Local artistes fear for their lives

Standard Style
Local musicians say they now fear for their lives and there is need to scale up their security to throw off would-be attacks.

By Gerald Mutsvairo

Local musicians say they now fear for their lives and there is need to scale up their security to throw off would-be attacks.

This was said by chairperson of the Zimbabwe Musicians Union (Zimu) Edith WeUtonga following reports that award-winning Zimdancehall chanter Enzol Ishall was assaulted in Harare’s Sunningdale surbub on Friday night.

It is alleged that Enzo Ishall, who dominated the airwaves over the last year with his catchy tunes — Kanjiva and Smart Rinotangira Kutsoka — was attacked by five men who had earlier on requested to take selfies with the crooner.

When Enzo Ishall disembarked from his car to do what his “fans” had requested, the gang instead pounced on him, leaving him for dead. His car’s windscreen was damaged in the melee that lasted less than 10 minutes.

The incident was reported to the police on the night. Pictures that went viral yesterday morning showed the musician at at a police station.

Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi yesterday referred questions to Harare provincial spokesperson Assistant Inspector Tarirai Dube, whose phone was, however, not reachable.

The incident comes after another award-winning artiste Tinashe “Ti Gonzi” Gonzara escaped death by a whisker following an attack by robbers in March.

“As Zimu, we don’t stand for any form of violence against our musicians. It is high time that as musicians we move around with bodyguards; some might say it is a show-off, but I think artistes deserve bodyguards because their lives are in danger,” said WeUtonga.

“Artistes are celebrities and can be targets of robbers, hence the need to scale up their security. It is something that we will discuss as musicians because just recently Ti Gonzi was attacked by robbers,” said WeUtonga.

Both musicians had previously hinted that there were people who were after them and wanted to destroy their careers.

“When we had just gotten into the car, these guys just started playing my music, they played my singles like Chirungu, MaEx Angu…they also played Zvenyu and Kure, a track by Ishan featuring me, so I just thought these guys knew me well and they were not dangerous,” Ti Gonzi said in an interview with Standard Style in April.

“But, on the way I realised that these guys had probably been sent by someone or other people to do what they did.”

The Magate singer also hinted at the recent Castle Tankard show in Borrowdale that his life was in danger. He said he knew the person who could be behind his assault on Friday.

The Zimdancehall singer could not be contacted for comment yesterday as he was said to have flown to South Africa.