Record crowds at 2008 Zimfest

Record crowds at 2008 Zimfest

RECORD BREAKERS: A section of the bumper crowd at the 2008 Zimfest held at Raynes Park, London, on Saturday, August 30 [SEE MORE EXCLUSIVE PICTURES FROM ZIMFEST 2008]

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By Showbiz Reporter

THE 2008 Zimfest has enjoyed a record turnout, organisers said.

The annual festival held at the Prince George’s Playing Fields in Raynes Park, London, drew 5000 Zimbabweans of all colour last Saturday.

The event, organised by the UK-registered charity, WEZIMBABWE, climaxed with an hour-long performance by Oliver Mtukudzi and his Black Spirits band.

Speaking for the organisers, Hilton Mendelsohn hailed the event as a major success.

“We had about 5000 people this year, and that’s the maximum number we are allowed to have in terms of our licence,” said Mendelsohn.

The Zimfest was first held in 2001 and for some reason, says Mendelsohn, they were only successful in attracting mainly white Zimbabweans.

That changed this year with an almost equal number of black and white Zimbabweans getting together for a trouble-free event held with visible patriotic fervour.

The event kicked off at noon with a football and rugby tournaments. One big tent was reserved for business exhibitors. Several stalls sold an assortment of Zimbabwean food products, ready prepared food and braai.

Several bands including cultural group Siyaya Arts, Mann Friday and the RnB duo of Bkay and Kazz took turns to warm up the crowd for Mtukudzi’s arrival on stage at 9pm.

PICTURE MOMENT: A scene from Zimfest 2008

This year, world events lent powerful resonance to the organisers’ commitment to raising awareness over human rights abuses and social responsibility. A group of outreach campaigners from troubled Burma were invited to raise awareness of their country’s troubles and there was also a youth group campaigning against rising knife crime in the United Kingdom.

Mendelsohn said: “We were looking at inviting people from Darfur, but we were unsuccessful. We are very keen to show solidarity with campaigners from other countries in a similar situation like us. The campaign against knife crime certainly affects Zimbabweans who live in the various British communities touched by crime.”

WEZIMBABWE has an education fund which disburses financial support to underprivileged children in Zimbabwe through local organisations. About 40 percent of the income raised through Zimfest is set aside for the fund, Mendelsohn revealed.

When he started WEZIMBABWE with friends Adrian Lunga and Phillip Chikwiramakomo, the Bulawayo-born Mendelsohn said they were given the idea to start an annual festival for the Zimbabwean community by a Malawian friend.

“We see Zimfest as a platform to facilitate engagement among Zimbabweans. The sight of an old white man who grew up in Rhodesia deep in dialogue with a 19-year-old black Zimbabwean is a scene that you don’t come across everyday. If it wasn’t for Zimfest, it really wouldn’t happen,” he said.

Zimfest returns next year, and Mendelsohn is fired up by the challenge of staging an event to rival 2008.

“We have to deliver something better than Tuku, and that’s a huge challenge,” he said, referring to the legendary singer who returned home via South Africa on Sunday after a seven-gig tour of the UK.

[SEE MORE EXCLUSIVE PICTURES FROM ZIMFEST 2008]

THE BARE TRUTH: Zimbabwean beauties have fun in the sun during Zimfest 2008
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