By A Correspondent| Selmor Mtukudzi has been confirmed as one of the performers at the inaugural Oliver Mtukudzi Festival of Arts, set to take place at Pakare Paye Arts Centre from September 20 to 22. The festival, held in honor of her late father and music legend Oliver Mtukudzi, initially did not include Selmor on its artist lineup, sparking public outrage.

The original lineup featured prominent artists such as Jah Prayzah, Andy Muridzo, Mokoomba, Feli Nandi, and others. However, fans took to social media to express their disapproval of Selmor’s omission from an event meant to celebrate her father’s legacy.

Taking to Facebook, Selmor expressed gratitude to her fans for standing up for her. “To all who spoke up for me, you have been amazing. I’m humbled by the love you have for my father, which has extended to me. I will not take it for granted. For that reason and in honour of my father’s legacy, I will be coming to Pakare Paye. Let’s do this right,” she wrote.

In response to the backlash, festival organisers were forced to address the controversy, with the Official Tuku Music page stating that Selmor had been invited but had not responded.

Selmor, however, did not hold back, criticizing the organisers and describing her exclusion as “witchcraft in broad daylight.”

She posted a video of a past performance at Pakare Paye with her father, captioning it, “This is one of our performances at Solo Fest at Pakare Paye, one of many with my dad. #HuroyiMasikatiMachena.”