Hosia Mviringi
As fate would have it, Thandiwe Melannie Newton, the 49-year-old Britiish actress of Zimbabwean parentage, has appeared on British television to issue an apology of shame to fellow black actresses.
Thandiwe, in pretending to be sorry, could not hide the shame that inadvertently drowned and overshadowed her rather well meant intentions, if she had any at all.
To conceal her shame guilt for the greater evil, she pretended to be apologising for the things that never existed.
Such things as taking jobs and men from fellow black actresses, things that never existed as they just came unsolicited from the motor mouth guilty traitorous actress.
The background to Newton’s latest stunt is that she is a co-producer to the documentary ‘President’, in which Zimbabwe opposition politician Nelson Chamisa is being glorified and portrayed as victim to the the 2018 elections which he lost in one of the cleanest manner ever seen on African soil.
In the film Newton and fellow executive producer Danny Glover did the film ‘President’ in sympathy with Nelson Chamisa, but more specifically, the film was meant as a hatchet job mean to embarrass and bash President Emmerson Mnangwagwa’s image ahead of his appearance at the COP26 Climate Conference in Glasgow Scotland.
However, Thandiwe’s frustration came when her film project was rejected by the London Film Festival, one event which was earmarked to blow prominence to the film and cast bad light on President Mnangagwa.
In a scathing attack directed at the LFF organisers, Newton blamed them for being political rather than being professional when they rejected her film.
She goes on to accuse the London Film Festival for acting to protect President Mnangagwa.
“Everytime it gets into another festival and wins another festival and gets shortlisted for Oscars, I am just thinking London Film Festival, ‘Where were you? And the reason they were not there was because it was a week before Mnangagwa went to Scotland with a delegation of 100 from Zimbabwe, invited by the United Kingdom. That wouldn’t have been a great way to have him arrive the week before, right? That’s why I think it wasn’t screened,” said Newton to the London Film Festival organisers.
Of course, even though she claims otherwise, the above statement betrays the real reason and purpose for producing the documentary.
Behold, “President” was going to be more than just a film as it was purposely meant to portray President Mnangagwa as the man who stole an election from Chamisa who ironically is framed in the film in the mould of Nelson Mandela.
The film was intended to overturn an election result in the court of public opinion and to spark an outcry incite a revolt by Zimbabweans and a change of attitude by international partners to the country.
The film was designed to give prominence to a result that never materialised. It was meant to create a hero out of a loser.
Thandie’s frustrations can be understood though.
Just like many other black Africans in foreign lands, deriding a sitting African head of State has its own accolades and Newton had her eyes on the coveted price, the Oscar.
She couldn’t imagine a film that bashes an African leader, while supporting a host country’s favoured candidate, failing to qualify, or at most losing at the Oscars. But unforeseen to her, the film didn’t only lose, it failed to qualify, much to her chagrin.
“Our selection decisions, which are made three months in advance of the festival, are based on the merits of the film and whether it fits into the overall texture of the program and not guided by external factors,” said the London Film Festival organisers in response to Newton’s accusations of political interference in the selection process.
The “President” documentary turns out as one of the most aggressive foreign sponsored projects targeting the Zimbabwean government and its leadership meant to inflict long lasting scars on the image of the country, all in support of a Western puppet who is touted as the victim in the film.
Newton desperately tried to distance herself from the politics behind the production of the film even though its crystal clear from a distance.
To betray her conflicted state is a lane excuse for her involvement in the film project.
“I have never wanted to speak out about Ximbabwe because speaking out politically has always been, ” You are speaking out against Zimbabwe.
That’s why I’ve never wanted to get involved because it’s not political. I don’t know enough to comment on who should vote for who. If you don’t live in the country, you can’t say,” said Newton.
Newton quickly engages default mode and reveals her interest in Zimbabwean political affairs through the film;
The difference now is that she confesses that she doesn’t see efforts by the Zimbabwean government to remedy the issues raised.
Yet in the preceding statement she confessed that as a non-resident, she wouldn’t comment on who should vote for who, while at the same time she glorifies Chamisa whom she potrays as a victims.
One then wonders how she can lead a protest against things she is not even aware of!
It betrays presence of the usual hand behind the production by people who probably have not been to Zimbabwe.O
f course like all propaganda tools, it fails the test of reality.
Newton left Zimbabwe as a baby to Zambia where she could only live until she was only 11.
She has lived in the UK and USA since then.
She can’t then claim to have a recollection of events in Zimbabwe, neither should she be justified to mourn louder than the bereaved.
The failed film was supposed to become a handy tool to launch the CCC onto international prominence.
Hilariously, it was a dismal failure and a pale shadow if itself.
Of course with the launch of this film, Newton quickly morphs from being a competitive actor into a political activist. What a feat!
Chati homu chareva.
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