AFTER serving as National Arts Council of Zimbabwe acting director for a year, Elvas Mari has been confirmed as the substantive director of the council with effect from November 1. He takes over from Titus Chipangura who resigned from the council last year.

Mari joined the NACZ as assistant director for arts development and promotion in 2002 and rose through the ranks to become assistant director before heading the council in an acting capacity since December last year.

As acting director, Mari managed to retain staff despite economic challenges that saw various sectors losing employees to neighbouring countries.

The appointment should also come as a reward for his ability to keep the NACZ events on the calendar through hard times.

Mari was upbeat about his new role saying he would do his best to steer the council to greater achievements.

He said among his major assignments would be monitoring the amendment of the NACZ Act that stakeholders have proposed.

"Having been in the system for the past seven years, I can say this is just a matter of carrying on with the work that we have done through the past years in addition to coming up with new ideas and programmes for the development of the arts," Mari said.

"Our organisation is also tasked with transforming the arts sector into a professional entity while next year's World Cup finals in South Africa will require us to come up with programmes to market the country through arts and entertainment."

Mari said he would be working on final touches to ensure the complete implementation of the council's strategic plan that the board put in place at the beginning of the year.

He worked as a teacher, commissioner and lecturer before joining NACZ and will be banking on his vast experience to foster arts development in the country.