'Tuku died a bitter man'

THE late music icon and national hero Oliver "Tuku" Mtukudzi died a bitter man after the Bindura Municipality frustrated his dream to set up an arts centre in his Madziwa rural home in the mould of Pakare Paye to empower youths in this rural outpost, it has emerged.

Tuku died in Harare on Wednesday last week and was buried at his rural home on Sunday after he was unanimously declared a national hero by the Zanu-PF politburo.

The Mtukudzi family spokesperson, Victor Rukainga, told mourners at Tuku's burial that the music superstar died a bitter man after failing to secure land
from the Bindura municipality.

"My uncle told me that his desire was to help talented youths in arts by setting up an arts centre here in Madziwa. I accompanied him to Bindura municipality and talked to council authorities, but we were directed to a place that was not suitable as his wish was to build the arts centre along the highway," he said.

"He even proposed to set it up at a place where there was a dysfunctional swimming pool, but the Bindura Municipality refused again."

Rukainga said by denying Tuku's request, the municipality denied young people in Mashonaland Central an opportunity to see their dreams come true.

Rukainga said Tuku was passionate about his roots, something reflected in his song, Ndafunga Dande. If the Bindura Municipality had granted Tuku's wish, the proposed arts centre would have become the musician's second after Pakare Paye Arts Centre in Norton, where young promising talent in the mould of
Mbeu, Tsvete, Munya Mataruse and Donald Kanyuchu has been raised.

Meanwhile, it was a befitting send-off for Tuku as thousands of mourners across the spectrum thronged his homestead to pay their last respects to the artiste who was buried on Sunday.