CAL VIN’S killer must be swiftly found and face the full wrath of the law as the talented musician’s death was gruesome and has left many hearts torn and robbed of a great personality.
Less than 100 metres from his home in Luveve 5, Bulawayo,
the multi-award winning rapper was run over by a white Mazda Familia with no
number plates.
According to witnesses, for whatever reason, Cal Vin jumped
on the vehicle’s bonnet, but the driver of that car continued driving, at first
slowly and then picked up speed. The driver then reportedly performed an
emergency brake, throwing Cal Vin off the vehicle before driving over him. The
driver did not stop after that.
Cal Vin died as a result of his injuries upon arrival at
Mpilo Central Hospital. Although police have launched a manhunt for the driver
of the white Mazda Familia, the community has come together and created a
#JusticeforCalVin hashtag on social media where they are pleading with those
with information to assist. So far, images of a damaged vehicle similar to that
which has been described is being shared but it remains to be seen if police
will make inroads.
Someone somewhere in Bulawayo knows the person that killed
Cal Vin and robbed his much-loved two-year-old daughter — Khloe of a father who
was not shy to share how proud of a dad he was.
Now Khloe will grow up without a father, something that Cal
Vin never wanted for his daughter.
“I want my daughter to grow up with me around. I don’t want
her not to know me. Everything else can happen between her parents, but I want
her to know that daddy loves her,” said Cal Vin earlier this year as he
commented about his song Ngane Yami. This track was off his album, Intwana Ka
Manax that was released this year.
Cal Vin’s death has also robbed Bulawayo of their hero,
someone who had the city at heart and wanted to see artistes in the city succeed.
He used his fame to draw attention to his neighbourhood of
Luveve and the city’s up-and-coming artistes through countless collaborations.
“The way Cal Vin was proud of Luveve and sang so
passionately about it made me want to visit the place. No two ways, he was a
great ambassador for Bulawayo,” media personality MisRed said.
Showing how passionate he was about promoting the city and
its talent, Cal Vin initiated a Made in Bulawayo concert a few years back, a
platform he used to give some hip hop acts the much-needed spotlight to shine.
To top it off, he set up a studio and record label, Kontrol
Tribe which he used to record for up-and-coming artistes such as Mawiza, GTi,
Mzistozz Mfana Futhi, Luki Shiki among many others.
He did not only confine his help to his artistes, but also
established ones like POY, Asaph, Tebza, T1Nda and MUSE. Asaph for example,
said Cal Vin worked on two of his albums, Kingsvilla 1 and 2.
“He always gave you room to be you. You would take what you
had and he would just correct here and there so that a great production is
released. But he always respected people’s ideas,” said Asaph.
He said Cal Vin was a hard worker and through his wave, the
city’s hip hop scene got the much-needed national attention. “Cal Vin was very
important, not only to Zim hip hop but to Zimbabwe music. The nation was
focused on Zim hip hop because of Cal Vin’s moves that he was making. We had
someone from the region going to Harare winning Zimas, Zim hip hop awards,”
said Asaph.
Another hip hop musician, Msiz’kay who was sold as a fan
upon hearing Cal Vin’s break out song Bebengakholwa in 2014 said: “Cal Vin was
a good friend, brother and mentor. I was a fan from the first time I heard
Bebengakholwa on radio. So, when I finally got a chance to meet and work with
him, it was a dream come true,” said Msiz’kay.
Cal Vin was open to working with all kinds of people as
long as he felt that one’s art could add a bit of zest into a song that he was
producing. At one point, he approached poet Albert Nyathi to do a poem for the
song, Bulawayo.
“I was surprised when Cal Vin contacted me saying he wanted
a verse for a song he was working on. I gave him the verse through a WhatsApp
voice note and I was surprised that he put it on a song the next day,” said
Nyathi.
The poet said the city and nation had lost a great artiste
adding that those who killed him should be brought to book.
“He was such an easy-going young man. Easy to joke with.
Above all, he was an amazing talent. He was easily the best hip-hopper in
Zimbabwe. He had independent thinking and spoke his mind too. Silahlekelwe, I
am definitely coming down (to Bulawayo) to mourn with the family and fellow
artists even if it means just for two days as my programme is packed,” Nyathi
said.
Cal Vin was not a regular artiste as he broke a lot of
boundaries, having the likes of Cassper Nyovest and Stunner approach him for
collaborations. Also, the late national hero, Oliver Mtukudzi endorsed him.
“There’s no such a thing as an up-and-coming artiste. I’ve
been around for four decades and I don’t have what Cal Vin has. I can’t do what
he does and he can’t do what I do,” said the late Tuku on Arthur C Evans Show
on Zambezi Magic.
Whatever happens, whoever killed Cal Vin has to be brought
to book and face the music as they cannot get away with hurting the whole
nation by their singular act of raw wickedness.
Cal Vin’s burial has been set for Sunday with mourners
gathered at number 5899, Luveve 5. Chronicle
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