Malunga, a war veteran who rose to stardom in the late
1990s through his award-winning song and accompanying video Nesango, said it
was sad for the regime to ignore its cadres, who are wallowing in abject
poverty.
In an interview with NewsDay Life & Style yesterday, Malunga
said government should sympathise with war veterans, who have stood with it
through thick and thin.
“I thought by now the ruling party would sympathise with
dedicated cadres,” Malunga said.
“What does it take for an individual to be recognised by
own country, through hard work and wisdom? If what I advise His Excellency
later becomes true, can I not be recognised as someone who has a far-reaching
eyesight?” he said.
“I donated a lot of money towards the reburial of former
freedom fighters, I raised a lot of money through Zimbabwe-Mozambique
Friendship Association, for the safekeeping of the Mutare Beira Corridor
railway line,” he said.
“I organised Jenaguru Music festivals, recorded other artistes,
honoured artistes, through higher learning institutions, donated stationery to
many schools, assisted many orphanages with food and clothing and built
tombstones for many musicians, among other things.”
Malunga took to social media to vent his anger.
“Who in Zimbabwe has advised the current President on
issues of great concern? It is Clive Malunga, who foresaw the G40 uprising.
“It is the same person who led Cdes to State House,
demanding compensation.
“Why do you pretend as if I don’t exist?” Malunga asked
rhetorically.
Last year, Malunga was left counting his losses after his
Jenaguru Arts Centre built over 25 years ago was razed down by the Harare City
Council.
“We are not in Gaza or Palestine where Israelites destroy
people’s things and we are not at war with each other. So, the government
should make sure these institutions are not run based on partisan lines where
people look at where you come from or who you support. There is unfairness in
all this,” Malunga said then.
“People in power should make sure institutions are fair,
because the blame will always go to Zanu PF. People should not label others or
me as sell-outs because I am not a sell-out.”
Malunga’s Nesango video was for years one of the best
visual music productions in the country. The video relives some liberation war
scenes, with Rhodesian Forces helicopters descending on guerillas, horses
chasing suspected guerrillas, military vehicles on patrol and liberation
fighters’ pungwes (vigil meetings) with villagers.
The video was one of the best visual productions of
yesteryear.
It came with a unique flair. It was like an excerpt from a
war movie. It exuded creativity and automatically became the video of the year
on ZTV in 1997. Newsday
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