Staff Reporter

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has thrown his weight behind the country’s Arts and Culture in Creative Industries as well as encouraging them to continue communicating the obtaining economic realities at different development epochs in our history.

He said this at the official launch of the private preview of the Stars are Bright Exhibition at the National Gallery in Harare yesterday, while welcoming the return of Zimbabwe`s artwork collection which was created by young students from the Cyrene Mission in the 1940s.

“This artwork collection being show-cased at this Exhibition is a testimony that the Arts, Culture and Creative Industries have long been part of the daily life of the people of Zimbabwe, connecting us to our indigenous landscapes and communicating the obtaining socio-economic realities at different development epochs of our history,” said President Mnangagwa.

President Mnangagwa said the 'Stars Are Bright Collection' signifies the importance of artworks in Zimbabwe, pledging Government‘s continued support for the local arts sector.

“This artwork collection being showcased at this exhibition is a testimony that the Arts, Culture and Creative Industries have long been part of our daily lives. My Government under the Second Republic recognizes the need to create an environment for holistic national development,” said the President.

President Mnangagwa said artists have a huge role to playing in telling the true story of Zimbabwe, while urging them to resist being manipulated by those pursuing their own agenda.

“The true story of our country has not yet been fully told. I thus challenge artists and researchers to unravel and tell the uncorrupted Zimbabwean story including through creative works across various fields.

“Do not allow yourselves to be manipulated by some western entities for their own dubious agenda, yet others may attempt to use you to subvert your own country as well as deprive present and future generations of hearings and seeing the world through reflections of your artworks,” said the President.

He further said that the church and the Government are indispensable partners in the quest for a higher quality of life for Zimbabweans and therefore should work together in national development projects.

“Drawing from the lessons we learn from the journey of these artworks, I exhort the church to continue partnering, complementing and supporting initiatives which advance Zimbabwe’s national development narrative in close liaison with government ministries,” said President Mnangagwa.

Meanwhile, the Second Republic continues to recognize the need to create an environment for holistic national development, beyond a modern and industrialized economy as it works toward attaining Vision 2030 of an Upper Middle Income Economy.