The Sunday Mail
THE love of profit by some promoters almost derailed the second edition of the Harare International Carnival (HIC). The event, which began last year, was held over a 10-day period with a number of carnival events dotted around the capital. For this year’s edition, the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) decided to give rights to different private companies to organise various events that constituted the full course of the carnival programme.
While this was a good initiative, the decision almost proved costly to ZTA.
Instead of pushing the national agenda through the various carnival events and subsequently gaining profits, some promoters decided to go all systems out on the commercial drive.
For them, the national concern (destination marketing) driven by the event did not matter compared to the profit aspect. The spirit of profiteering gripped them as evidenced by exorbitant entrance fees and failure to honour carnival accreditation badges by some promoters.
First to threaten the smooth flow of the carnival was one Benjamin Rupapa who failed to host the Carnival Gospel Concert. Rupapa, after assuring the ZTA that he had the capacity to organise the concert, discovered at the eleventh hour that hosting such an event was no stroll in the park and he abandoned it.
Certainly the gentlemen thought that organising a gig was a stroll in the park. For him, this was an opportunity to make a killing ‘out of nothing’. Not even the tourism authority’s assistance in securing the HICC could help improve his predicament. He simply did not have the capital to cover small costs that were associated with hosting the event.
He just abandoned one of the most anticipated shows of the carnival.
Definitely, Rupapa thought all that was required of him was to look for a couple of bouncers on the day of the show, set up security at various entry/exit points of the venue (that he had not paid for) and fatten his malnourished pockets.
As if this setback was not enough, some promoters added salt to injury by engaging in uncouth behaviour. It was disheartening to note how hired bouncers at some venues ill-treated accredited delegates at show entry points.
In more than a single case, the bouncers denied carnival officials easy admission into some show venues despite the fact that they were in possession of accreditation badges.
This was the situation at the Carnival Zim Dancehall concert that was held soon after the Carnival Street Party. Yes, the event was well attended but that did not in any way warrant ill-treatment of delegates.
This reporter witnessed one of the security guys , threatening two foreign delegates with thorough beating for questioning why they were being denied admission to the gig. And the organiser of the show (if it was his idea) went on to increase the price of the show from the initially advertised US$3 to US$5, of course capitalising on the carnival brand that had drawn thousands of people into the streets of Harare.
“The issue of you being delegates within the carnival is your baby. We just want cash-paying revellers here. This is our thing (show), we don’t mind where you coming from. If you don’t have US$5, please go back to your hotel, ghetto youths will not even miss you ‘po po po po’,” shouted one of the bouncers to the delegates. Though the contracted companies are the culprits who got carried away by the commercial aspect of the carnival, one would be pardoned for partly blaming the ZTA.
The authority, of course, acted in good faith when it contracted these companies to guarantee success, but then the tourism authority was supposed to maintain a heavy clutch over every function that was being held under the carnival banner.
This stance has worked in countries like Nigeria, Seychelles and Trinidad and Tobago. It is common knowledge that promoters always have a commercial interest, thereby it would definitely be difficult for them to safeguard national interest ahead of the dollars.
It would have been ideal for the authority to be entirely involved in organising and co-ordinating these events, just like they did with the Miss Carnival Queen and the Carnival Street Party which were highly successful.
ZTA chief executive Mr Karikoga Kaseke said despite successes registered in the second edition of the carnival, there was still room for further improvement.
“Some of the developments have been a rude awakening to us. The fundamental deduction from these unfortunate scenarios is that we need to do due diligence before appointing anyone to organise any event on our behalf. If we lack in this regard, we run the risk of reversing the gains of the carnival thereby retarding its brand equity,” he said.
The ZTA chief executive said he personally tried to rectify the challenges that arose at the Carnival Zim Dancehall concert and other events.“I addressed the situation at Harare Gardens but generally I must say we are happy with how our partners and organisers ran their shows.
