ZIMDANCEHALL artist Lady Squanda who made headlines for the better part of last week after she brutally attacked and humiliated comedian Abra Skimbo (real name Tinashe Matika), has had a music career mired in controversy.
BY TAWANDA TADERERA
A fortnight ago a video of Lady Squanda assaulting comedian Abra Skimbo went viral. In the one minute 48 seconds video, Lady Squanda assaults the comedian with the help of unidentified companions and to embarrass him further, she makes the hapless comedian lick the soles of her feet and toes.
Skimbo was assaulted for recording a skit alleging Lady Squanda stole towels and undergarments at a Kwekwe lodge she was booked in for a show recently.
Born Sandra Muchaneta Gazi, Lady Squanda’s career has been dogged by controversy, from fights over men to use of provocative and vulgar language in her songs.
In 2013, she caused panic among her family members, friends and fellow artists after a WhatsApp message from her mobile phone indicated she had died. However, it was discovered that Lady Squanda, who stayed with her grandparents in Zengeza 3 in Chitungwiza then, was not dead, but at her friend’s house in Manyame Park in the same town.
The following year, she turned violent and attacked fellow female dancehall artist Lipsy “Ninja Lipsy” Chitimbe over a boyfriend at the Star FM dancehall celebrations at the Mbare Netball Complex.
After the Mbare fiasco, Lady Squanda was quoted saying, “Handina basa nazvo kuti aita police report. Ndinongosungwa handisirini ndatanga kusungwa ka, asi ndichingo buda chete ndomudzokorora futi, kusvika hasha dzangu dzapera.” [I don’t mind getting arrested. I would not be the first person to be arrested. But when I am released, I will beat her again until my temper cools.]
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In July last year, Lady Squanda was locked up at St Mary’s Police Station in Chitungwiza after she had assaulted one of her customers with an empty bottle. She was detained in the police cells because she could not raise the $20 fine
She also stirred controversy after she had released a song titled Ten Nought where she boasted of stealing someone’s mobile phone. This was after she betrayed the trust of several people in the United Kingdom, including her promoters who had entrusted her with mobile phones and other valuables to bring to Zimbabwe after her UK tour, which she did not deliver to the intended recipients.
Recently, the self-proclaimed queen of Zimdancehall made headlines once again after she was accused of stealing goods worth $70 at a Kwekwe lodge. She has since denied the charges.
This is the incident that influenced Skimbo to record a skit.
However, Shepherd Foya, a member of Lady Squanda’s management team, told The Standard Style on Friday that Lady Squanda said some of the allegations against her were not true. He singled out the Kwekwe incident as false and malicious.
“There was no evidence that Lady Squanda stole the goods. We only heard that through the media and from that comedian Skimbo,” Foya said.
He said Skimbo could have provoked Lady Squanda with the video because it emanated from false allegations. He said Lady Squanda, who was rumoured to have skipped the country after her video of attacking Skimbo went viral, was back in the country.
“Lady Squanda reacted in a way that was not respectable and we did not expect that from her. She did not run away as claimed by the media, but she had gone out of the country for personal business. She is back in the country,” Foya said.
He said they were planning to apologise to the fans in a unique way.
“We are planning to do something as a way of apologising to our fans and we cannot disclose that now,” he said.
Lady Squanda was raised by her maternal grandmother Eunice Tomana in Chitungwiza after her mother died when she was five years old. She began performing at the age of 15 and her popular songs include Cracker and Ndinovhaira.
