Dear Nama Organisers

How are you guys? You should be taking sighs of relief after the pressure that comes with organising a big ceremony like the National Arts Merit Awards.I know the dust has not yet settled since people are still debating about the winners. It happens after every big awards ceremony but I should applaud you for pulling a good event this year.

It is unfortunate that I failed to attend the ceremony because my friend who had promised me an invitation card went out of the country on urgent business. I followed the Nama proceedings on television and I must say what I saw was fantastic.

I deliberately did not address this letter to Elvas Mari as an individual because I know there are a lot of you behind the scenes. Still, I have to salute the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe boss for a good event.

However, I had a problem with your host Carl Joshua Ncube. I like jokes yet I think some of his jokes were not good for the national event. Sometimes he takes his jokes too far and you should have known that before entrusting him with that big ceremony, which was being screened live on television.

I hear guys at ZBCTV had a tough time as they tried to censor some of his jokes that were insensitive. I saw it coming the moment I heard that Carl would be the host. I have attended his shows before and I know how he gets carried away when he holds that microphone and shouts into it with so much energy as if he does not know how it is supposed to aid his voice.

Next time be careful about choosing your hosts for the ceremony.

Elder Zex has been following the debate in the film-making industry centred on the Outstanding Screen Production award that went to “Muzita Rababa”.

While I deliberately ignored most comments that were being made about the category, I was disturbed by Ben Mahaka’s attitude.

As one of Nama adjudicators and known filmmaker, Mahaka should know how to handle some situations.

You do not get emotional when you are trying to explain a process to people that have questions about issues concerning a big ceremony like Nama.

The way he exchanged harsh words with other filmmakers on social media is not acceptable at all. If he felt obliged to give an explanation about the judging process — which I believe is the role of NACZ spokesperson, not a member of the adjudication panel — he should have done it in a diplomatic way.

The problem is that he was exchanging words with fellow filmmakers and they ended up dressing each other down. If it was just a debate about film-making I would pardon his emotions. It was disturbing that the issue got personal and it seems Mahaka has issues with fellow filmmakers, which makes his role as an adjudicator compromised.

The way he had a spat with Eddie Ndlovu shows that there could be bad blood between him and some filmmakers. It is not a good for someone who has a role to choose our winners. Next time he should leave Nama debates to responsible authorities at the arts council. Haggling publicly with fellow filmmakers does not paint a good picture.

Well, these are some of the grey areas of events around Nama. Elder Zex would have wanted to also have red carpet moments at the event, but I could not make it. I just hope next year I will be invited so that I talk about the awards from a more informed position.

I do not know what was happening behind the scenes. What I know was that the ceremony appeared well-organised on television. My pals that were at 7Arts Theatre also told me that it was a good event on the ground. Well done guys and just improve on areas that were raised by some critics that attended the event. Otherwise you are almost there. Well done organisers and congratulations to all winners.

Elder Zex is a multi-talented artist and arts critic.

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