By Masimba Musodza|Social media is abuzz with the appointment of Zimbabwean Olympic athlete Kirsty Coventry as Minister for Youth, Sport, Art & Recreation in the new government led by President Emerson Mnangagwa.

Her political views are unknown, and perhaps this is what has endeared her even moreto Zimbabweans across the political divide, many of whom see in her a refreshing alternative to the exhausted “war credentials” coterie that has characterised the political landscape since Independence and failed resoundingly to achieve its stated goals. She has a stable personal life, and is remembered telling reporters when asked about it that she expected the man who is now her husband to pay lobola, capturing the hearts of a conservative majority who have looked on in horroras other young celebrities trample on time-honoured traditions and lead what could be described as dissolute lives.

With her impressive achievements as an athlete widely known, it is considered a fait accompli that Ms Coventry will implement government programmes to develop Zimbabwean sportsat all levels. Critical attention is focused on the Arts aspect of her portfolio.

The question is being raised; what does Ms Coventry know about Arts, anyway?

To this question, I have quipped; A bloody lot more than most Zimbabwean politicians! I believe she can actually quote from a work of literature by a Zimbabwean writer that is not a “self-help” or “motivational” book, can tell Zimbabwean sculpture from pieces by artists from other countries, has watched a play by AmakhosiTheatre or been inside a hut done up in traditional art. The same cannot be said of the Philistines that make up the bulk of our political class!Even with a more refined and informed appreciation of Zimbabwean art, the question still lingers; what can Kirsty Coventry do to address the challenges of the arts sector? She is no musician, actress, writer, painter, sculptor.

Those who are familiar with my opinions know that I would prefer that the government had very little to do with the arts sector in the first place. I agree with the late great Zimbabwean author, Dambudzo Marechera, who said, “When politicians start to talk about culture, one better pack one’s bags and run away, for this invariably means censureship!”The sorry record of government in the arts sector speaks for itself.

There are more Zimbabweans today who earn a living from the arts, but this is a positive development that has transpired outside of any government programme, and demonstrates my conviction that artists should be saying, Thanks, but no thanks instead of drawing up a list of demands to present to the new minister. What we can thank the government for as artists are things like the over-regulation of broadcasting (including netcasting), which has stifled the growth of a viable motion picture industry, ruinous fiscal policies and restrictive taxation rules that have prevented many artists from purchasing capital goods from abroad or dissipated their hard-earned income, and censoring of divergent voices.

These are things that all the government has to do to improve the working environment for artists is step back and leave us to build our industry. There is one thing that the government can do; take real action to protect the intellectual property of artists.

Despite the country being a signatory to international conventions and having its own laws on piracy, bootleg CDs, DVDs, books and downloads are sold openly in Zimbabwe. While many musicians have given up expecting any royalties on their work, they can at least look togate takings when they stage live performances.

Those who work in motion picture do not have such alternative revenue streams, and are hit hard by the illegal sales or uploading of their movies. We can thank the government, which has stifled the growth of a viable broadcasting industry, for effectively taking away this alternative stream from many artists and for failing to treat piracy like the serious crime it is. The most visible evidence of this devastation is the fact that many of the filmmakers who made movies just a few years ago have given up on the industry, despite the fact that their movies have been seen by tens or even hundreds of thousands of people.

The enforcement of copyright laws is within the province of the Minister for Home Affairs, who exercises political direction over the Zimbabwe Republic Police. However, successive Home Affairs ministers have been ineffective. I think that Ms Coventry as Minister for the Youth, Arts & Recreation and as an influential person, can highlight the matter to the Minister for Home Affairs and ensure that it remains a focus for attention.

In ending, I would like to congratulate Kirsty Coventry on her appointment and hope that she will find the time to focus on a matter I feel affects the livelihoods of thousands of Zimbabweans and business entities.