[The Police in Zimbabwe are a force for evil. Jan]

Harare – Police arrested 16 actors who are shooting an action movie in Zimbabwe, for being in possession of “illegal firearms”, all of which were toys.

According to witnesses, two policemen who obviously had their own agenda, raided the movie set at a Baptist church.

Even after the actors explained to the police that the weapons were toys, they were taken to the Mabelreign police station for questioning.

They were held in a cell for a day.

Ryan Nush, director of the film, Nothing to Wait For, confirmed the incident.

According to him, the actors spent the night in the cells. He would not reveal any more details.

One actor, who asked to remain anonymous, said that when police realised they did not have a case against the actors, they then accused them of portraying the country and police in a bad light.

Accused of shooting porn

The scene being shot when the police pounced had been about bad conditions in prisons.

The actors also were accused of producing pornography, which is banned by the country’s censor board.

The men were held under the laws on public order and security legislation. Their scripts were confiscated by police and they were questioned individually for six hours.

The producers had been given permission earlier by police to shoot the movie.

However, the actions of the Zimbabwean government to clamp down on opposing ideals has seen increasing action against the arts.

The government claims that countries such as Britain and the United States are behind productions that portray a subversive image of the country.

Recently, the censor board banned a theatre production called Super Patriots and Morons as it apparently “demonised” President Robert Mugabe.

Another local movie, Throw the Dice, had to modify sections of the script on the board’s orders.

Edited by Iaine Harper

Source: News24.Com
URL: http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/Zimbabwe/…/p>