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Cindy Munyavi

Peter Tanyanyiwa Arts Correspondent
This year’s edition of the Women’s Arts Festival will honour local heroines on November 12 at a ceremony is to be held at the Zimbabwe German Society. WAFEST is now in its third year and will run under the theme “Testing the Limits Altogether Now”

“Looking at many achievements by women that are not appreciated made the festival to throw this dinner party,” said the festival organiser, Precious Chinhoyi.

“It seem little is being done to appreciate efforts by women, giving the obvious example of a few roads being named after heroines, as for me I can only pin point the Mbuya Nehanda Street.

“In our own arts industry we have the likes of Cindy Munyavi who landed the Best Female Artiste in Southern Africa award, at the Africa Music Awards in December 2014 but not much was said on it.

“The story would have been all different if it was a male artist who had gotten the award or even just being nominated.

“The idea of this dinner party arose when as a festival we saw a lot of phenomenal women but with less recognition.

“We will honour 18 women whom our selection panel has chosen,” said Chinhoyi.

Many will be honoured posthumously as they have died and different coloured fabrics will be positioned on the table representing each of the 18 women.

WAFEST has also started rolling out initiatives to empower female artists in different spheres of their lives.

There will be various mentorship programmes for artists.

Edith WeUtonga will mentor musicians, Blessing Musariri will mentor poets while Eunice Tava and Lloyd Nyikadzino will deal with theatre practitioners. This will be the third edition of the festival and it will run from November 12 to 14.