LEONARD Zhakata and other artists were yesterday expected to perform at a festival dubbed One Love Arts Festival, which calls for peace and development in Zimbabwe.

Yesterday’s festival is a follow up to the peace concerts held in Harare, Bulawayo and Masvingo before the presidential election run-off which called for the cessation of political violence in the country as well as the xenophobic violence in South Africa.

The concert, which was expected to take place at the Harare Gardens, was organised by the Artists for Democracy in Zimbabwe Trust (ADZT).

Last month ADZT and its partners held two peace festivals in Bulawayo and Harare under the theme “Artists Against Political Violence and Xenophobia”.

Zimbabwean artists have long been accused of not speaking out on political issues that are affecting their fans in the country.

In fact, it has been argued that they took time to denounce the brutal xenophobic attacks in neighbouring South Africa which saw thousands being displaced and about 60 people of different nationalities dead, while deafeningly silent on the crisis gripping the country.

Among the artists scheduled to perform at the festival were musicians Selmor Mtukudzi, Sniper and Willom Tight. The dance category was expected to feature Mambokadzi, Katarina Queens and Hwamanda Dance Ensemble.

Firebrand poet Chirikure Chirikure and Innocent Batsani Ncube of the Bob the Boss fame were expected to spice up proceedings with their poetry, while on the visual arts scene Novell Zwangendaba of Ethno Designs would lead the pack in strutting their stuff.

Daniel Maphosa’s Savanna Trust and Silvanos Mudzvova’s Vhitori Entertainment would temporarily abandon Theatre in the Park for the worthy cause, with writer Raisedon Baya and Leonard Matsa chipping in with their fascinating literary works.

“The One Love Festival will urge Zimbabweans to live in peace, tolerance and harmony despite their political differences,” Okay Machisa, founder of ADZT, said. “The word of the artists will reach far and beyond and that is the most important objective in doing what we are doing.”

- Standard Entertainment