Ngavaite Gutu @TKupiko - Twitter Profile

A National Monument Crumbles As Mukanya Accepts Wicknell's "Bribe!" Zimbabweans have literally & metaphorically descended into morning after news filtered through that much revered Chimurenga music legend Thomas "Mukanya" Mapfumo succumbed to Wicknell's entreaties & accepted an astronomical fee in the sum of US$1,5 million to perform at music events patronised by Wicknell & Jah Prayzha. For many years, Mukanya has defiantly stood as a figure of resistance & beacon of hope - fiercely speaking truth to power & consistently challenging the regime while turning down brazen offers of trinkets which to many were perceived as a calculated attempt to buy his loyalty & silence him. Having heroically stood firm for many years, many Zimbabweans have now understandably reacted with dismay, shock & horror to learn that Mukanya's much vaunted resolve has finally wilted or deserted him in his twilight years, presenting Wicknell with probably his biggest societal & institutional coup since he began his corrosive & degrading & eyebrow raising antics. In an era in which the country's social & moral fabric has been repeatedly, brazenly, and perhaps irrevocably shredded under the current regime, Mukanya is only amongst a handful of rarefied figures & symbols that had appeared to remain tantalisingly beyond the reach of the rot. I have listened to Mukanya's explanation. I am afraid it does not hack it. I respect Mukanya immensely for what he has stood for, his courageous stand and his sacrifices in pre & post independent Zimbabwe. He is simply a colossal social and political figure - with his revolutionary music, social and political commentary destined to withstand the test of time. Years of clear cut evidence of political & social discernment - and that rare gift of reading the pulse of the nation means that his rational for accepting Wicknell's tainted & demeaning offer will rightly be perceived by many of his fans as being neither persuasive nor credible. It is an unconscionable & unfathomable state of affairs, a gigantic, irreversible, heart breaking & calamitous social tragedy. Not our "Mukanya!" He is supposed to be incorruptible & priceless to the very end! Mukanya knows Wicknell's antics, he knows the script - all of which captures the zeitgeist of the era of the so-called "chiganandaism" marked by brazen and ostentatious displays / flaunting of wealth of questionable sources & concerted / relentless efforts to capture / co-opt prominent political and social figures to stymie resistance. Conclusion Tragically, Mukanya has allowed his iconic brand / reputation, forged under extremely difficult circumstances over many decades, to be smeared and engulfed in controversy, inevitably triggering the "diminution switch!" The bait was simple. The plot involved fabricating a plausible pretext to make accepting the offer seem like a professional engagement to insulate Mukanya technically from the outrage of betrayal! This has echoes of clumsiness & contrived disingenuity from one so cherished which is bound to infuriate / offend even more, if this was possible. Perhaps Mukanya would have been better served by coming out in the open and showing forthrightness to level with his fans. Perhaps there is less anger and more horror, shock, pain and betrayal. Perhaps many will take his age into account and factor in the potential impact of undeclared financial constraints behind the scenes which have perhaps made the bait more appealing, making pragmatism loom larger than continued fealty to principle & sacrifice! Zimbabweans will now pose this timeless question, if our hero Mukanya can be wantonly "cheapened" in this fashion, debased & degraded by Wicknell, what will remain untouched / sacred / taboo for our people to cling onto or bind us together?

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