BY SHARON SIBINDI
The deputy minister of Information, Communication and Technology and Bulilima West legislator, Dingumuzi Phuti, has dedicated a song to the people of Bulilima West constituency as a special tribute to them for giving him a clear mandate to serve them as their parliament representative.
The song — Bulilima West —comes from his fifth album Dokojena (Unexpected, Shocker) which has 10 tracks.
“Bulilima West is on my new album — Dokojena (Unexpected, Shocker) and it’s a dedication to the people of Bulilima West constituency, who believed so much in me to the extent that they voted me to be their National Assembly representative in the ninth parliament of Zimbabwe.
“They deserve this kind of respect from me because I know the journey that I walked through with them. My age at that time in 2018 was defying the already existing precedent of parliamentarians from our district being people of a particular advanced age and probably perceived to be wealthy among other expectations that were there by then,” Phuti told Standard Style.
Phuti, aka DJ Phuti, who is a former ZBC DJ and a Zimbabwe Music Rights Association (Zimura) board member, said the surprise was that they believed in him even when he was the youngest, especially when they were running for the primary elections.
“When I sailed through, I went on to represent my party Zanu PF and had five other contestants for the same position, but I achieved victory, that is unprecedented…I won in all the 13 wards, I even beat those who were standing against each other in the wards from which they come.
“So I really thank the people of Bulilima West constituency through my song and that kind of belief in me ushered me to the National Assembly where I serve with a passion, got involved in some robust debates, joined strategic portfolio committees, positively contributed from my already existing strengths from my background, which was the portfolio committee in youth, arts, sports and recreation, the portfolio committee on transport and infrastructure development and the portfolio committee on media, Information and broadcasting services,” he said.
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“In those committees, I actively participate and I also took part in almost all oral evidence gatherings. After a year, my party Zanu PF nominated me to be the deputy chief whip of the ninth Parliament of Zimbabwe and I conscientiously bore the responsibility. In the same year after a month in that position, I was deployed by His Excellency President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa to the position of deputy minister of Information, Communication and Technology, the post I hold today.”
Phuti said he still remains indebted to the people of Bulilima West constituency and continues to deliver according to their expectations, driving development pillars, especially infrastructural development, where they have a strong partnership between communities and the Bulilima Rural District Council in constructing schools, clinics and community halls, among others.
“The people of Bulilima West constituency deserve to be thanked because they presented a lot of hope in what the new administration under President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa can deliver,” he said.
Talking about his fifth album, he described music as a calling to him and said he has been doing music since he was an infant.
“I got interested in music during my school years, I participated a lot in school choirs. Later I decided to record my debut album, Bhasikili Ulitole, in 2003 which became an instant hit. I was shocked that I could make a hit so easily.
“Dokojena (Unexpected, Shocker) — Doko means faeces, droppings, and jena means white. So it’s simple white faeces and no one can talk easily about such, it’s something unexpected, it’s a shocker that you are presenting and I was saying it in a manner that can be understood,” he said.
“My style, is meant to be simple, understandable, approachable, likeable. When you do music, people tend to view the lighter side of you and they tend to associate you with that kind of approach and I have benefited immensely from that. I continue doing my music for that reason with passion and I respect the industry. It is also a way for me to be understood differently by people in my political career.”
