My family hates me — Somanje

Standard People
After periods of speculative media frenzy, Daiton Somanje (DS) has finally opened up and emotionally poured out his heart to the nation in an exclusive interview with our correspondent Jairos Saunyama (JS).

The Pengaudzoke frontman openly talked about his family, waning career and the slippery reunion with rival brother Josphat.He responded to some of the questions in tears and below are some excerpts from the interview.

JS: Is it true that you abandoned your Marondera family and house for good?DS: It all started in 2009 when I got sick. I strived with my condition for a while trying to fend for my family but all hell broke loose when my family turned against me. I was diagnosed with TB. My wife then, Annah Kezias, started abusing me physically, emotionally and verbally. I even told my son, Faheem, about it but he too started abusing me. I had nowhere to turn to and I approached my friend Esther Musango who stays in Dzivarasekwa. Esther sympathised with me and came to my rescue. We started living together in Dzivarasekwa while taking good care of me and she is now my “wife”. I am not going back to Marondera because there is no love there.

JS: About your latest clash with your first born son Faheem, did you mean it when you disowned and kicked him out of the house?DS: He is no longer my son and I mean it. Have you ever heard of a son who befriends his father’s friends or enemies? Faheem teamed up with my former band members who fed him with horrible information about me. They influenced him to go against me and you can’t believe it.Now he is telling the media that I am jealous of his success. What kind of father am I to be jealous of his own blood’s success? What has Faheem done so far that makes him think he is successful? I want him to be positive and behave like a son who respects his father.

JS: How did you feel when you applied for an eviction order against your family?DS: They pushed me that far. It doesn’t mean I am not a caring father but they have forced me to develop a hard heart because there is no mutual understanding and respect between me and my family. We are treating each other like enemies. But they can’t drive me out of my house and it is the reason I decided to take legal action by applying for an eviction order. For your own information, I sold the house already and am just waiting for these court cases to come to an end.

JS: But Kezias vowed never to leave the house?DS: That’s her own funeral. She is no longer my wife and why would she refuse to vacate? She never contributed anything towards the house so where are the guts coming from? I only married her when my former wife who happened to be her auntie died a few years ago. Look, I am 47 years old and she is 27. Faheem is supporting Kezias, his stepmother to take control of the house, his own house. I can’t get the logic.

JS: If you say you are against Faheem and Kezias, does it mean other kids have to suffer for the sake of the two?DS: That’s my main worry, especially my nine-year-old last-born kid. I am doing something for them that I can’t disclose to you. I assure you that I am doing something great for them.

JS: How do you describe your relationship with Josphat after the reunion album and is it true that you paid him to join you?DS: There is no reunion, in fact we were cheating the nation. Let people not think that all is now fine between us. The truth is Josphat demanded US$1 000 for featuring on the album but he was only given US$700. It was not my idea but my record company thought it was wise for the two of us to come together to resuscitate my waning music career. Yes we held shows here and there after the album but it is not working. The relationship failed to work a long time ago and it will never work.

JS: You made a lot of money after the release of Tsaona and you had few vehicles but nowadays you are a pedestrian, does it mean you are broke?DS: I sold all the vehicles and one is now rotted at a police camp when I failed to redeem it because of financial problems. There is also a kombi in Marondera but it’s stuck in the yard.

JS: What did you do with the money after selling the vehicles?DS: I can’t tell you.