The funeral services company has lately been the centre of
a storm and accused of riding on the arts industry at a time when the sector is
battling with the Covid-19 pandemic.
A number of musicians in Zimbabwe have been living from
hand mouth after the government introduced regulations meant to curb the spread
of Covid-19.
The regulations included the banning of gathering and
opening of beer outlets such as clubs and sports bars, which in the past have
been musicians’ hunting grounds.
As a result, most musicians have been struggling to make
ends meet with some having turned into begging.
While a few have joined the informal trade bandwagon, a
number of musicians are on the throes of poverty to an extent that they accept
anything that comes their way.
A local businessman speaking on condition of anonymity said
a number of musicians have been reduced to destitutes and are now vulnerable.
“I have been visited by some artistes asking for financial
assistance, with some imploring me to do anything so that I pay them. Most of
them are now destitute,” said the businessman, who is also a music promoter.
He said at this rate, most artistes will end up on the
streets begging. Lately, Zimbabwe has had new players joining the arts industry
with the aim of supporting artistes in the face of Covid-19.
One such company that has been supportive of the arts
industry in the last few months is Nyaradzo and the company’s head of strategy
and corporate affairs, Batsirai Simango said
their involvement in the arts sector was meant to celebrate the country’s
success story.
“We are a wholly Zimbabwean entity, which seeks to deliver
good tidings as well as celebrate the success of our country’s men and women,”
said Simango.
“Their success is ours and we believe that by shining the
light on the success of our people, we can build on that momentum to achieve
the greater good for our nation as a whole, now and in the future. Tiri sahwira
mukuru.”
On Friday, the funeral services company hosted a virtual
music concert dubbed The Big Launch, which featured some of the country’s top
musicians.
Jah Prayzah, Alick Macheso, Tocky Vibes, Selmor Mtukudzi,
Baba Harare, Novuyo Seagirl and Baba Harare, among others participated in the
event.
Sandra Ndebele, who was supposed to perform on the night
did not feature on the show, which was accessed on the Nyaradzo Group Facebook
and YouTube channel.
“We had a tremendous show on the night. It was viewed by
close to 2 800 people and it accumulated close to 14 000 comments,” Simango
said.
“If you check the line-up we had upcoming artistes as well
and this shows our desire to support the development of arts in the country. “We
also had Chipawo, they did not perform on the night, but we have a recording
from them that we used for the show.”
Simango said going forward, Nyaradzo would keep working
with artistes regardless of any form they represent.
The company has a introduced Sahwira Wear and Win Promotion
under the banner Sahwira Events and Lifestyle, and Simango described the move
as part of their diversification.
“Nyaradzo is a fully integrated financial services provider
as well as a lifestyle entity,” Simango said.
“The launch of the Sahwira Wear and Win Promotion is in
line with our diversification strategy, which seeks to offer several touch
points for our customers during their lifetime.
“We not only offer insurance products and end of life
solutions, we also offer event management solutions for occasions such as
weddings, graduation or birthday parties.
“Through our Sahwira Events and Lifestyle division, we also
offer holiday facilities in Nyanga, Vumba and houseboats on Lake Kariba.
“For those who like to experience the Zimbabwean outdoors,
we have camping gear and equipment available for hire. Standard
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