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A survivor of the 1994 Rwandan genocide will star in a play beginning in New Zealand next month, exploring President Robert Mugabe political record.
Francois Byamana, a former resident of The Hotel des Mille Collines where thousands sought refugee during the genocide, plays the main character, Comrade Jongwe, in His Excellency is in Love. The political satire, set in the imaginary African nation of Mateshona under the leadership of an iron-fisted dictator, was written by Stanley Makuwe, a Zimbabwean nurse working in New Zealand. The play is performed by Nyaya Padare Theatre Productions, a newly formed African community theatre group. The promoters of the play say it will mark the birth of African theatre in New Zealand. Makuwe rose to prominence after penning Overthrown, banned by the police last year. He said his latest offering was a story of "love and madness, greed and hatred, paranoia and fantasy all wrapped in African superstition". "After falling desperately in love with Marunjeya, a young, greedy, extravagant and manipulative woman half his age, 80-year-old His Excellency Comrade Jongwe gives up the sources of his power and greed to her," he said. "It is the lion fat and hyena saliva which, when he applies them to his forehead, make those that look him in the eye tremble with fear while his mouth waters with more hunger and greed for power." Marunjeya takes charge, controlling the once feared and powerful nationalist with her little finger. In the process, His Excellency Comrade Jongwe loses his mind and forces his secret agent and news reporter, Chibagwe, to go on a killing spree to eliminate all his perceived enemies within his ruling party. His grip on power ends in dramatic fashion when Chibagwe turns against him and refuses to follow his orders. Fluent in more than five languages and also a popular radio presenter, Byamana is a first timer on stage. His talent has not gone unnoticed, though, as some of New Zealand’s prominent theatre directors have already signed him up for their forthcoming projects. Marunjeya is portrayed by popular musician and Andy Brown’s daughter, Devona, while Chibagwe is played by Solomon Nyamazana, a celebrated Shona poet. Nyamazana’s poems have been studied in Zimbabwean schools and he has mixed and mingled with some of the best writers to come out of Zimbabwe, including Dambudzo Marechera. The cast includes Shona novelist, George Mubayiwa who plays Chiromo, a minister in Cde Jongwe’s government. He is accused of trying to elevate himself to the position of president. New Zealand actress Julia Hyde plays Esnath, Marunjeya’s servant. Makuwe is one of a new breed of upcoming Zimbabwean playwrights and novelists. His first book, Under This Tree and Other stories, was published in New Zealand in 2005 and was voted Book of the Week on New Zealand’s radio, NewsTalk ZB. His first play, The Dead Shall Rise Again, made it to the Highly Commended List in the BBC International Playwriting competition in 2007. In the same year, his other play, Overthrown, produced and directed by Cont Mhlanga, was banned by the Zimbabwean government on its first night at Amakhosi Cultural Centre. The police claimed the play was designed to embarrass Mugabe. Makuwe was also a runner-up in the BBC African short story competition in 2005 with his sci-fi short story, Life in a Morgue.
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