When Zimbabwe National Army Brigadier-General Anselem Sanyatwe we denied, during the just-ended public hearings, that a certain soldier was filmed in a shooting position firing live ammunition at protesters on August 1, his sentiments raised the ire of many.
By Kennedy Nyavaya
But, as much as his theory that the soldier was shooting at 45 degrees into the air may have irked some, daring jester Comic Pastor thinks he deserves an award in this month’s instalment of the Monthly Comic Awards.
It’s almost two years since the satirist, born Prosper Ngomashi, started the witty show, which has transcended the bar from just an online dose of laughter to a beacon of freedom of speech and expression.
“We had to give him [Sanyatwe] an award and definitely could not leave him out seeing that his statement was trending and against what a section of the public believes,” Ngomashi told The Standard Style on Wednesday.
The preacher of comedy’s bag of awards is based largely on trending blunders ranging from the ordinary citizen to the highest office holders in the land.
Despite the admirable boldness, which could land him in trouble, especially with the powerful, rich and famous, he insists that it is not personal and that is what has kept him safe.
“Since I started, I have never been threatened and this is because when we do comic awards we are not digging deep into people’s personal lives, but rather focusing on what is already in the public domain,” he said.
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According to Comic Pastor, his efforts are aimed at “documenting history” and easing the stress on hard-pressed citizens.
“If I ever fear, then I will never be a free comedian. if I get arrested and people are laughing rather than stressing about their problems, then it is fine,” he said.
“By the way, most people are too busy to be chasing comedians around because that would be an unfortunate waste of productive time.”
Meanwhile, with the internet being his main source of content, Comic Pastor’s journey this year has been harder than in 2017 because of the political tension and worsening economic hardships, but that grim reality also calls for comedy to ease the stress.
For Comic Pastor, the rugged terrain in the comedy space is no deterrent, but a spark that has lit a fire of expansion.
“What I need is space to successfully execute my plan, which is to run the awards live as a red carpet event that will be a permanent monthly feature on people’s calendars,” said the awardwinning joker, who dumped formal employment to crack ribs.
