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Esau Hondora

Bongani Ndlovu, Showbiz Correspondent
Popular Gweru music promoter Esau Hondora says prison was a very bad place to be as during his seven days at Whawha Maximum Prison last year, he did not eat or use the toilet.

Hondora, 33, together with his accomplice Proud last year spent a week in jail after being convicted of robbery for forcefully taking $1 300 and a cellphone from a man who owed the promoter $120.

The pair was released after a week following their lawyers’ appeal at the High Court.

This week, over a year later, Hondora and Proud were in Bulawayo at the High Court to face their fate and were acquitted.

Breathing a huge sigh of relief, Hondora said prison was not a good place to be.

“I spent seven days in prison and I didn’t eat anything. I only drank Coca Cola and didn’t even use the toilet for those seven days. When I was found guilty last year, I cried and the prison officers tried to calm me, but I couldn’t be consoled because I couldn’t believe it,” said Hondora.

“The experience there isn’t good. At 3PM, we were told to go into our cells and sleep. It was unbearable to be in there. I’m still traumatised by that experience. I feel like crying every time I talk about it.” Hondora said while he was in prison, he was concerned about his wife and two minor children.

“I was wondering what would happen to my wife and the children, Arthur who is two years old and my daughter Matipaishe who is five. I felt helpless and didn’t know what to do as I thought I was gone for good.

“Fortunately after seven days, I was out of prison,” said Hondora.

A year later Hondora, a promoter who works hand in hand with 2 Kings Entertainment and has been responsible for hosting most of Alick Macheso and Jah Prayzah’s shows in Gweru and Bulawayo, said when he was back in court he was worried he was going to taken back to prison.

“At High Court in Bulawayo earlier this week, I was nervous because we’d appealed against the sentence.

“I breathed a huge sigh of relief when the High Court judge acquitted me. I now know how it is to be inside and I  urge people to refrain from crime,” said Hondora.

To his accusers, Hondora said: “I hope God blesses them. They know what they did was wrong as they framed me. I’ve been found innocent meaning whatever they wanted to achieve failed.”

The promoter said in all this, he was thankful that his business associates did not abandon him.

“I’m grateful that all my friends, Jah Prayzah, Dee Nosh and Chipaz have been supportive of me. They didn’t lose hope and we’re still in good books.  On June 23 we’ll be together for the Anthony B show at Glamis Arena in Harare to celebrate Star FM’s 5th Birthday,” he said.