By A Correspondent| Popular Harare based traditional healer, Sekuru Banda has launched an ambitious initiative to support musicians with income generating projects as one of the measures to shield them from the effects of Covid-19 and national lockdowns introduced by government to curb the spread of the deadly pandemic.

Sekuru Banda told ZimEye that he felt compelled to extend a helping hand to musicians after noticing that a year had lapsed without live shows.

Musicians in Zimbabwe largely depend on live performances as one of their main source of revenue.

Today, Sekuru Banda and multi award winning Zim Hiphop star Desmond Chideme popularly known as Stunner took reverred street actor and musician Freddy Manjalima also known as Kapfupi to a local wholesale in Harare where they purchased goods worth US$3000 which will help the Amai Nga hitmaker to open two grocery stores in the capital.

In an interview with ZimEye, Sekuru Banda said the harsh economic situation in the country which has worsened since the first lockdown in March 2020 has not spared musicians.

“Since last year when government declared a national lockdown, we have been assisting the elderly and other disadvantaged members of our society with groceries, the program has been extended to musicians who have not been spared by the pandemic as they cannot hold live shows, that is why Fantan was arrested because he was trying to survive in the process breaching government regulations.

“After noticing that our musicians are struggling to survive without live shows, we sat down and deliberated on how we could assist them, we then joined hands with Stunner who already had an idea.

“Today we helped Kapfupi and Mai Ngaa to open two shops, so we went to Metro Peech along Seke Road to buy groceries for the couple to start operating.

“Other artists we cannot name now will also be assisted under this initiative.

“I urge everyone else to also emulate this initiative and assist those in need especially during this time of Covid-19,” said Sekuru Banda.

The popular traditional healer has curved a niche as one of the biggest philanthropist in the country involved in assisting needy people.

Among the people he has assisted are Kapfupi’s best friend and fellow actor Marabha, the late Gringo, former Dynamos talisman George Shaya and former boxing champion Alfonse Zvenyika among others.

He recently volunteered to sponsor Gringo Troublemaker season two in honor of the late award winning actor Gringo who died last year.

Sekuru Banda was recetly honoured with an international award for his philanthropic work.