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Yvonne Ncube, Showbiz Correspondent

SOUTH Africa-based, Zimbabwean visual artiste, Rasta the Artiste (real name Lebani Sirenje)  is in Bulawayo to honour the late arts legend Cont Mhlanga.

In an interview with Chronicle showbiz this morning, Rasta said he is going to be painting a portrait of the fallen legend.

“I’m here koBulawayo to pay tribute to ubaba uCont Mhlanga who has left us. We as artistes and Zimbabwe at large have been robbed of a great man who had a great impact on our work.

“As I always paint in honour of fallen legends, I saw it fit to come from South Africa to pay my last respects to the father of the arts “umkhulu wethu sonke.”

The Pumula East-born artiste said he had the privilege to meet Mhlanga who was “big on mentoring young artistes.”

“Whenever I come to Zimbabwe I usually go to theatres, especially Amakhosi Theatre. I was introduced by the Sunduza boys. So, whenever I came back then, I’d go there and that gave me the privilege to meet ubaba several times, he was big in mentoring young artistes. I used to do visual art and he was in theatre but the fact that we are in the same industry gave me the honour to gain a few things from him. I’m very honoured to have met him in a lifetime,” Rasta said.

Rasta said he is going to attend Mhlanga’s burial in Lupane.

“I’m going to attend the memorial service at the Amphitheatre tomorrow.  And I’m also going to attend his burial in Lupane on Saturday. From there hopefully, I’m going to start sketching a picture of the arts legend,” he said.

Rasta has over the years earned himself a reputation for honouring late artists and prominent people by painting pictures of them.

@SeehYvonne