Ngoni Dapira

CITY of Mutare last Friday during a press conference cleared the air that it will not change the use of Courtauld Theatre after evicting the Courtauld Players Association that were running the theatre section since 2014.

City of Mutare town clerk Blessing Chafesuka assured creatives in Mutare that the eviction of the Courtauld Players Association last week Wednesday would not change the original purpose and functions of the theatre, but it was legally done with the intentions of upholding rule of law and removing what is supposed to be a ‘government asset’ from the hands of private individuals.

City of Mutare town clerk Blessing Chafesuka (centre) flanked by local authority officials during the press conference last Friday.

“The City of Mutare reaffirms its commitment to preserving the cultural heritage of the Courtauld Theatre and enhancing its value to the community…We remain committed to upholding the rule of law, protecting public assets and serving the interests of all citizens. Contrary to misinformation circulating in some media, there is no plan to demolish or repurpose the theatre itself. The City intends to expand its function by incorporating the Mutare City Museum into the same premises, enriching its cultural and educational offerings,” said Chafesuka during the presser and tour of the theatre.

Built in 1946, the iconic theatre for performing arts was built by British philanthropists Stephen and Virginia Courtauld. The theatre was part of a larger legacy of support for cultural and educational initiatives in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). The Courtaulds were patrons of the arts and they funded the building of the Courtauld Theatre  and the Queen’s Hall (now Mutare Hall), which are now all under the City of Mutare as government owned entities for community service.

Since 2014 it was being run by the Courtauld Players Association which was steered by Henry Tsopotsa, a Mutare based creative and other executive members.  However, in May 2015, following a letter written by Stan Smith, the then executive committee secretary, he handed over the theatre back to the local authority citing that the 2014 executive committee of the Courtauld Players Association had been dissolved.

Chafesuka said this is how the City of Mutare started the legal procedures in taking over the theatre, but over the years faced resistance from Tsopotsa and some other executive committee members who contested the letter by Smith as a ploy to oust ‘indigenous’ creatives that were part of the 2014 executive.

“So as City of Mutare we have now officially taken possession of the Courtauld Theatre following a lengthy legal process to reclaim a public asset that had been unlawfully occupied for several years. We initiated legal proceedings in 2016 to evict the unlawful occupants. After nearly eight years of litigation the Magistrates Court granted an eviction order in 2023. The occupants appealed to the Supreme court but their appeal was dismissed in August 2024,” said the town clerk.

Some of the property owned by the Courtauld Players Association piled outside, after the eviction order served by the Messenger of Court.

Adding, “Following the Supreme court ruling, we instructed the Messenger of Court to execute the eviction order. However, in response to a plea by the occupants for additional time before vacating the premises by December 31, 2024, the City agreed, acting in good faith. But the occupants did not honour their plea which is why we finally executed the eviction order after giving them more than enough time since December last year.”

Chafesuka however revealed that the rundown state of the theatre makes it unsuitable for public use which is why they decided to cease all activities until renovations are done. He said the Carvery Restaurant section and the bar were already running under separate leases signed by the local authority, so the two entities will remain operational.

He added that they also intend to build new office facilities for the Director of Housing and Community Services on adjacent land within the same stand as Courtauld Theatre, but the feasibility study for the project is still being worked on.

“These (Housing and Community Services office buildings) are separate from the existing theatre complex and will not affect the integrity of the historic structure. To all creatives in Mutare please also note that once renovated the theatre will be available for use by all artists and cultural groups on fair and equitable terms. Former occupants including Mr Tsopotsa and his team will also have access like any other citizen or group,” said Chafesuka in his parting shot.

In a side interview with Tsopotsa on Sunday he said they respect the ruling by the courts and are still trying to re-engage the City of Mutare so that they continue to promote artistic works as creatives. Tsopotsa said the allegations of dissolving the Courtauld Players Association executive committee in 2015 were never true, but admitted that it is now water under the bridge after the Supreme Court ruling.

“From the onset our drive has always been to promote the works of creatives through this theatre and give them a hub to work from. It has not been easy but were had our milestones and we believe we know better how to promote the arts sector in Mutare and Manicaland at large as creatives ourselves. So we hope we can still re-engage for a lease and work amicably with the City of Mutare,” said Tsopotsa.