By Paul Nyathi|Chimurenga music guru Dr Thomas Mapfumo on Sunday caught residents of Bulawayo’s old suburb of Mzilikazi by surprise when he visited his in laws in the township.
The highly followed legendary musician nearly caused a stampede in the township and the Bulawayo city centre when he visited his in-laws to express his condolences following the death of his mother-in-law last month.
He was accompanied by his wife, Verna (nee Dangarembga), children and his publicist, Blessing Vava.
The family first stopped at the Bulawayo City Hall along Fife Street where they bought flowers to take to Athlone Cemetery where their mother was buried.
Speaking in a snap interview with journalists, Mukanya, as he is affectionately known, said that he fled the country unceremoniously two decades ago due to persecutions from then President Robert Mugabe.
He said that he would not have returned to Zimbabwe if Mugabe’s administration was still in power.
“I was accused of crimes that I did not commit because of my candidness. I was speaking the truth but most people did not want to hear the truth. Those who want to develop the country should listen to the truth. If you listen to lies, it’s not good. We only came back home after the removal from office of this old man (President Mugabe). If he was still in office we wouldn’t be here,” he said.
Mapfumo said that while he was away on exile he greatly missed Zimbabwe, especially his friends, relatives and Zimbabwean food.
“I missed my relatives and friends greatly. I missed them a lot. As you know it’s been long since I was last here. I spent many years away. We couldn’t come back because of the previous administration. It was difficult for us,” he said.
“I missed sadza a lot, you know sadza shapes us as a people. Our beef tastes so good because its organic food unlike the stuff we eat in the USA. In America they mostly eat junk food. Even my kids were missing home greatly. They are so happy. One of them is now 21 years old. She was only two years when we left Zimbabwe, hence she cannot speak Shona. She can understand the language though. But it should not be like that, a child of our clan failing to speak our language,” he said.
Mapfumo will hold his first music concert at the Glamis Arena in Harare on Saturday. He promised his fans fireworks at the show. Fans will also get time to sample Mukanya’s forthcoming 10-track album Chauya chauya.
The Chimurenga music guru expressed regret that he won’t be able to play for his fans in other cities due to time constraints.
He, however, assured fans that he will make amends in his next trips as it was now easy for him to visit the country regularly after President Emmerson Mnangagwa came into office.