Zimbabwe: Actor/producer joins the anti-violence crusade through filming

By Alan Rushesha – Harare – Award winning veteran producer and director Jasen Mphepho has joined the call to discourage politically motivated violence through filming in portraying the effects of political brutality.

Mphepho, the producer of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association’s (ZIMRIGHTS) documentary is confident that through the use of filming in addressing the brutality of political violence, the general public could easily come to their senses and bury the act.

The launch of the documentary left thoughts running high as many representatives from various non-governmental organisations, the co-minister of National Healing and Reconciliation Honourable Sekai Holland and the general public assembled and watched the video.

The exhibition reflected the views of the political leaders, youth, law enforcement boards and elderly people concerning the effects of politically motivated violence in the country.

With this documentary, ZIMRIGHTS examines the stance of political leaders regarding political violence and of all of them including president Robert Mugabe agreed that political violence was harmful to the nation.

The documentary shows that a violent free nation can only be achieved if political leaders genuinely condemn political brutality.

The veteran producer said: “I believe filming mirrors the society, it questions the right and wrong of the society. It plays a role of a teacher and the audiences are the students.”

Jasen scooped two awards at National Arts Merit Awards. He won the awards for the best outstanding screen production drama (New Dawn) and the outstanding screen production film (Pfuma) and he is the founder and director of Patsime Edutainment Trust.