Patson Chimbodza

Wife

As of 14 October 2010, Patson Chimbodza's wife is Maurine.^[1]

Education

He is a qualified motor mechanic.^[2]

Career

He started being a promoter in 2004 when he had an opportunity to rent a night club in Chitungwiza which ran under the name Club Chipaz.

After regularising his promotion papers with the responsible authorities, he founded Chipaz Promotions and started organising shows for Tongai Moyo and Kapfupi.

As time passed by, Chipaz then engaged upcoming musicians. He played a role in getting groups like Sulumani Chimbetu, Apama Dance Group and Kapfupi to be recognised.^[1]

After his retirement, Chipaz singled out Oliver Mtukudzi’s tour of Mozambique as his biggest flop. He said he used a lot of money in organising and marketing the tour. It was looking very promising but there was a sudden downpour on the day of the concert and as a result no single person came for the outdoor concert.

As for his most successful concert, Chipaz mentioned the 2010 HICC Shutdown gig which featured musicians Alick Macheso, Tongai Moyo, Oliver Mtukudzi and Allan Chimbetu. The show attracted a huge crowd and Chipaz Promotions had advance tickets pegged at US$5 but they ended up selling tickets for US$30.^[3]

Retirement

He retired from music promotion in 2017. Chipaz said he was retiring because of some enemies he refused to name.^[3] In 2018, Patson Chimbodza said he would continue working with musicians he had close ties with away from live shows. He said that he was assisting emerging promoters.^[4]

Businesses

He has a garage P&M Motors which has a workshop in Southerton. Partson Chimbodza started his own company P & M Motors in 2004. In March 2017, Chipaz said he also has a small-scale printing business, and was running entertainment joints Dandaro Bar and Plaza de Castilla.^[5]

Controversies

Foreign Currency Externalisation

Chipaz featured on the list of people who externalised foreign currency. In response he said there was proof of what he did with the money he is believed to have externalised. He said:

"I used to promote international artistes like Charlie Black, Luciano, Davido, I-Octane and Busy Signal who all came to Zimbabwe. We only saw the list in the newspapers but there is enough proof of what I did with the US$42 000. I feel as promoters we should be honoured for promoting tourism by bringing international artistes who are also key in image perception management once they return to their countries. However, I will comply with the authorities but I will also defend myself when there is need to do so."

^[2]

Non Payment of Musicians

In 2017, musicians accused Chipaz of not paying them performance fees for a show he hosted which featured South African musician Cassper Nyovest in Bulawayo.

Cassper Nyovest was backed by Cal_vin, Asaph, Gulava Se7en, Mzoe 7, DJ Liz and DJ Nospa. Asaph, Gulavua Se7en and Mzoe7 accused Chipaz of not paying them after their performances.

Mzoe 7 said they were owed $150 and were calling Patson Chimbodza and nothing had materialised. Asaph mentioned the issue with Chipaz in his song titled Altezza Music.

However, Chipaz defended himself by saying he followed contractual agreements. He said:

"If anyone is saying I didn’t pay them let them show you the contract. Some of these artists just want to be part of the shows just to increase their visibility, it’s the norm with upcoming artistes. Regardless of the fact that the show flopped we didn’t get the expected numbers but we paid those we had contracts and some of those who just jumped into our program were given a token of appreciation amounting to $100. These artistes want to be part of shows in a bid to get exposure without contracts and after the show they make up stories to tarnish our brands."

^[6]

Non Payment of Loan

In 2017 a Harare business woman identified by The Herald as Cynthia Pasipanodya said she lent Chipaz thousands of dollars but was not paid back.

Pasipanodya claims to have granted Chimbodza a loan of US$4 000 hoping that he would pay it back in May 2017 after hosting Alick Macheso’s show in Bulawayo. She said she was sending Chipaz messages and calling him to no avail. She added that she had tried everything in her power to get the money back but Patson Chimbodza was not complying.

When approached by The Herald, Chipaz refused to comment about Pasipanodya’s claims rubbishing them as street talk.^[6]

Malicious Damage To Property And Unlawful Conduct Charge

On 27 March 2015, Chipaz appeared in court for allegedly using a vehicle without the owner’s consent and causing damages to the same property.

Magistrate Mr Takunda Mutetwa remanded him out of custody on $100 bail.

Chimbodza was warned against interferring with witnesses while out on bail and ordered to continue staying at his Mandara.

The court heard that the vehicle owner Mr Elliot Chivige – an ambulance driver with Emras – hired out his Toyota Granvia to some unnamed three people.

The trio told him that they wanted to use the vehicle to attend a memorial service in Mvuma for a day and they agreed on a hiring fee of $90.

When the trio took the vehicle, it is alleged, they did not return it until detectives from CID Law and Order Section recovered it at Chimbodza’s work place at Number 35 Lobengula Road in Southerton.

Police investigations revealed that Chimbodza was not the one who had hired the vehicle but that he had used it to carry his speakers and other musical instruments from Harare to Gweru without the knowledge of the owner.

The car had been vandalised to an extent that the seats were missing. The vehicle’s suspension was also damaged as a result of the unlawful usage and quantified total damages caused to the vehicle at $1 200.

Police also established that the seats were removed by Patson Chimbodza in order to accommodate the huge speakers but they were never recovered.^[7]

In June 2015, Chimbodza was acquitted after a full trial that was presided over by Harare magistrate, Takunda Mutetwa. Magistrate Mutetwa ruled in favour of Chipaz’s defence that he had been given authority to use the car by Tapiwa Maringe hence there was no criminal intent. The magistrate ruled that there was no direct evidence to link Patson Chimbodza to the offence and the car in question, a Toyota Granvia was not produced in court as an exhibit so it was difficult to know its condition.^[8]

Awards

• National Arts Merit Award

References