JONATHAN MBIRIYAMVEKA
TRUST Jasen Mphepo to always portray the story of troubled Zimbabwe courtesy of theatre.
For it is his gift. Jasen and his gifted cast have kept generations of Zimbabwean audiences engaged and glued to the set for many years.
These days, Mphepo runs the “Little Theatre”, a stone throw away from central Harare. Yep, it’s little in name, but not so tiny in the quality of the productions stemming from this hidden hub on Enterprise Road.
Well, as for the other irony: Little Theatre is found on a location that the current head-of-state of Zimbabwe has given his name to.
These days, albeit against much citizenry resistance, Enterprise Road in uptown Harare has been renamed Emmerson Mnangagwa Road after the man who deposed the later leader Robert Mugabe in a military coup in 2017.
Its right at the beginning of the sprawling street, which then leads into some of Harare’s swankiest neighbourhoods and then deep into one of the country’s best-known rural areas – Shamva, Murehwa, Mutoko.
So, what a symbolic setting it is, Little Theatre, for creative entertainers to express themselves freely about how their beloved nation is governed.
It is here that “Half Empty Half Full”, a yesteryear play, recently had a short run 18 to 20 May 2023.
If you have watched Al Jazeera’s explosive documentary on Zimbabwe, titled Gold Mafia, you would certainly want to watch what they dished out on Enterprise…oops…Mnangagwa Road!
Oh well, needless to add on that the president of the country is also heavily implicated in the “Gold Mafia” blockbuster.
In a four-part documentary series, the investigation reveals how billions of dollars’ worth of
unaccounted gold is moved from Zimbabwe to Dubai in massive laundering activity.
Now, Half Empty Half Full has attempted to package the Golf Mafia in a manner that the theatre lover appreciates.
Starring seasoned actor Teddy Mangawa and Tafadzwa Hananda, the two-man hander is still as
relevant now as it was a decade ago.
An excerpt from the play between the actors Teddy and Taffy goes like:
Teddy: “Look, there are opportunities in the mining industry. You just have to play your game right and find relevant people . . . All you need is one dig and boom, you are on top.”
Taffy: “Really?”
Teddy: “Taffy my friend, this country will wake up one day but while it’s enjoying slumber, we must loot it. We must loot it badly for ourselves and children.”
Taffy: “How do I get into this mining business?”
Teddy: “Easy!”
While the play does not explicitly say who is involved in the illegitimate gold operations it does in a big way lay blame on politically connected individuals and the powers-that-be.
Episode 4 of Al Jazeera’s revealed investigative news film Gold Mafia, revealed gold smuggling,
money laundering and corruption, with Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa ultimately coming out as Mario Puzo’s Vito Corleone (Brando) — The Godfather or simply mafia boss.
Al Jazeera’s investigation shows that different gold smuggling syndicates looting gold and salting away proceeds to offshore accounts have one common thread — links to Mnangagwa.
Main characters in the film who sucked Mnangagwa into the vortex of action include his own envoy and ambassador-at-large Uebert Angel, a self-styled prophet who is a key interlocutor throughout
the documentary (Diplomatic Mafia), Rikki Doolan (Diplomatic Mafia), Ewan Macmillan (Mr Gold), Kamlesh Pattni (Gold Dealer Brother Paul) and Alistair Mathias (Gold Trader — The Architect).
Mnangagwa’s wife Auxillia, the Family Lady, and his gold baron Pedzisayi “Scott” Sakupwanya (New Mr Gold) kept the president firmly at the centre of action in the last episode.
One gold smuggler described Mnangagwa — referred to in some instances as Mr Jones — as his
business partner.
Another spoke of him as an on-and-off partner whom he still meets. A third said he had to keep the president in the loop about gold smuggling operations.
Without further ado, catch this masterpiece by Jasen & Co and rest assured that whilst the content of Gold Mafia probably upset you as a citizen, its artistic impression may leave you ‘half full’ of distress.— The NewsHawks.
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