Thomas mapfumo is a cross-generational hero of Zimbabwe, make no mistake about it.
Mapfumo cannot be bribed by young and childish Wicknell Chivhayo with an offer of a Car and a House, just so that Mukanya renounces his long-held criticism of corruption, economic mismanagement, and extravagance of current and past government officials.
If you honestly thought the living legend Thomas Mapfumo who was arrested by Ian Smith's regime and imprisoned for six months without trial at Chikurubi Maximum Prison for singing "Hokoyo", "Nyoka Musango’’, "Pamuromo Chete’’, ‘‘Chiruzevha Chapera’’, "Nhamo Yamakandiwa’’, ‘‘Zevezeve’’, and ‘‘Kuyaura Kwevasina Musha’’ where he sang; "VaChitepo varipi vatitungamirire? Chembere dzekuno dziripi dzitipe makona, kutipa makona tiwane kuuraya mhandu . . . N’anga dzekuno driripi dzitipe makona tiwane kuraya mhanu yanesta . . . Kuyaura kwevasina musha iwe . . .” They banned his music on Rhodesian radio.
The same Tafirenyika who sang ZANU PF into power during the liberation struggle and after Independence, he is the same Muchadura who as early as 1989 was calling out Robert Mugabe's government for corruption and did a song for them .
The same Mukanya who openly challenged the feared dictator Mugabe and told him "Nyika yamaichemera hona yaita Mamvemve", and sang "Munyika medu muno muneDisaster, helele mama helele nama, tapare nematsotsi"
The same lion of Zimbabwe who when Mugabe took this country to a war we could not afford to be part of in the DRC, told him, "Garotumira vana kuhondo, hooo haaa haha hona muchadura, kugarotumira vana kuhondo"
The same guy who also sang when Mugabe took the farms and parceled them to his cronies, Mapfumo told him, "kutaura muchinyanya marima nzara, kutaura muchinyanya baba makaura". He also sang "Kwapera makore mangani vakuru woye hona takamirira zvamakavimbisa. Maiti kurima hakunetsi, muchiti kurima inyore".
If you thought the same man who was persecuted by the Mugabe regime and sang "Chamunorwa, Chamunorwa weee, kunyangwe mukandituka, hooo munonditya imi..... Kunyange mukandizonda, hona munonditya imi..... Mapepa kudondinyora, hoo inga munondiziva. Vese vakandiverenga, inga vanondiziva"
The same man whose music is banned on national radio today, the very reason why you do not know that he sang and told ZANU PF ; "Hamunyare here varume vakuru? musadaro kani wo musadaro, musadaro kutamba nenyika".
This man, He is the same Hurricane Hugo, the very guy who sang "Hatidi Politics" a song you will NEVER hear on Zimbabwean radio. Hanzi "mitauro chete, kutukana chete, pasina zvafamba, vanhu vachingochema...... Vanoda rufaro, vanoda rugare, Hupenyu hwakanaka havadi politics. Vanoda zvikoro, vanoda dzimba. Vanoda zvipatara havadi politics. Vanoda kupfeka, vanoda kudya, vanoda dzimota havadi politics.// Matadza here varume, mapererwa chose, mavengwa nevanhu, mavengerweiko? Hapana rufaro, hapana rugare, hapana chakanaka, dzingori politics"
If you thought the same man who sang and told Zimbabwe in 2006 that "hameno zvenyu muchakarara, hamutaure vakomana, munongonyarara vasikana. Zvichingowoma vakomana. Inofa kwenyu ana amai. Munongo Kuvarira mukati" he also sang in 2018 and said "kwemakore mangani? Kwemakore mangani tichiSuffer isu? Kwemakore mangani muchitonga imi?"
If you really in your right mind thought the same man who sang;
"Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe
Vanhu ngavakudzwe, Mitemo ngaityiwe, Vanhu ngavakudzwe, Mitemo ngaityiwe
Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe
Vanhu havamanikwe, Vanhu havamanikidzwe, Musavafose Musavafoseredze, Vanhu havade
Zvekuvamanikidza
Vanhu ngavakudzwe, Mitemo ngaityiwe
Vanhu ngavakudzwe, Mitemo ngaityiwe
Musavarove, Nekuvatyisidzira
Hazvimbobatsira, Kana vasingade,
Ndivo vazhinji, Motovateerera"
If you honestly thought a person like Mukanya would fall for such school boy tomfoolery, and if you thought he can be bought with trinkets, then you My friend, you're either dull in the mind, uninformed or just plain ignorant.
If you thought he would respond any other way because of money, then you have no clue who this man is.
This man in legendary, the most consistent Zimbabwean artist who has sang for and stood with the people. One man who has freely and fearlessly spoken truth to power and held whole despotic governments to account.
He has a very rich and deep freedom fighter history, the creater of the sound that he called Chimurenga music. And to imagine that someone has the audacity to think that such an illustrious legacy can be sacrificed on the altar of political expediency is totally madness! I guess having lots of money is not a measure of one's wisdom after all. You think you can buy the great revolutionary? No, you're small boys!
When people thought all was going on well for Zimbabwe, and this was less than a decade after Independence, Mapfumo had already caught on to what these purported liberators were all about.
In an interview with News24 back in 2021 Mapfumo said; "I wrote that song Corruption (1989) against them. I supported them yesterday and I found out that I was supporting the wrong cause. So you can’t change me, I’m a man of the people. And if you do something wrong to the people, we’ll sing about it.”
If people understood and knew better they would never insult this man, for this man has stood with and for the people of Zimbabwe at every turn longer than most of us have lived on planet earth. If you really listened to his music and message you would not embarrass yourselves by thinking he would fall for such an offer.
The reaction by a lot of you who thought Gandanga would take this bait goes on to show the kind of people you are. You are very corrupt people and part of the cancer that is troubling our nation. You people are part of the problem, the whole lot of you! You just do not have the opportunity otherwise you too would be fighting to be included, fighting for your turn at the feeding trough.
If you knew that in the same interview he said; “But I’m a man of the people. And I stand with the poor people. That’s where I belong. Money is nothing to me. The poor people are the ones who put me where I am today. So, why should I abandon them? Just for the sake of money? I won’t do that.”
If you knew this and that his message has been consistent for almost 50 years now, you would know it was stupidity first to offer him a house and a car and secondly, absurdity to even think he could ever fall for such nonsense.
You people and your shallow minded artists are the ones that can be bought so easily and so cheaply.
This incident should save as a reminder that whilst the whole lot of you is corrupt and will gladly receive these trinkets there is still a remnant that is upright and has no price tag. This should let you know that not every man has a price, some are principled and beyond reproach!
"I am not that type to be bribed like that," quipped Thomas Mapfumo
What is 'Akwa' compared to such a legacy?
Pen 🖊 capped!
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