Political pressure group targets Tuku, Macheso

A political pressure group has embarked on a social media campaign calling on music fans in the United Kingdom to boycott music superstar, Oliver "Tuku" Mtukudzi and Alick Macheso's shows in London next week.

The group accused Tuku and Macheso of throwing in their lot with Zanu-PF after Tuku's performance at Zanu-PF's million-man march and Macheso's public adulation of President Robert Mugabe.

The duo is set for the Reloaded Tour of the United Kingdom Concert that will see Macheso staging his first performance on July 29 in Leeds before sharing the stage with Tuku in Leicester the following day.

Although one of the most vocal pressure groups on social media networks, Tajamuka/Sesijikile, has distanced itself from the campaign, in spite of several messages circulating claiming it was behind the protests.

"The UK Zimbabwean diaspora residents are being kindly requested to not attend Oliver Mtukudzi and Alick Macheso's show, which is scheduled for July 29, 2016 in Leeds," reads the message in part.

"If our people back home managed to stay away from work in these difficult times, it surely should be very easy to stay away from a mere music show. This is in solidarity with our kith and kin back home in Zimbabwe living under severe hardships."

Tuku is accused, in the same message, of colluding with Zanu-PF following his performance at the party's million-man march early this year.

"Tuku agreed to make guitar noises to force-march victims of the so-called million-man march instigated by Mugabe's repressive regime. This was a betrayal of Zimbabwean nationals by Tuku, an otherwise respected artiste."

Tajamuka/Sesijikile leader, Promise Mkwananzi, however, said they were not targeting musicians, but politicians in Zimbabwe.

"We understand there are people in United Kingdom, who are trying to hijack our campaign of shutting down Zimbabwe to push their own agenda using our name. Messages telling people to boycott Mtukudzi and Macheso are not from us and we condemn such ill-advised messages," he said.

"We are not involved in UK music promotion politics. We are here for the suffering people of Zimbabwe."

Although Macheso's manager, Tich Makahamadze, confirmed seeing the message, he said they were not moved.

"We are going ahead with our United Kingdom show as planned. We are there to entertain people and that what will be doing as we take our latest album, Tsoka Dzerwendo to our fans in UK," he said.

"We urge our fans to come in their numbers as we promise them a show worth their money."