HARARE – Luminary artiste, Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi urged Zimbabweans to take the creative industry seriously as it has a potential to create employment and a comfortable life.
Tuku made these remarks while addressing hundreds of mourners at Glen Forest Cemetery in Harare while paying last respects to veteran actor Walter Mparutsa.
Muparutsa succumbed to Non Hodgkin cancer.
“Walter’s life depended on art or acting and the industry rewarded him, he owned a good house in Belvedere and he bought the house through acting. I own a house and raised my family through music,” said Mtukudzi.
Mtukudzi said the late Mparutsa was a good example of a person who acquired his wealth through acting.
“Mparutsa as a successful actor inspired many upcoming artists and proved that it is possible for one to lead a decent life through art,” said Tuku.
Owning a house in the country’s urban areas such as Harare, Bulawayo and Mutare among others is not an easy task for many.
Judging by Zimbabwean standards, a house especially in the medium and low density suburbs like Belvedere is a commendable achievement.
One of Mparutsa’s notable achievements was of the founding of the Zimbabwe Theatre Association (Zita) between 2007 and 2008 which is registered with National Arts Council of Zimbabwe.
Mtukudzi is living large in Norton where he has a beautiful art centre, known as Pakare Paye Arts Centre.
Local private property developers estimated the total value of the land and developments to close to $2 million on the market.
Pakare Paye Arts centre is a place for developing and nurturing young talent in different artistic fields such as music, dance, drama, poetry and martial arts among other art disciplines.
Back in the days, the art sector was regarded as “an industry for vagabonds” and for this reason parents used to discourage their children from pursuing artistic careers.
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