Chipanga dares Mnangagwa's government

OUTSPOKEN musician Hosiah Chipanga hopes that the new government will address the issue of banning songs from being played on state-owned radio stations.

In an interview with The Standard Style in Mutare on Thursday, Chipanga said although he had tried on so many occasions to meet President Robert Mugabe to say out his views about his banned music, he was now hopeful that the new government would help musicians to express their views freely.

"I am just giving it time to find out if there is also any change of heart and ear in the new faces, or maybe my struggle continues," said Chipanga.

Chipanga said as musicians, they were expecting President Emmerson Mnangagwa to come up with policies that help artists in their business.

"Music plays a critical role in nation building and there is no reason why such music that has messages that build a nation or that tries to correct matters and carries issues pertaining to the social economic injustices to the people is banned," he said.

"I know that there are other affected musicians and we are looking forward to meeting Mnangagwa and other relevant officials in government to discuss the issue.

"Regardless of almost 40 years in my musical mission to try and save Zimbabwe from the situation in which the country was in, no one has taken me seriously and my messages in my songs have been misinterpreted. I have been labelled an enemy of the state, but l want to fully explain to Mnangagwa the actual meaning and objective of my songs."

Some musicians who have had some of their songs banned on national radio include Leonard Zhakata and Thomas Mapfumo, among others.

"Look, today there is a new leadership in government and this what we have been advocating in our songs," he said.