board.
He said that the ordinary dance groups and the striptease dancers need to perform in the venues that are designed for that and that clubs should be vetted to ensure total compliance.
“Most clubs are not designed for dancers or strippers because they lack even a simple stage. When there is a stage it is not the required standard. For instance the height, distance between stage and patrons, changing rooms etc,” said Chinoperekwei He added that when a club has no proper facilities it means automatically there is contact with clients both during performances and after.
There are licenses to be issued under the Censorship and Entertainment Act which prescribes to the conduct.
However, the Act does not specifically ban striptease.
Constable Masaiti from the Inspectorate department stated that their duty is to enforce acts of Parliament and to operate within the measures prescribed by the Censorship and Entertainment Act.
“We work as teams and we are about 30 officers who are not capable of covering all areas. We normally visit areas like Chitungwiza and Mbare where striptease is rampant. The charge has no custodial sentence,” he said.
Striptease is permissible in Zimbabwe under Zimbabwean law and those who ply their trade are required to acquire a certificate from the Censorship Board which allows them to striptease in public.
Censorship and Entertainments Control Act made provisions for the certificate 1967. The act has however, been amended several times the last time being in 1996.
“Some of the provisions state that the artiste should not strip beyond the G-string. Items (clothing/costumes used for the dances) should not be smaller than those exhibited to the board. No physical contact should be made between the artiste and the audience during the performance of a striptease act.”
The certificate costs $25 and is valid for a year. Daphne Jena, a freelance journalist believes that the strip teasing is a well a paying sector that we are ignoring and is making other people see the next day.
“This is not empowerment especially for the under age girls but there are no existing options,” said Jena, adding that this more profitable because it gives them an income and yet without any attachment to a single man.
Bishop Francis Maurikira of Glorious Life Ministries described the practice as an abominable act.
“It’s most unfortunate that we are living in an environment where nudity is celebrated, where there is moral decadence and people are doing anything to earn money without considering the source of their money and the repercussions of their action.
“What is happening at Mereki (Kumasofa) is not acceptable in the sight of God, if you are to check it very well it is this same Jezebillic spirit that made many nations in the Bible to be punished.”
Bishop Maurikira quoted 2 Peter 2 verse 6 (KJV) And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an example unto those that those that after should live ungodly.
He added that apart from attracting God’s wrath, these acts are an abuse to womanhood.
“The body of a woman is very sacred that is should not be exposed to any other man but mostly to the one who is supposed to be her husband. This thing which is happening if not handled carefully it will destroy many homes brings down our societal values,” remarked Maurikira.
Ambuya Tsuro 84 of Warren Park D deplored the rising trend which she attributed to collapse of the moral, economy and religious systems.
“This trend is an alien to our African culture. People no longer cherish those values we once held with so much respect,” she noted.
She also challenged the government to intervene in making amendments to the act.
“The government should put stringent measures to ban striptease and other immoral acts before they get out of control in Zimbabwe,” Mbuya Tsuro said.
Striptease is becoming a symbol of cultural erosion, corrupting the mind of the youth and the social fabric in Zimbabwe. Censorship laws are flouted by misinterpreting laws to lure crowds.
These acts are becoming popular at funerals, private parties and other closed functions around Zimbabwe.
In South Africa and Swaziland, striptease is a lucrative business, a practice that has already found its way into Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe is now witnessing live pornographic shows in the name of entertainment.
