By Reason Wafawarova
Listen, Thomas Mapfumo, and listen well.
It was money that made you choose between the masses of Zimbabwe and Muzorewa’s Huruyadzo politics.
Every Dzakutsaku blamed the call-up but enjoyed Muzorewa’s salaries. Those that were called up and stood with the masses defected and fled to Mozambique with Muzorewa’s weapons.
You too believed in making money while your age mates were fighting for independence.
Bhutsu Mutandarika became an aerial hit song, played from helicopters and bomber jets as they rained lethal bombs on our guerrillas and innocent villagers.
Ndodada Mutandarika — kudada nekuponda vanhu paChimoio.
Then you capitalised on the tribal polarisation of 1980 to endear yourself to one tribe while disparaging the people of Matabeleland and mocking them as “bad losers.”
Then you had the temerity to christen yourself “Gandanga.”
Hakuna gandanga raigara kuMbare richiridza magitare ne Hallelujah Chicken Band pa32 vamwe vari kuhondo.
But we accepted you. We stood by you. We celebrated you. We idolised you. We made you a global icon.
Today, you want to teach us about unity with your “biggest fan,” Wicknell Chivayo.
He is the walking embodiment of looted wealth. He is the very definition of plunder.
We cannot take your advice to unite with plunderers.
Your challenge for us to arrest him if we know he is a thief is an insult to Zimbabweans.
When you first refused his cash, his car, and his house, labelling him a thief, what stopped you from reporting him to the police?
We neither unite with looters nor build a nation with looters.
You know that from many of your own songs.
Mukanya, is US$1.5 million all it takes for you to sanitise plunder and glorify a looting oligarch as a nation builder?
We respect your decision to perform for Chivayo for a record-breaking fee.
But we take exception to being invited to celebrate your US$1.5 million unity with plunderers.
We are not joining that party.
It is a dirty business deal. Stay in it alone. Enjoy it alone.
Your call for unity with the likes of Chivayo is precisely why such money is handed out to celebrities and legends.
It is intended to pacify us into celebrating our own suffering.
We refuse to be pacified by your voice, your money 💰, or your opinion.
Just as you failed to unite us with Muzorewa in 1978 and 1980, so shall you fail to unite us with Chivayo and his principal in 2026.
Thank you.