Of artistes dying as paupers

Mthabisi Tshuma, Showbiz Correspondent

The death last Thursday of Cool Crooners music band member Timothy Sekane, one of the exponents of Zimbabwean music, cast a pall over a city that is hoping for a change of the welfare of artistes.

A fortnight ago, the city’s artistes met President Emmerson Mnangagwa and First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa for the first time to present challenges they are facing. A week after this important meeting, the music fraternity was plunged into mourning as a legendary music icon succumbed to chronic anemia and severe dehydration. Days after his passing, his body was stuck at Mpilo Central Hospital as his family did not have the resources to pay his bills as well as money for his burial.

Timmy as Sekane was affectionately known by his fans, died a sad death which should be a wakeup call to the young generation in the music industry. 

Two years back when Cool Crooners founding member Abel Sithole died, George Salimu the leader of the group said they did not want to die as paupers but unfortunately that is what happened to one of them. “Dying like paupers is something that’s always on our minds. It’s not good. I’d rather not please somebody because they just want us to perform. This is our livelihood,” Salimu told our sister paper The Sunday News.

The economic challenges facing the country are not favourable for many artistes as they are literally paid peanuts for shows. They are as a result struggling to fend for their families. The prevailing challenges call for discipline when it comes to using whatever little the artistes raise. Government and fellow artistes assisted Sekane’s familiy to raise the required resources for his burial.

The surviving Cool Crooners, Lucky Thodlana, Abraham Ncube and Salimu said Sekane’s death had left a huge gap and as such the band will never be the same.

“We’ll forever cherish the good times we shared with our brother although his family  struggled to bury him due to lack of resources,” said Salimu. — mthabisi_mthire.

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