Tafadzwa Kachiko

TINOTENDA Chikombeka, popularly known as Diego Tryno (DT) in music circles, is a young, emerging urban contemporary and hip hop artiste who seems to be gaining a lot of traction in the southern African region although little is known about him locally. NewsDay (ND) Life & Style correspondent Tafadzwa Kachiko speaks to the artiste, who is also a chemical engineering student.

ND: Locally your name is not that popular. Why?

DT: Well, when I began my career, I did not push my name locally because back then family members forbade me from doing music. I tried very hard to make sure that my music never reached their ears.

ND: What got you into music?

DT: Passion, I repeat passion. I started singing at nine. Back then, my instrument was a mock guitar which I made using an empty oil tin and a twine. I played sungura music and usually imitated Alick Macheso’s tunes. I know the lyrics of most of his songs.

ND: But you are not singing sungura…

DT: Around 2012, I changed my genre to dancehall and I staged as Ricky D, a name I believed could become popular because I was one of the few youngest dancehall artistes at that time.

ND: If you didn’t become a musician, what would you be doing right now?

DT: As I grew up, I tried acting, dancing, poetry and eventually opted to focus on music. I was very passionate about the arts. If joining the music industry had failed, I was, therefore, going to be somewhere in the arts industry, the next Gringo, probably.

ND: What inspires your music style?

DT: Daily happenings influence my music very much; life struggles and happy moments. A person can share with me their life experiences or I observe and the next thing I create lyrics out of that. Most of the time I take people’s problems as mine and this has helped me to craft lyrics that impact people’s lives.

ND: What is your favourite part about this line of work as well as your least favourite?

DT: I like the way my music impacts other people’s lives. I constantly get messages from strangers saying my songs touched them. Some even go to the extent of naming their children after my songs or stage name. It’s a priceless feeling, especially when you are not quite famous. The least favourite part is when I’m approached by promoters asking me to perform for free so as to gain exposure. Every artiste should be appreciated appropriately.

ND: Why did you choose to work with urban contemporary and hip hop?

DT: It’s funny that some people prefer my music when I rap or just do hip hop and others prefer it when I do a little bit of singing. So, I sat down with my previous management to figure out how best we could make all our fans happy. That’s when I chose both genres. Urban contemporary is a mixture of everything to be precise, but hip hop will always be my secondary genre.

ND: Why are you not active on social media despite having several accounts?

DT: Well, my manager, Trissha Jones, realised that locally I was very popular on social media, especially Facebook, than I was on the ground. She, therefore, decided to minimise my social media presence to direct energies to marketing projects organically by way of submitting our music to radio stations, party DJs and kombi drivers. Jones advised that without relying on social media, we can now create physical relations with a lot of people. That’s why now we are getting much airplay and coverage in the mainstream media.

ND: If you could have the fans remember one thing about you, what would it be?

DT: Most fans remember me because of my music videos, especially Mabvuta. Fans constantly comment on the simplicity and uniqueness of the videos and my hairstyle. International and regional fans remember me for my stance on human rights issues. In 2016 I was a mouthpiece against women abuse, child abuse and xenophobia through songs Mwana Mwana and Stop Xenophobia, which featured Wierly. Mwana Mwana became a theme song for a local drama, Rudo.

ND: Your music is played in different countries such as Botswana, Zambia, South Africa and the United States. How did you manage to get airplay there?

DT: My family had forbidden me from doing music and asked me to focus more on education. So, to ensure that they would not bump into my music, I created strong links in other countries. I shared my story with radio station managers in other countries and they understood it. That’s how I got my music playing on international radios. I have done most of my interviews over the phone. South Africans thought I was South African, Zambians thought I was Zambian. It was only last year when I disclosed that I was Zimbabwean.

ND: What’s the meaning of AGE in your album titles?

DT: It’s an abbreviation that stands for All Generations Entwined to mean that the album will be constituting music for all generations. You will find a track for children, youths or the elderly.

DT: Tell us about the collaborations you have done?

DT: I have done countless collaborations. Most of the tracks I released last year and this year were collabos. I have worked with Yung Deaf Lee, Twele Soft, Yung Wayne, Slym4wad and Baba Hungwe. My most memorable collaborations were with Batswana and South African musicians because the process was done online during which we exchanged files through email.

ND: Which musician would you like to collaborate with next?

DT: I would love to work with the legend Kiren Zulu. However, fans can also expect my collaboration with Gift Amuli, Tatenda Mahachi, Ti Gonzi and DJ Dagizus based in Texas anytime soon.

ND: Who is behind your success in music?

DT: A lot of people contributed immensely towards my success. It is hard to be known in other countries than your own. Companies that include Futurama Co, Colorado Musical Entertainment (CME), Botswana’s Very Own (PVO-BVO), Media Empire Entertainment, Zedaz Entertainment and 579 Entertainment contributed much in my music career.

ND: What advice would you give to someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?

DT: Create friendship, families with everyone you work with. It is not all about money. People motivated by passion and brotherhood work better than those motivated by money.

So in this journey you need to mix with the right people who have the right motives.

ROMAN Catholic priest Father Mobie Musakatiza ropes in Tryson Chimbetu and Andy Muridzo in his just released third album titled Nyararisa.

By Tafadzwa Rusike Gondo

Father Musakatiza

Speaking about collaborations Father Musakatiza said he roped in two prominent musicians Tryson Chimbetu and Andy Muridzo to give a cutting edge to his just released album.

“On the Album, there are two collaborations I did with Tryson Chimbetu and Andy Muridzo. Tryson Chimbetu helped me on the song Zarura, and with Andy Muridzo we did the song Maidei,” he said.

Speaking about the album Father Musakatiza said his six track records comes two years after releasing one of his finest albums Usacheuke in 2017.

“Nyararisa is my third album containing six tracks all recorded at Oskid Productions” he said.

“My favourite track is Nyararisa. It’s a song asking God to hear the cries of people who are about to give up on life and the beauty it carries,” he added.

He said he also worked with Aggabu Nyabinde who did the guitars on the album and Steven ‘Stavo’ Nyoni on the Saxophone.

The cleric released his first gospel album in 2011 titled Makandikomborera before taking a six-year sabbatical.

His music is mind blowing for he takes an unorthodox route to express himself. While expecting to hear the serene usual Roman Catholic cadenza of Mwari Huyai with just drums and hosho, Fr Musakatiza goes for the contemporary gospel style laden with various instruments like guitars, pianos among others.

The album is available for purchase on all digital stores.

BY CHARLES LAITON

The Supreme Court has overturned a High Court ruling ordering the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) to pay accident damages amounting to US$33 552 to a local company.

The judgment, nullifying the lower court’s decision, was handed down on September 26, 2019, by Supreme Court judge Justice Rita Makarau in concurrence with Deputy Chief Justice Elizabeth Gwaunza and Justice Paddington Garwe.

The ruling by the Apex Court followed an appeal by the central bank after the High Court, in 2016, ruled that an RBZ driver, one Joram Makonde, was responsible for an accident that occurred on August 27, 2008 along the Harare-Masvingo Highway which resulted in damages to Tran Transport (Pvt) Ltd’s motor vehicle.

However, Justice Makarau said the appeal by the central bank was based on whether or not the High Court had sufficient evidence before it to find the RBZ liable for the claimed damages.

The judge further said the High Court had fallen into a trap of believing evidence of a Tran Transport’s witness who said a policeman, who was a passenger in the RBZ vehicle claimed that the RBZ driver fell asleep while driving, thereby causing the accident. Apparently, the judge said, the alleged policeman was never called to give evidence.

“The respondent’s (Tran Transport) witness did not testify on the circumstances under which the unidentified policeman was a passenger in the appellant (RBZ)’s vehicle. They simply testified as to what the policeman said. There was, thus, no evidence before the court upon which it could make its finding that the unidentified policeman had been given transport to Harare and for which he was grateful,” Justice Makarau said.

“One of the witnesses for the respondent testified that the unidentified policeman had been injured as a result of the accident. The court a quo was not in a position to assess the effect these injuries might have had on the policeman on the basis of the terse and scanty evidence that was before it. Similarly, the amity and/or the congeniality among the persons riding in the appellant’s vehicle were not assessed as there was no evidence upon which such an assessment could be made. That these factors could have had an effect on the truthfulness of the statement attributed to the unidentified policeman is beyond dispute,” the judge said while upholding the RBZ’s appeal and dismissing Tran Transport’s application for damages.

BY NIZBERT MOYO

A BULAWAYO law firm, Vuyile Jamela Mpofu and Associates and a local resident have been dragged to court for their alleged involvement in a residential stands scam.

The law firm’s two lawyers Vuyile Jamela Mpofu (52) of Queens Park and Mayor Kazingizi (35) of Cowdray Park appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Jeconiah Ncube on Saturday facing four counts of fraud.

The two reportedly made fake agreements of sale between sellers and Bulawayo City Council and fake copies of identity cards and fraudulently sold stands to unsuspecting homeseekers.
They were remanded to October 30 on $3 000 bail each.

The court heard that in September this year and at Charter House in Bulawayo, Mpofu and Kazingizi misrepresented to Rumbidzai Chimbunde that Khulumani Mpofu was selling residential stand number 13560, Pumula South.

It is alleged that the two introduced Chimbunde to an imposter who was paid R56 100 for the stand.

It is further alleged that the two again duped Linah Takura of R60 000 by making her pay yet another imposter after purporting that Judith Moyo was selling residential stand number 12239 in Pumula South.

The court was told that using the same modus operandi, in August they again misrepresented to Angela Chikanya that Nomsa Sibanda was selling residential stand number 5343, Emganwini and Chikanya paid R40 000 for it.

Last month, they misrepresented to Douglas Tizirai that Khumbulani Gatsheni was selling residential stand number 3333 Emganwini and he paid R60 000.

Reports filed by the complainants to the police led to the arrest of the two lawyers.

sport reporter

Pretoria — SuperSport United have opened talks with coach Kaitano Tembo over an improved contract after the mentor led the club to MTN8 title two weeks ago.

Tembo is in the final year of a two-year contract‚ which has an option to renew‚ and United’s football manager Stan Matthews said the former Zimbabwean international defender had strengthened his case for an improved offer after the club beat Highlands Park 1-0 to win the trophy at Orlando Stadium.

“We are in discussions with him about a two-year extension‚” Matthews confirmed.

“I think we all know that what happened to Eric Tinkler after he won the MTN8.

“No one wants to get ahead of himself, but Kaitano delivered us a trophy and every coach who delivers us a trophy will be offered an improved or an extended contract.

“Kaitano will be no different.”

Matthews is confident he will find common ground with Tembo during the negotiations.

“I am pretty confident that he will get a contract extension and hopefully we will wrap that up by the end of the year‚” he said.

“At the beginning of his tenure‚ he signed a two plus two contract with us and this is his second year.

“He has earned (the right) to be offered an extension and we would like to improve it‚ but everything is in his hands.”

The MTN8 final appearance was the second for Tembo since he took over the club’s coaching job and Matthews said he is being rewarded for his hard work.

“I am delighted that he has won his first trophy as a coach and this one has a special feel to it‚” he said.

“Inasmuch as we won trophies with seven coaches‚ he has been with us the longest.

“He was truly groomed because if you remember the amount of time it took Pitso (Mosimane) from being an assistant to a head coach was short compared to Kaitano. He started from the bottom until he eventually became an assistant coach.

“He worked his way through the ranks‚ he prepared himself within our environment and that’s what makes us very special.

“To have a coach who is still with you 20 years later‚ is not by accident.

“He has built himself up and we are proud of him. “He won trophies with our other six coaches and it gives us confidence that the foundations of this club are strong.” — Sowetan

BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA

AS she waits for her turn to immunise her twin boys at a local clinic, 33-year old Sphiwe Muranda (not her realm name) cannot help but reflect on the long, emotional journey she has travelled.

The memory of how she suffered at the hands of her first husband’s family after failing to conceive for 10 years is still fresh in her mind.

“Harrison’s family put all the blame on me. They said I was infertile. But now, it is clear the problem was their son,” she said, wiping off tears with the back of her hand.

Muranda is one of the many women who have been hounded by their in-laws and condemned by society for “failure” to conceive. Cultural beliefs on infertility issues have resulted in both physical and emotional abuse of many women in Zimbabwe.

“At first, my ex-husband would rally behind me and we would pray over it. None of the family members ever thought that their son was the one who was infertile. I was forced to visit traditional healers and prophets, but all was in vain. I was verbally abused until I could not bear it anymore. I decided to end the marriage,” she said.

After the divorce, Muranda relocated to South Africa in 2017, where her sister lived, to pick up the pieces of her life in a new environment. She met the man who would marry her and sire her twin boys.

“My sister encouraged me to try again. At first I thought I would suffer a miscarriage, but I was relieved when the doctor said he had discovered two foetuses and that I was in perfect health. I gave birth to these two boys and my ex-husband who also got married is still childless. The answer is clear now,” said Muranda, forcing a smile.

Her ex-husband is already aware that she is now a mother.

“Harrison is aware of my two sons. I told him to visit specialists so that they can examine him. He wants a baby, but the truth is most people think that only women suffer from infertility issues. That is a very wrong perception,” she said.

In some societies, infertility is like a curse while others see it as a bad omen or a result of witchcraft. Despite the massive effects of globalisation or modernity, most people are still reluctant to accept that infertility is a medical condition and that even men can be infertile.

According to Mayo Clinic, infertility in men is due to a low sperm count, abnormal sperm function or blockages that prevent the delivery of sperm. Illnesses, injuries, chronic health problems, lifestyle choices and other factors can play a role in causing male infertility.

Zimbabwe National Traditional Healers Association (Zinatha) spokesperson George Kandiero said it is high time affected couples sought solutions together since it has proven that the problem can also lie with men.

“Most times the woman is blamed, even if it means consulting traditional medical practitioners, it is the woman who does it alone. As custodians and champions of culture we know and believe that the problem can also lie with the man, hence we encourage couples to consult together,” he said.

According to the World Health Organisation, between 8% and 12% of couples around the world have difficulty in conceiving a child at some point in their life, and in some areas that figure reaches one-third or more of couples. Infertility affects an estimated 48,5 million couples worldwide, of which 10,8 million live in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Addressing journalists in Harare recently, First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa said the issue of infertility should not be a blame game, mainly on women.

“Infertility affects men and women. This cannot be a blame game. Yet we know in our societies that women bear the brunt of this problem. This can be a basis of sexual and or physical abuse, divorce or isolation from the family structure,” she said.

Traditionally, men’s infertility has been concealed by family and relatives who at times devised ways of secretly engaging his elder or younger brother to impregnate his wife. This act would be kept as a secret by the family members. However, it is different with women who, after being certified barren, are chucked out of the family residence in a humiliating way.

“There is need for a shift from the traditionally-held view that infertility affects women to a realistic understanding of the truth that infertility equally affects both men and women,” said Gerald Madziyire, a gynaecologist with the Ministry of Health and Child Care.

According to a 2003 research by Health Care Women International on the fertility patterns of women in Zimbabwe, at least one in every four women of childbearing age suffers from some degree of infertility.

Zimbabwe has one of the world’s highest infertility rates along with other southern African countries such as Botswana, Namibia and Lesotho according to a 2010 World Population Prospect survey.

Today, Muranda has proved her tormentors wrong. She is now a proud mother after enduring 10 years of emotional and physical torture from his in-laws.

Though God has blessed her with twin boys, the hard times she experienced in her first marriage will never be erased off her mind.

editorial

THERE is always going to be a challenge if government continues using a command system to get its way, especially against reason. Setting the condition that it will only hold negotiations with striking health workers on the condition that the health professionals return to work betrays government’s failure to deal with issues, thus opting to resort to threats.

The moment government begins to issue threats because it has failed to get its way, even if it is sometimes unreasonable, shows that it has not learnt the art of negotiation, which must be anchored on persuasion, thus it quickly resorts to issuing brusque commands, accompanied by threats for good measure.

While government may feel the 60% salary adjustment it made for the medical practitioners is an attractive package, nothing can be further from the truth. Given the local currency’s and RTGS’ rapid loss of value on the market, the increment, if it can be called that, is not going to stretch very far, implying that government needs to relook at its solution to the whole economic crisis in which low incomes are just but a fractional symptom. Unless the fundamentals are addressed, the current economic crisis will not relapse.

Of course, government was always going to insist it is not in a position to pay health workers in United States dollars, nor in local currency at the interbank rate, preferring a percentage-based increment. But the major question is: Will this be sustainable given the rate at which the local currency is losing value and as traders continue to peg the prices of goods and services in United States dollars? Where we are right now is exactly where we were in 2008-2009 when the economy self-dollarised and it might not be too far-fetched to suggest that we are again probably headed in that direction.

Although Health minister Obadiah Moyo insisted government was guided by the law, we don’t see how taking health workers to court is going to solve the problem. Court judgments are not going to miraculously wipe away the grievances of government workers. Ordering people to return to work without addressing their grievances can only be effected on paper as they are “incapacitated”.

Government seriously needs to rethink the way it has handled the economy over the last two years and make the necessary changes and adjustments, otherwise the economy will remain in a tailspin. And an economic crisis is not resolved through commands but rational, well thought-out and tested economic models that bring results which will automatically resolve many of the socio-economic challenges bedevilling Zimbabwe.

By Tatenda Chitagu

Masvingo journalists have requested the government to establish a Zimbabwe Media Fund that will help media upstarts as well as bail out struggling media houses to create diversity and plurality.

The call came yesterday during a Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) Bill public hearing conducted by the Information and Media Parliamentary Portfolio Committee at the Civic Centre Hall.

Former ZMC commissioner and ex-Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) president Matthew Takaona said the fund could either come from taxpayers or the current money that is levied on media houses by the commission.

“Media houses are levied money by the ZMC. Journalists also pay accreditation fees. The money should create a media fund to fund upstarts or help struggling media houses that are facing collapse. A vibrant media landscape is very critical for democracy and it should be protected,” Takaona said.

Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zimbabwe national chairperson Golden Maunganidze said the journalism profession should not be criminalised through arbitrary arrests and called for the repeal of some sections of the Bill.

“Journalism is not a crime. Why criminalise the profession by having the police arresting a journalist doing their job? When in line of duty, journalists should not even be harassed by political party activists,” he said.

Maunganidze also emphasised the need for self-regulation, but said under the circumstances, the media profession is willing to compromise and have co-regulation with the ZMC.

“We would prefer self-regulation just like international best practices, and not State regulation. Many of the problems that you see within the profession are because we do not self-regulate and do peer review. However, at the moment, we can’t wish away the ZMC. So for now, we can compromise on co-regulation,” he said.

Masvingo journalist Godfrey Mtimba said the ZMC Bill is conspicuously silent on journalists’ working conditions.

“The Bill is scandalously silent on the need for journalists to have decent work, decent wages above the poverty datum line. Professional journalism cannot thrive in an environment of poverty and fear. The Bill should call for the establishment of a National Employment Council (NEC) for journalists and peg the minimum wage for journalists,” Mtimba said.

Another participant said the commission should not report to the minister, but to Parliament, while commissioners should also not be appointed by the minister as it takes away their independence. They should, instead, be appointed by an independent panel. Contributing to the discussion other residents said the terms of office for commissioners should be well defined and be limited to similar periods with other commissions.

Some residents said the Bill should not empower commissioners to investigate a media violation where there is no complaint as this would be abused and used as a witchhunt to silence critical journalism, saying journalists can easily self-correct if such cases arise.

Committee chair Prince Dubeko Sibanda said the hearings were going on well and most issues raised in Masvingo were the ones raised in other towns where they have been.

BY FIDELITY MHLANGA

THE 2019 tobacco marketing season ended with a plethora of short-changings that must never be allowed to recur if authorities are keen on sustaining tobacco farming in the country.

It is well known that tobacco farming is a billion-dollar industry that cashes in essential money critical for the importation of needed pharmaceuticals, fuel, raw materials and wheat.

The first week of this year’s season started on a low note after tobacco merchants offered low prices in protest over the overburdening 2% intermediated transfer tax.

The disagreement on loan repayment model by contract farmers after the introduction of local currency was also another hurdle that affected the success of the season.

Merchants who had bankrolled the tobacco cropping in hard currency were not happy to recover part of their money in local currency, as per authorities’ instruction.

Farmers were also not amused by the huge cost incurred during the handling of rejected crop at the floors.

The central bank was paying growers 50% of their earnings per sale in foreign currency or using the interbank rate with the remainder paid in local currency.

Farmers were saddened by the fact that they were receiving local currency payment via the interbank rate of the day of sale, but the issues emanated when payments were delayed due to various reasons.

As such, farmers felt disenfranchised to then get payment after two weeks when the exchange rate has shifted and the money has lost its initial value.

Last week, farmers complained that Goldern Barn, a tobacco contracting firm, failed to pay for delivered crop a month after delivery, raising fears that they could have been duped.

One such instance was in June when there was mayhem in Mvurwi as farmers protested against Voedsel Tobacco over payment delays.

Farmers also lambasted the central bank’s inefficiency in allocating forex in nostro as the payment process failed due to lack of transparency.

At the end, farmers who initially were entitled to get half payment in forex via nostro accounts could opt for a 100% payment in local currency as the payment process was opaque and murky.

Some veiled organisations deducted money through a stop order system from farmers without their consent, thereby eroding farmers’ earnings.

As has become cancerous, the cash crisis continued to ravage tobacco farming, with farmers spending days at auction floors desperately waiting for cash.

Despite being introduced three years back to weed out collusion and dispense transparency, the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board has failed to effectively operationalise the electronic marketing system.

Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union president Shadreck Makombe pleaded with authorities to show commitment of ironing out some of the pressing issues bedevilling the sector.

“The meeting I once attended with the Minister of Agriculture (Perrance Shiri), you would see the willingness is there. Unfortunately, the situation is so porous that you would find these opportunists are the ones causing problems because farmers would want to do business, but because farming is the only industry which appears to be ticking, hence everyone from everywhere will be there to get something. To me, it needs a concerted effort, but am not seeing it happening given the environment which we are operating in. So it’s quite tricky from my own assessment,” Makombe said.

Some of the factors that contributed to the lower tobacco prices this season, according to a Zimbabwe Tobacco Association (ZTA) market report, included policy inconsistency throughout the selling period, especially on the loan separations in the form of Real Time Gross Settlement dollars and United States dollar and lack of confidence by important buyers due to the general economic environment.

Other factors that contributed to lower prices were over-production coupled with a high carry over of unsold stock from the 2018 selling season, lower quality for certain types of tobacco, caused by the drought, changing demand for leaf styles and qualities in key markets and increased demand for value tobacco from non-premium markets.

This season, the golden leaf average price were deplorably low at $2 per kg down from $2,92 registered last season at a time the 2019 total output grew to 259 million kg from 253 million kg last year.

While output grew exponentially, authorities need to reign in certain wrongs to ensure viability according to ZTA. Auction floor deliveries have plunged from an all-time high of 76, 8% in 2004 to 14% this season.

“Prices on the auction floors remained depressed throughout the season, though there was a slight improvement after three quarters of the crop had been delivered already. Most of the growers who sold on the auction floors have received sub-economic returns and this will have an impact on their ability to finance themselves for the next season and, resultantly, most have turned to contractors to look for inputs and working capital support. This will naturally lead to further declines in auction tobacco,” ZTA said.

“Although a record volume of tobacco has been sold this season, US dollar earnings to the farmer and the country dropped significantly by 30%. This has had a direct impact on growers’ overall viability this season. Significant upwards movements in the official exchange rate towards the end of the season meant prices for imported inputs such as fertilisers, chemicals, fuel became unaffordable to many farmers who sold earlier in the season and attempted to retool in August and September.”