Violence in Budiriro that saw members of Johanne Masowe eChishanu beating up police officers and journalists a couple of months ago is continually inspiring local scriptwriters.
Vakorinde Studios has released a drama-comedy titled KuBudiriro tsvimbo nemboma capturing the Budiriro violence.
The Shona drama-comedy was written by Collen “Vakorinde” Ziriro and Jimmy Mudereri Chadzinya and features veteran actor Charles Merisi who starred as Marabha in the Kapfupi drama series.
Chadzinya says the drama is meant to discourage society from taking the law into its own hands.
“It is an offense to humiliate or beat up national law enforcers as was the case in Budiriro.
“The development inspired us to produce the drama KuBudiriro tsvimbo nemboma as a way of teaching society about the dangers associated with waging war against the police,” said the 27-year-old actor.
The drama is basically centred on “politics in the church of Johanne Masowe and ungodly acts such as theft and adultery perpetrated by church leaders on innocent victims.”
“KuBudiriro Tsvimbo nemboma exposes the rot in the church, including infringing children’s rights by denying them the chance to go to school, discouraging members of the church from visiting hospitals or clinics and preaching a false gospel meant to oppress them,” said Chadzinya.
This becomes the fifth production from Chadziya and company as they have produced four other dramas previously and these include Beware, Siperire, Mari Mudziyo Wakaipa and Mwana Muparadzi.
In May this year, the Vapositori sect went on a rampage after Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe president Johannes Ndanga led a 26-member delegation including the police and journalists, to the church’s revered shrine to enforce a “ban” imposed on the church over issues of women and child abuse.
Some of the congregants challenged Ndanga to read his speech in Shona claiming they did not understand English.
Ndanga then ordered police to arrest one of the congregants who kept interjecting as he read his speech justifying the banning of the church.
Other congregants then began singing an allegedly “violence-inciting song” called Umambo hwepfumo neropa before male congregants charged at Ndanga.
The violence left police officers and journalist injured and the incident saw more than 30 Vapositori being arrested and hitherto the sect’s leader,
Ishamea Mufani, is still on the run.