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Wayne Chiridza/Bongani Ndlovu, Showbiz Reporters

THE year 2019 ended on Tuesday and there are many showbiz moments that are worth revisiting, either good or bad. Chronicle Showbiz looks at them.

Bars suffer major blow

A violent shutdown in Bulawayo on January 18 caused losses running into millions of dollars. Property was looted and burnt in the violence.

ExQ wins big at Star FM awards 

ExQ won five awards, Best Afro-Pop Song, Best Collaboration, Best Male Artist, Best Album and Most Played Song for Nzenza at the Star FM awards.

Sikhonjwa quits Skyz Metro FM and returns months later. 

Popular Skyz Metro FM radio anchor Babongile Sikhonjwa of the Vuka Vuka breakfast hanged the mic in February. After the Skyz Metro FM Umcimbi Wabantu in September, he returned.

Winky D released the Mugarden hit song and ended the year with an album launch

In March Winky D released a track titled Mugarden a collaboration with Gemma Griffiths which made waves throughout the year. After being prompted by fans Winky D ended the year with a new album launch.

Amakhosi Theatre productions are back

After being disbanded for 12 years, the Amakhosi Cultural Centre – the country’s biggest home of visual and performing arts relaunched in March.

Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA) fails to take place

Due to economic conditions the 2019 edition of HIFA, normally held in April, did not take place. Probably one of the most prominent arts events on the continent but in recent years HIFA has been facing challenges. 

Bulawayo @125 celebrations

Bulawayo turned 125 years and held celebrations of the anniversary in May, making it the oldest city in the country.

Miss World Zim cancelled

The Miss World Zimbabwe competition was cancelled due to the economic challenges. According to media reports the finals were supposed to be held on July 27 2019. However, they were postponed to September 2019, ‘‘extended’’ to this year.

Ezimnyama win Chibuku Neshamwari dance competition

Bulawayo-based dance ensemble Ezimnyama Dance Ensemble won last year’s Chibuku Neshamwari dance competition after they beat nine other groups at an event that was held at Rimuka Stadium in Kadoma in August this year. This was their second title.

Dr Malinga, Babes Wodumo cancel shows in Zimbabwe.

SOUTH Africa’s entertainer Dr Malinga cancelled his scheduled performance in Bulawayo at Skyz Metro FM’s Umcimbi Wabantu in September, due to the xenophobic attacks in his country. Dr Malinga’s cancellation followed Mafikizolo also doing the same for their concert in Harare on the same week because of the xenophobic attacks.

Babes Wodumo dropped from Mapopoma Festival 

In September organisers of the Mapopoma Festival held in Victoria Falls in December announce the dropping of South Africa’s Babes Wodumo because of her xenophobic tweets. At the height of xenophobic attacks in Mzansi, Babes Wodumo ‘tweeted’ that she was fed up with Zimbabweans and Nigerians and called for them to go back to their countries. She later claimed her Twitter account had been hacked.

Miss Tourism Zimbabwe. . . Queen resigns, aspiring models involved in accident

Reigning Miss Tourism Zimbabwe (MTZ) Tafadzwa Jaricha has resigned due to work commitments and has been replaced by her first princess Natalie Mangondo. 

In early December, 10 models were involved in an accident along Mutare-Vumba road days before the national pageant. The models had been in bootcamp in the Eastern Highlands and were travelling to Vumba where they were meant to spend a night. They were accompanied by Zimbabwe Tourism Authority and Miss Tourism Zimbabwe officials among them Sarah Mpofu and Caroline Marufu. 

Kabza de Small and Sjava make their debut in Zimbabwe

Kabza de Small and Sjava made their way into the country in December for shows for the first time in history.

Zim’s blesser, Uncle Rolen living it up

Who can forget Uncle Rolen and his antics? The Harare socialite, found himself trending on the Internet around October last year when a video of two lovely looking South African women dancing surfaced and his identity as the “blesser” behind their lavish lifestyle was uncovered.

President ED meets Byo artistes 

In a historic feat, President Mnangagwa met artistes from Bulawayo in November. President Mnangagwa was with a host of Cabinet ministers at the “Ease of Doing Business Indaba.” On the first day of the two-day indaba artistes met the First Lady, Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa whose main concern was the welfare of artistes having visited the famous Lazarus Boora (Gringo) after the actor had been discharged from hospital. 

Madlela Skhobokhobo ties the knot

Madlela Skhobokhobo finally got married to Soneni Moyo holding a white wedding.

Chicken Inn Couple proposed and wed.

Makhosana Mguni (27) and his fiancée Belinda Nyoni (24), who are famously known across the country as the Chicken Inn couple. The couple who held their proposal at a Chicken Inn outlet tied the knot on December 26 after they became a celebrity couple.

Deaths 

Dan Tshanda

Dalom music legend, Dan Tshanda died on January 6 shocking artistes and people in Bulawayo as his music was engrained in the city’s social fabric.

Oliver Mtukudzi 

On January 23 legendary Zimbabwean musician Mtukudzi died at 65 years. He succumbed to diabetes and his death shocked not only Zimbabwe but also across the world. He became the first artiste to be declared a national hero. 

Charles Mungoshi 

In February, the domestic literary sector lost Charles Muzuva Mungoshi which was described as the fall of an institution as they regarded him as “writers within a writer.”

Dorothy Masuka 

Also in the same month, Bulawayo-born South Africa-based jazz musician, Dorothy Masuka, succumbed to stroke at her home and was buried at West Park Cemetery in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Black Umfolosi’s Alec Ncube

In March, a member of the globe-trotting Imbube group, Black Umfolosi, Alec Ncube died. Ncube, a former Sunduza Boys member who joined Black Umfolosi more than 25 years ago, died.

Stephen Chifunyise 

In August, Zimbabwe arts icon, playwright and former top government official Stephen Chifunyise died aged 70.

Cool Crooners member Timothy Sekane

In December, one of the granddads of jazz music and liberation war fighter, Timothy Sekane (84), passed away.