Mapfumo says Zimbabweans should vote Yes if new constitution is good

By Violet Gonda
15 March 2013

Chimurenga music star Thomas Mapfumo has said if the new constitution is good for the people then Zimbabweans ‘should just go for it’ at the referendum on Saturday.

The United States based musician, who is in the United Kingdom to perform in a rare show with fellow music legend Oliver Mtukudzi, said even though he has not read the draft charter, Zimbabweans have been suffering for a very long time and therefore should vote for the new constitution if it is good for them.

“There have been a lot of problems in Zimbabwe. We want everybody to live a good life in Zimbabwe. We don’t care who is in power as long as they look after the people, that’s good for us.”

Mapfumo told SW Radio Africa he is excited to be performing again with his good friend for the first time since their joint show in the UK four years ago.

The two music legends have been talking about working on an album together and are set to perform in London and Leicester, on Friday and Saturday respectively.

“Yes that is in the pipeline. We have been talking about that.” Mapfumo added: “We need to do that as soon as possible, you know we are growing old and time is not on our side. We need to do a lot of things. I have a lot of backlog myself, a lot of music which is not recorded but I would like do something with Oliver.”

He has a new album of his own that is coming out soon. The Chimurenga musician said he is very excited about the new CD which he says will be very different this time “with some strange beats.”

“We need to change with the times. Zimbabwe is not an issue these days and we have to look at the rest of the world where people are dying and a lot of people are suffering.

“We are reading about Syria, refugees, people running away from their homes. So those are important things we have to address.”

Mapfumo, who has been living in self-imposed exile in the United States since 2003, said he has been in talks with business mogul Phillip Chiyangwa and is making plans to return to Zimbabwe after elections to perform there.

He said his roots are in Zimbabwe but he will return to the States to work ‘because there are too many opportunities overseas.”

Mapfumo also said he recently held talks with Deputy Prime Minister Mutambara, calling on the government of Zimbabwe to gazette a law to stop music piracy so as to protect already struggling musicians in the country.

To contact this reporter email [email protected] or follow on Twitter