In a podcast interview with DJ Ollah 7 on Thursday, Selmor and her sister Sandra, daughters of the late music icon Oliver Mtukudzi, criticised their stepmother, Daisy.
This interview followed Selmor’s experience at the inaugural Oliver Mtukudzi International Festival of the Arts (OMIFA) at Pakare Paye Arts Centre in Norton over the weekend.
Initially not included in the lineup, Selmor was added after a public outcry. However, she left the stage in tears after performing just one song.
Sandra is Tuku’s eldest child from his marriage to Melody Murape, making her and Selmor siblings. Sam (now deceased) and Samantha are Tuku’s children with Daisy.
During the podcast, Selmor said that she struggled to manage her emotions after receiving a warm reception from fans. She said:
It was my first time performing at the Pakare Paye stage after the death of my father. I became emotional when we arrived only to see my father’s office locked. When I appeared on stage, I was touched by the people who showed me love.
Selmor also dismissed claims that her playlist was targeted at her stepmother, Daisy, adding that she was shocked by her omission by the OMIFA 2024 organising team led by her half-sister Samantha. She said:
During my show, I always start with the song “Changu Chiiko,” and then “Seiko’ with a low tempo.
We then shift gears as we proceed as has become the norm at our shows. People who frequent our shows know our playlist better and that playlist was not targeted at anyone…
I was pained when I realised that I had been omitted from the initial line-up for the festival. I only got an invitation via e-mail on short notice.
To my surprise, the organising team started planning this event in June.
Selmor (41), said he was willing to participate at family events. She said:
It’s quite unfortunate that they keep on excluding me from family events. I was also shocked when the festival organisers claimed they had omitted me from the line-up because they had a small budget.
To my surprise, I have never asked for payment to perform at family events. I was also shocked when the organisers told me that they had a tight budget for the show.
She said their late father, Tuku, had high hopes for the family and wanted them to collaborate on a song before he died. Said Selmor:
His situation was difficult because of Mama (Daisy) who didn’t want us to be close to him.
Selmor paid tribute to her late half-brother Sam, saying he was a level-headed man. She said:
He was a different person altogether. He knew his bloodline. At one point, he bought an expensive watch for her sister Selby after an international tour.
She appealed to the public to disassociate her husband Tendai Manatsa, from the Mtukudzi family drama. Said Selmor:
Tendai should not be included in this issue. He is only a son-in-law who should not be dragged into this matter.
Meanwhile, Selmor’s elder sister, Sandra, claimed that Daisy was the stumbling block in uniting Tuku’s family. Said Sandra:
Before our father died, he sat down with all his daughters, including Samantha, and advised us to unite.
He advised us to plan family events together. To my shock, she appears to have forgotten all that our dad has taught us.
I was shocked that there was a family event which was held in Madziva before the festival where Mama (Daisy), Samantha and Faith attended.
The exclusion is not only about Selmor, but all of Tuku’s daughters and family members.
Sandra, who travelled from the United Kingdom for the festival said she was willing to unite the family. She said:
I am open to dialogue and anything that can unite you as a family. Family events should also be in harmony and unity. We are open for a mediator to come and unite this family.
When I was going to college while staying with Mama (Daisy) in Norton, I was always in arrears.
It was a private college where I was learning with kids from rich backgrounds.
Things normalised after Dad contacted the principal to inform him about everything which was needed in school.
Sandra also described Daisy as embodying the archetype of a typical stepmother, characterising her as both wicked and selfish. She said:
I stayed with Dad for a long time while she was with my stepmother after I finished school. I can’t lie, it was a difficult situation. A lot would happen.
I would always see that there was favouritism for children. I remember this incident in Glenwood, Kwekwe, I was 16, and dad and his new wife were building a house in Norton, the green house.
I was not informed about the house, even though other children knew. After the house was done, Dad came to bid us farewell. I didn’t know the date they were moving out.
Sandra said a few days later, people said that they met Tuku in town. She said:
I went home and it was a sorrowful state. I was hurt. The house was empty and I didn’t know where they went.
Daisy recently claimed that she was a victim of cyberbullying, as people have portrayed her as cruel to her stepdaughters.
More: Pindula News