PRETORIA – 1st FEBRUARY, 2016 – GOVERNMENT has called on the corporate world in Zambia to make it part of their policy to utilise the services of musicians as a way of rendering support to the artists.
Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa, His Excellency Mr. Emmanuel Mwamba has urged businesses in Zambia to emulate their South African counterparts who have made it part of their plans to always include performances by musicians at their functions.
“In South Africa, corporate institutions have made it more or less mandatory for their business lunches, product launches, end-of-year events and other functions to be graced by their local artists as a way of supporting them. From such efforts, you find that the industry is well developed and competitive,” he said.
Mr. Mwamba said the Patriotic Front Government realised the important role that artists played in both the country’s social and economic sectors hence the creation of the Ministry of Tourism and Arts to specifically look into their affairs.
He appealed to stakeholders to support artists in Zambia by reasonably remunerating them.
“The Patriotic Front Government recognises these people as professionals and we wish to encourage other stakeholders to appreciate them and pay them well for their services,” he said.
Mr Mwamba was speaking when Mirriam Mukape (Mampi), Dambisa Lunda (Dambisa), Bernard Katiyo (Za Yellow) and Moses N’gandwe (Chester), paid a courtesy call on him at his office in Pretoria this afternoon.
The four, who are being hosted by the Zambia Association in South Africa (ZASA), are in the country for a series of shows as a precursor to festivities for Valentine’s Day which falls in the next two weeks. Their first performance will be on Saturday, 6th February, 2016 at Scarlet Ribbon in Edenvale, Johannesburg while details for the second show expected to be held the following day are yet to be confirmed.
The artists promised “good” shows with Mampi and Dambisa assuring to sample one or two songs from their upcoming releases.
Issued by:
Nicky Shabolyo
PRESS SECRETARY
HIGH COMMISSION OF ZAMBIA IN SOUTH AFRICA
Mobile: 00 27 810027548 Email:press@zambiapretoria.net; nshabolyo@gmail.com