BY WINSTONE ANTONIO THE family of murdered popular artiste Anne Nhira, also known as Vimbai, has pleaded for privacy during the mourning period. “This is a very trying time for all of us as friends and family to the late Anne ‘Vimbai’ Nhira,” the family said in a statement. “We are appealing to the media to allow the family to mourn and grieve her passing and refrain from writing malicious statements that are far from truth.” Nhira, 38, was stabbed in Bedfordview, Johannesburg, South Africa on Monday last week by yet unknown assailants and died the following morning. Her body is yet to be repatriated back home for burial. Meanwhile, the state of the country’s film industry and actors’ welfare has come under spotlight in Parliament after the death of actress Anne Nhira last week in neighbouring South Africa. Speaking in Parliament last week on Nhira’s death, Zanu PF Seke-Chikomba proportional representation legislator Tatenda Mavetera said there was need for government to capacitate the arts industry. Mavetera, who played the character Tendai Jari, sister to Vimbai, in the soap (Studio 263) said the country’s film industry was as good as dead hence actors were opting to flock for greener pastures to foreign lands where they are exposed to crime. “It is quite disheartening and very sad to note that she (Nhira) had actually gone to South Africa to try to make ends meet and also try to pursue her career in acting. “We need to look at the nature of the film industry here in Zimbabwe,” she said. “Truly speaking, if you look at Nigeria and I have said this a lot of times — when it comes to filmmaking, they actually earn a lot of foreign currency — number two after oil — but here in Zimbabwe it seems like we are looking down upon the film industry.” Mavetera added: “I am calling upon the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting services to take it upon themselves so that at least they can then be able to make sure that acting will actually bring foreign currency for Zimbabwe.” “If you look at it Mr Speaker Sir, she would not have lost her life I would say, but of course God has the final say. “Truly speaking, if we are going to create a conducive environment here in Zimbabwe for filming, it will go a long way. Mavetera said the Zimbabwean film industry was not capacitated. “Today, Zimbabwe is crying about the death of Anne Nhira yet they have not capacitated the industry. “It is not good for us to be crying but it is better for us to be rectifying issues whereby we are able to make sure that there is a conducive environment,” she said. “Just two weeks ago, we were also in another crying mood whereby we were mourning the death of Soul Jah Love, but if you look at it we are not capacitating them. When they die we cry so much, but we are not having the opportunity to actually build them up and also help them grow.” She added: “I am calling upon the Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services ministry to take it upon themselves to capacitate the film industry, the music industry and the arts industry so that it
