Self-exiled Chimurenga music legend, Thomas Mapfumo, has firmly denied allegations that he accepted an enticing offer from businessman Wicknell Chivayo.
The offer reportedly included a US$200,000 luxury car and a US$300,000 home. Mapfumo, known for his principled stance, refuted the claims, asserting that he is not susceptible to bribery.
Speaking exclusively to <a href="https://nehandaradio.com/2024/03/18/thomas-mapfumo-responds-to-wicknell-chivayos-offer-im-not-that-type/">Nehanda Radio</a> on Monday, March 18, Mapfumo said he was surprised to receive a phone call from Chivayo before he went to bed on Sunday evening. He said:
<blockquote>
Yes I know he likes my music. He called me before I went to bed and told me he was in New York on a visit. I asked him how his family was and that was that.
</blockquote>
It would appear Chivayo took a screenshot of his phone call to Mapfumo and that is being used by many bloggers to claim Mapfumo called Chivayo when that was not the case.
Posting on his social media pages, Chivayo encouraged Mapfumo to publicly renounce past criticism of ZANU PF, as he dangled the prospect of a luxury vehicle and house should he do so.
This offer came after Mapfumo last week criticised musicians that were begging for vehicles from Chivayo.
Speaking in an interview with Nehanda TV, Mapfumo said:
<blockquote>
Ma musicians aya varombo. Vapfanha ava musavaseka kuti varikutambira motikari because haasati amboona motikari yakadaro.
Ndakanzwa Jah Prayzah achitenda kuti, ‘Ndatenda zvikuru nechipo chenyu.’ Haasati amboiona motikari yakadaro.
</blockquote>
Mapfumo also lambasted Chivayo and the ZANU PF-led government for donating expensive cars to musicians while doing nothing to equip public hospitals. He said:
<blockquote>
We’re in this situation because of poverty. They are accepting all these beautiful cars because they can’t afford them.
I saw Jah Prayzah thanking him (Wicknell Chivayo) after receiving a car that he had never seen.
You’re giving cars to musicians, yet they already have their own cars, which they bought through their own means.
Why can’t you just channel that money to hospitals? Our roads are in a bad state, and people are living in poverty.
Our fight is not for certain individuals to get a good living but for everyone to come out of poverty.
</blockquote>
In response, Chivayo said Mapfumo had fallen on hard times, a situation that could be corrected if he apologised to the ruling party. He wrote on social media:
<blockquote>
As much as I love his music kusekana kwana kamba kwe ku sekana makwati…Iye anei? [He] came to Zim and was stranded and had nowhere to stay.
The opposition will use you and never help you. Kufira fame pa social media chete.
Makura Mukanya and your music made a significant contribution to the liberation struggle.
Apologise publicly for being led astray, modzoka to your founding principles and values.
Straight away as my best musician of all time mouya ndokutengerai mota brand new of your choice ye 200 thousand USD ne imba ye 300 thousand USD all registered in your name.
Inga makaimba mukati Dai Tenzi vaiziva zvavo vaitora hurombo vorasa vagopawo hupfumi kuvanhu vago yamura vano shupika vagotipawo neche kudyawo.
Ndiro rufaro pa Zimbabwe Sir Wicknell vari kuita zvinogara zvakadaro but all in the name of ZANU PF the ruling party. Jah is enjoying his latest shape S class zvakaipei?? Zvinovengwa ne muroyi chete.
DZOKAYI KUNE VAMWE MUKANYA party iyi inonzi ZANU PF zviri pachena ichatonga kusvika narini. Nyangwe mukandituka music yenyu ndoridza chete…
</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Pindula News

Thomas Mapfumo Denies Accepting Luxury Car And Home Offer From Wicknell Chivayo

Zimbabwean music legend Thomas Mapfumo has been given a piece of land to build a home by a South African chief.
The 76-year-old United States-based singer sent a message of gratitude to chief Livhuwani Matsila of Matsila village outside Thohoyandou in Limpopo Province, South Africa, for offering him a piece of land.
“Mukanya”, as he is affectionately known, has resolved to relocate to South Africa, according to SABC News.
In his message to the South African traditional leader, Mapfumo, who has been vocal against the ZANU PF-led Government, said:
<blockquote>
I thank you very much for the land you gave me and I feel honoured. I want to say thank you so much for making me part of your people really I appreciate it.
</blockquote>
Chief Livhuwani Matsila said Mapfumo’s residence in his area will be a source of inspiration for young musicians. He said:
<blockquote>
We felt that we should have a place of residence here at Matsila village just to honour him and his family for the contribution he has made to promoting African culture and music.
His international exposure will surely benefit our young ones in terms of participating in culture and music, his status internationally is a symbol that Africa can achieve greater objectives.
</blockquote>
Mapfumo has been living in Canada and the United States after his relationship with the ZANU PF-led Government turned sour.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/zimbabwean-musician-mapfumo-to-relocate-to-sa/">SABC News</a></h4>

Thomas Mapfumo To Relocate To South Africa

Zimbabwean music legend Thomas “Mukanya” Mapfumo believes Zimdancehall, a genre he has previously called bubblegum, is destroying local cultures.
Mukanya is of the view that Zimbabwean musicians should sing “the Zimbabwean way” rather than adopting a Jamaican genre as has allegedly been done by Zimdancehall artists. He said:
<blockquote>Thinking about where you are coming from is very important. If people hear that you are Zimbabwean, they will expect you to sing the Zimbabwean way.
That’s cultural exchange. We were accepted in America we brought our own music. All the big names in Africa, Salif Keita, Kela Kuti, Franco of Congo did not succeed from playing other countries’ music
Actually these kids, they are destroying our culture because Zimdancehall doesn’t belong to Zimbabwe; that’s a Jamaican style of music.
Why should we adopt the Jamaican culture? We are Zimbabweans. We got our own music. We promote our own culture rather than promoting Jamaican culture.</blockquote>
The 75-year-old Chimurenga music legend was the headline performer and guest of honour at the event which was screened from seven hubs on December 10 and 11.
<h4>More: <a href="https://thisisafrica.me/arts-and-culture/african-leaders-are-not-thinking-right-thomas-mapfumo/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">This Is Africa</a></h4>

Thomas Mapfumo Slams Zimdancehall, Says It's A Jamaican Style Of Music

Chimurenga music legend, Thomas Mapfumo, has bemoaned the lack of freedom of expression in the arts. Popularly known as Mukanya, Mapfumo said he had learned of the situation with Winky D who is apparently being isolated for his protest music.
Said Mapfumo to Daily News:
<blockquote>There is no freedom of expression in Zimbabwe which we can talk about. Musicians who criticise leaders and the government in general are deemed enemies of the State and they risk victimisation.
Our government has a tendency to victimise people with opposing views. But be that as it may, our musicians should not shy away from the truth for the good of this country
“I learnt that Winky D is being denied awards because of his music which ruffles government feathers. That is very bad. We need freedom of expression. Some musicians were blackmailed while others’ voices were suppressed in the media and on air waves for questioning the governance system. A few vocal Zimbabwean artistes have been mistreated this way.
In developed countries, presidents such as Donald Trump of America and Theresa May of the United Kingdom are criticised publicly but they do not wage war against musicians and the general public. In Africa, telling the truth is an offence and once you do that you will pay the price,”</blockquote>
More: <a href="http://www.dailynews.co.zw/articles/2019/03/10/telling-the-truth-in-africa-an-offence-mapfumo">Daily News</a>

'Musicians Not Free To Criticise Gov', Thomas Mapfumo Speaks On Winky D

Attending the funeral of Oliver Mtukudzi today, popular Chimurenga musician, Thomas Mapfumo said the passing of Tuku is very painful:
<blockquote>I’m in a lot of pain, because this is my friend whom I grew up with. He was a very good friend. When he would come to America, we would sit down and talk about the old times when we were young. We would be jouyous and we would laugh. We were close. He was a fighter of just causes. Now I have been left alone. So I’m saddened a lot. I have lost, and the whole Zimbabwe has lost a treasure.</blockquote>
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More: <a href="https://twitter.com/Connmwanawashe/status/1088418031607468032">Conrad Mwanawashe</a>

Watch: Thomas Mapfumo On The Passing Of Oliver Mtukudzi

<img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-74214" decoding="async" height="350" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 644px) 100vw, 644px" src="https://news.pindula.co.zw/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Oliver-Mtukudzi-Thomas-Mapfumo.jpg" srcset="https://news.pindula.co.zw/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Oliver-Mtukudzi-Thomas-Mapfumo.jpg 644w, https://news.pindula.co.zw/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Oliver-Mtukudzi-Thomas-Mapfumo-300x163.jpg 300w, https://news.pindula.co.zw/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Oliver-Mtukudzi-Thomas-Mapfumo-600x326.jpg 600w" width="644"/>
As Oliver Mtukudzi’s life is celebrated, we go down memory lane.
An interesting fact that most people don’t know about two of Zimbabwe’s most illustrious musicians, Oliver Mtukudzi and Thomas Mapfumo, is that they once played in the same band together. The band was called Wagon Wheels and it was back in 1977.
Thomas Mapfumo once narrated how they met and joined up together:
<blockquote>“I was coming from Mutare myself where we were contracted at a hotel in Dangamvura. When I returned to Harare, that’s when I met Oliver. He was practicing at James Bond’s place because this guy used to own equipment, so a lot of youngsters used to go there just to practice music. After I met Oliver, we had a short tour together. I was already singing my Shona music, and he was playing something strange… he was playing the guitar, singing a song like… we used to call the song Green for Go and Red for Stop.
“I said to him, ‘you guy, why don’t you sing in your mother’s language?’ He was a good guy, he took my advice. He even asked for one of my songs Tamba Zvako Marujata (Rova Ngoma Mutavara). It was a traditional tune, which I used to sing myself. He came to me and asked if he could record the music and I said you can go on and record it. It came out beautifully and everybody liked it, and I also thought it was a good song.”</blockquote>
 
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