BCL mine closure inspires Madi Majwana Season III
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Thursday February 16, 2017 15:54
When some hoped that that news could not be true, reality hit the mineworkers and Selebi-Phikwe people more especially the business community when the Mine closed. The closure of the mine sent ripple effects not only in the mining town of Selebi-Phikwe but also in Francistown, surrounding areas and the economy of this country was affected.
However, the turn of the events inspired Madi Majwana producers to write real life experiences by people who had been negatively affected by the BCL closure. They tell those stories in Season III. Madi Majwana: Stories from Your Pocket radio drama and stage production is back.
During an interview with Showbiz, Maru-a-pula and Maitisong head of communications, Morongoa Mosetlhi said the new season will be based on real life experiences of the BCL mineworkers who suddenly lost their jobs. She said the stories will be looking at the change of lives in Selebi-Phikwe.
“Season III offers a fresh perspective on the economic outlook. It reveals the hard-hitting realities of those directly affected by job losses in large industries. It further explores some of the topics discussed in Seasons One and Two.”
“This season, Madi Majwana stories introduce other pertinent issues that continue to plague our society. Characters from diverse backgrounds tell their stories as they strive to make a living. Their stories reflect the black, white and grey areas of real life monetary habits, successes and failures,” she said.
Mosetlhi added that the stories aim to inspire Batswana to save money and find ways to generate income so that when they do not go through the same ordeal as Selebi-Phikwe residents. She said Batswana must develop the habit of saving because nothing stays permanent, being it a job or business.
In a press release, Mosetlhi explained that the return of Madi Majwana stories demonstrated Barclays Bank’s commitment to leave a lasting legacy in Botswana. She noted that over the past four years, the bank invested P3,589,400 to the success of this project, including a commitment of more than P1 million this year.
“This is a significant contribution towards improving society’s financial management, ensuring that they make informed decisions. To date, Madi Majwana: Stories from Your Pocket has reached close to one million people nation-wide. The project has grown to become a vehicle for social commentary. The theatre production prompts introspection from audiences and dialogue about different societal realities. It encourages people to reflect on their own prejudices which adversely affect social cohesion,” she noted.
She further stated that the partnership between Barclays Bank and Maitisong was a significant illustration of how a responsible financial institution that cared about the community within which it operates could utilise the creative industry as a tool for social and economic emancipation. She said Barclays affirms the arts’ potential to contribute towards employment creation and empowerment.
“Since its implementation, the project has engaged over 150 young people, providing them with income and knowledge to manage it. One of the highlights of the programme have been training 35 young people as Debt Counsellors. We are currently pursuing opportunities for them to receive accreditation they can use to help financial institutions with debt counseling services,” she stated.
Mosetlhi added that the economic benefits of Madi Majwana could not be over-emphasised. She said it engaged youth as voice artists, actors, scriptwriters, production team members, and monitoring and evaluation assistants. She also said the project provides income to four commercial radio stations, enabling them to sustain jobs.
Season three started airing on radio this week Monday. It plays on Mondays at 6:50am on Yarona FM, Wednesdays at 1:40pm on Gabz FM, Thursdays at 4:35pm on RB2 and Fridays at 6:30pm on Duma FM.