From the year 2000, I found out that I had quite a number of people from different walks of life: music industry, media, arts and culture, Ministry of Arts and Culture as well as the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe who wished me bad luck. Many people were not happy with the success of Jenaguru Music Festival. They had underestimated my resolve when I started and had hoped that the festival would suffer a still-birth or, at least, die in its infancy. Because their wishes had not happened, they gnashed their teeth and became obssessed with finding ways to bring the festival down. They could not fathom how I had managed to successfully perform the gargantuan task of bringing together galaxies of music stars from at least 50 local, regional and international musical groups to perform at the 24-hour Jenaguru Music Festival year in year out. Some just privately seethed in anger while others could not hide their hatred towards me and the festival. They wanted the Jenaguru Music Festival to fail by all means. Some damning articles started appearing in the press. On my part, I cared less about all those whose media reports were meant to harm and derail the music festival. What boggled my mind and really troubled me was why a few musicians could join hands with enemies of music and arts in trying to destroy a venture which provided them a great platform to shine and succeed. Luckily the haters were a miniscule group; the majority of musicians and music lovers in the country supported the music festival from its inception until the time we were coerced into surrendering it to the Ministry of Information and Publicity. All the negatives I encountered during organizing the music festival provided me with energy that could only propel me forward.
Knowing that there was a group of people who wished the festival to fail, heightened my determination to succeed, rather than discourage me. I started believing in myself more because I realized that what I was doing was beyond some people’s expectations. It was my first time to encounter such antagonism from people I had not wronged. As Jenaguru Music Festival became a household name my confidence soared and I began cherishing the idea that I could become one of the best music promoters ever to emerge in Zimbabwe. Indeed, I did not disappoint. The previous bar which had been set, I surpassed by a wide margin by inviting local, regional and international music groups. During my time of organising the festival, I learned a lot about the black person’s dark side; the side that is full of jealous, evil and lack of empathy. While my detractors openly showed their hostility to the programme, my supporters and I shone enabled by the power and grace of God.
One secret to my success was that I never organized the festival alone. Many fans and supporting musicians offered me advice and prayed for the festival to be successful. I listened and took valuable points from what the fans presented to me. However, one unexpected result of the success of Jenaguru Festivals was the emergence of a personal vendetta between me and the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Arts and Culture, Mr. Stephen Chifunyise. Mr. Chifunyise never supported the music festival from the start. I think his stomach churned each time he heard positive news about our success and there were plenty such times. During that time, the Ministry of Arts and Culture would provide grants to many organisations in the country, but Mr. Chifunyise made sure that Jenaguru would receive nothing. Thus, Jenaguru had to fend for itself. I relied on a number of organisations who believed in the Jenaguru project. These included Gramma Records, Spinalong, Zimbabwe Music Corporation, Music Express, Coca Cola, National Breweries, SIDA, NORAD and many others. The Ministry of Arts and Culture used many platforms to decampaign Jenaguru, but failed dismally because the festival had become some sort of national project. Our music fan base kept increasing each and every year. Gwanzura Stadium was becoming smaller for thousands of our fans who attended the festival every year. We were, as festival organisers, pressured by our fans and City of Harare to take the Jenaguru Festival to the National Sports Stadium. I did not hesitate to give it a try.
The National Sports Stadium is so massive that it requires enormous amounts of human and financial resources to manage it as a show venue. All Jenaguru Festivals succeeded resoundingly because of meticulous planning. Nothing was left to chance. We would start planning and flighting Jenaguru Festival adverts as early as March when the festival would be held in the first week of October. From March to October a lot of promotional activities would be undertaken. These included a raffle to win a free ticket to Victoria Falls, winning t/shirts and vinyl records. We also used television space to introduce the leaders of the music bands that would participate in the festival. It was a very good platform for promoting local musicians. Zimbabweans started to appreciate their musicians. The platform helped in the development of live performances in Zimbabwe and increased musicians’ royalties by assisting to generate more sales of their music records.
All the planning for the switch to the National Sports Stadium was completed in good time. Most of the sponsors of the festival had agreed as usual to contribute towards the festival. I wanted some money to cover the costs of hosting all foreign musical groups. I had to pay for their hotel accommodation, food, drink, transport and allowances. The Norwegian embassy represented by their culture sector in NORAD and the Swedish Embassy represented by their culture sector in SIDA agreed informally to sponsor the Jenaguru Music Festival. I prepared all the paperwork to formalise the agreements. I made a formal presentation in writing and the two embassies signed the agreements without hesitation. I had worked with the two embassies since 1992. I had an impressive record with the cultural attaches of Sweden and Norway. I had built trust with the embassies. I was very transparent to all sponsors who provided me with financial assistance. I started advertising how we were going to cater for all musical groups coming from different countries. I also wanted to show my sponsors that I was following what we had agreed upon. I booked Sheraton Hotel for Brother Ayouba from San Francisco, California, USA and a musical group from Egypt. I also booked accommodation for all musical groups from Southern Africa at the Monomotapa Hotel.
When we were advertising about the forthcoming Jenaguru Musical Festival someone in the Ministry of Arts and Culture was annoyed by all these good developments. That person was none other than the permanent secretary Mr. Steven Chifunyise. He felt very angry about our success because we never involved the Ministry of Arts and Culture. Once I saw that I was not wanted anywhere near the Ministry’s offices, I decided to keep a safe distance to avoid a clash with the permanent secretary. I had support from the Ministry of Information and Publicity and the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation who understood my vision and had bought into it. My relationship with the two institutions was ironclad.
When Mr. Chifunyise realised how many organisations supported the Jenaguru Music Festival, he devised an evil plan to destroy the festival. He had engaged the services of Derby Meticalfe and Joe Stablesk to assist him with the SADC Music Festival preparations. The SADC Music Festival was staged in Zimbabwe. Only those who were close to Mr. Chifunyise got to work with him. I cared less because I knew I was among those he despised most. Mr. Chifunyise knew very well that if he was to utilise the presence of Derby Meticalfe, his diabolic plan would succeed. So, Mr. Chifunyise sent Derby to the Swedish and Norwegian embassies to talk to the cultural attaches and convince them to stop supporting the Jenaguru Musical Festival. She told them that I was a dishonesty person and that all sponsorship they gave was for my personal benefit. She told the embassies that the Ministry of Arts and Culture was not supporting such a music festival. How cunning Mr. Chifunyise was to send Meticalfe! He knew very well that white people in their community do listen to each other. Thus, Meticalfe went to the two embassies to destroy the relationship I had built over a long period. Derby used the race card to persuade the two embassies to revoke an agreement they had entered into with Jenaguru. Derby must have performed Mr. Chifunyise’s errand enthusiastically because she had some unfinished business with me. If you recall, I had taken her to court on behalf of the Bhundu Boys bassist, David Mukamba’s family, whose estate she had stolen. She lost the case in court and David’s property was inherited by his rightful heirs. Derby still harboured much bitterness towards me.
When the day for cheque collection from each embassy arrived, I visited the Swedish Embassy first. I was greeted with very sad news. The cultural attaché told me that they could not give the money because their sponsorship was not supported by the Ministry of Arts and Culture. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing; I was shocked. I had already made concrete arrangements with all the international musical groups coming from the region and overseas. The cultural attaché apologized on behalf of the embassy for any inconvenience caused. I jumped into my car and drove to the Norwegian embassy where I received the same story. I pleaded with the cultural attaché to assist me at that juncture since I had already confirmed to all musical groups about their upkeep during and after the Jenaguru Festival. I was heartbroken and felt powerless. I was shaken but I thought to myself that the show must go on. There was no need to continue pleading with the lady who clearly showed me that there was no other way to rescue the situation. She told me that Derby Meticalfe had approached her and conveyed massage on behalf of the permanent secretary. The embassy could not go against the wish of the ministry.
That turn of events was a nightmare for me because I had not budgeted for these extra costs. The permanent secretary and Derby had committed murder. There is no difference if we are to compare their actions with a killer who uses poison, a gun or strangulation to commit murder. I felt wounded; I felt the pain. I thanked the Norwegian embassy for the assistance they had rendered to the Jenaguru Music Festival for a number of years in the past. I had been helped enormously by both the Swedish and Norwegian embassies and I had to thank them wholeheartedly.
I walked out of the embassy building and on my way to the parking bay, by chance, I bumped into Derby Meticalfe. She greeted me with a broad smile on her face. I approached her pretending as if I wanted to greet her. I then gave her a big clap which she will never forget for the rest of her life. White oppressor coming into my life to disturb my vision! Even though I had never beaten a woman in my lifetime, Derby was going to be the first. I had no option; I couldn’t hold back. Fortunately, I didn’t use a lot of force. Derby Meticalfe went to report the assault at Avondale Police Station. She was given forms which were supposed to be filled in by a medical doctor at Parirenyatwa Hospital to confirm if she had suffered any bodily harm. Instead, she went to her own private doctor who wrote that she had suffered serious bodily injuries or grievous bodily harm (GBH). The Police refused to entertain her private doctor’s report. When she later went to Parirenyatwa Hospital, she was given a report which showed her injuries were minor. I was found guilty of assault and I was asked to pay a fine.
That day I went home early. I was exhausted. I wanted to restrategise. I told my partner, Mrs. Tomoko Takahashi about the cancellations by NORAD and SIDA and everything I had gone through. Mrs. Tomoko Takahashi sympathized with me and gave me the assurance that she would assist me financially with the upkeep of all musical groups from different countries. I managed to cover all the expenses of the festival with her assistance. We also invited a reporter from Japan who covered the show from start to finish. The Jenaguru Festival was again a resounding success. The National Sports Stadium reverberated with great sounds of music from Simon Chimbetu, Thomas Mapfumo, Brother Ayouba (USA), Amber04 (Zambia) and Ambuya Stella Chiweshe among many others. It was a 24-hour gig to remember. I provided the services that were expected of me from my thousands of fans who came from all walks of life.
I was brought up in a formidable African culture which has 100 percent respect for women. I was taught that a cultured man must never raise his hand to beat a woman under whatever circumstances. Derby Meticalfe pushed me to the edge. I could not hold back because I was consumed with anger which I failed to control. I was provoked to an unimaginable extent which only a super human being can overcome. Derby had poked the bear at her own risk.