By Clive Mono Mukundu| If you are one of my social media followers, you are probably aware that I have more than 10 video essays dedicated to discussing and clarifying matters related to plagiarism and copyright issues.

The most common form of plagiarism is when someone adds their own lyrics to someone else’s melody(tune). A song consists of words(lyrics) and a melody(the tune).The lyrics are protected as a literary work, and the melody is protected as a musical work (the composition). These two are typically protected collectively in a song.

THE BIBLE VERSE ISSUE:
While it is true that Pastor Charamba’s song uses 2 Chronicles 7:14—a biblical passage that is not protected by copyright—But the issue is that the melody(tune) is entirely Pastor Charamba’s original composition.

Now let’s address the elephant in the room: was Pastor Charamba’s song plagiarised? The answer is unquestionably yes.

The video I’ve included below provides a detailed explanation of the plagiarism.
It was part of my speech two years ago at a workshop organized by Mushandirapamwe trust in Highfields Harare.