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Chase Skuza

Bongani Ndlovu/Mkhululi Ncube, Showbiz Reporters
WHEN the late Solomon Skuza sang the timeless hit Banolila, he could have  been prophesying all the misfortunes that have befallen his younger brother, Chase, of late.

The song Banolila was a plea for help in raising money to take a child to school. It seems Chase is the one who was foreseen appealing for money to pay his debts in order to avoid going to prison.

Chase was arrested last week while performing on stage and has been sentenced to 231 days in prison for failing to pay $2 900 to a South Africa-based truck driver he defrauded in 2015.

In pleading with the magistrate, Chase asked not to be sent to prison saying he had been sick and would pay back the money.

“I have brought $100 today. I have been very sick and my child passed away that is why I wasn’t able to pay. I just started working and I was arrested on stage while I was performing,” he said.

His imprisonment follows his first brush with the law three years ago when he was sent to do community service after pleading that he would settle the debt, but failed.

Only last week, B-Metro reported that Chase was grabbed by the privates over non-payment by a female dancer in South Africa. To show that he has reached rock bottom, there are rumours suggesting that Chase once tried to board a kombi for free sometime this year but ran out of luck.

It seems when the conductor (windi) snuffed him out, Chase went on his knees begging. He basically could not afford to pay the mandatory 50c from his Cowdray Park home to the city centre.

Another case involving Chase was last year where a businesswoman in Bulawayo confiscated his guitar after the musician took 10 jackets on credit for his band members and failed to pay.

Long Chase as he is known because of his height, seems to be having a long list of problems bedevilling him. In one of his songs Abalalanga, Chase even says he was attacked by goblins in his rural home of Ntoli, to show that his bad omens point to something spiritual affecting his life.

It is saddening that a person who has been in the music industry for such a long time, can be in such a quandary. How could he fail to raise the amount of money that has landed him in jail after being given three years to pay?

For all these years, Chase has always been chasing fortune, but it seems bad luck always follows him. Now that he is serving his jail term, hopefully this will not mark the end of his career and also, it should mark a change in fortune.

Come the end of his jail term, the question will stand whether he will take up the guitar and start singing again. Chase often features on other people’s songs, chief among them being Banolila. Another song he featured on was Wathathi Mali by Kwejani Band that is very popular on local radio stations.

Perhaps in jail he will gather some inspiration from his surroundings to compose songs that he belt out when he is released. Fans would love to hear  about his struggles during his prison term and what he experienced when he was told he was going to jail.

But for now as Solomon sang in Banolila, Munditjidzewo basekulu, which is a cry for help from relatives. Chase is a man in need of help.