'Mugabe silences Oliver Mtukudzi'

In a sensational claim, a veteran journalist and former publicist to music superstar Oliver Mtukudzi says President Robert Mugabe bought the influential music maestro's loyalty by showering him with expensive gifts so that he would desist from criticising the nonagenarian.

In his newly released book on the legendary musician, whose lyrics are well-known for their biting socio-political commentary, Shepherd Mutamba claims that Mugabe gave the 62-year-old music icon an expensive state of the art studio equipment five years ago, among other gifts.

The book is titled Tuku Back Stage and was launched at the Book Café in Harare last Saturday by Mutamba.

"In October 2010, Tuku accepted a gift of $87,000 worth of state-of-the art studio equipment directly from the President.

"He (Tuku) told me about the gift and showed me the equipment that he kept under lock and key, right in his office and not in the storeroom," Mutamba says in the book which has raised the ire of Mtukudzi.

Before delivery of the state-of-the-art studio equipment to Tuku, the President and his wife Grace has also contributed $5,000 towards the funeral expenses of the world-famous musician's son, Sam, who died in a tragic car accident in March 2010.

Mutamba also claims Tuku had accepted free advertising in lickspittle State media that had been arranged by politicians to announce Sam's memorial service, against Mutamba's advice.