Enthuse Magazine is reliably informed that South African Chief Matsila offered land to the exiled musician Thomas Mapfumo.
The land is located in Matsila village, Limpopo Province nearly 160 km away from the Zimbabwean border with South Africa at Beitbridge.
Chief Matsila said, “We felt that we should offer him (Mapfumo) a place of residents here in Matsila Village just to honour him and his family for the contribution he has made in promoting African culture throughout the world.”
The South African chief also said Mkanya’s international exposure will benefit Matsila’s young ones in terms of participating in cultural music.
Mkanya and his family have been living in Oregon, United States of America (USA) since the early 2000s after developing sour relations with the Robert Mugabe regime.
The Chimurenga musician only appeared back in Zimbabwe in 2018 after the downfall of Mugabe’s rule in the African country.
Since then from 2018, Mapfumo has not returned to Zimbabwe but continues to criticise corruption and mismanagement from exile just like during the Mugabe and Ian Smith regimes.
It was criticism of the ruling government that resulted in the Lion of Zimbabwe serving in prison during the Smith regime.
During self-exile, Mapfumo has performed in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Mozambique and South Africa, working with a skeleton crew from Oregon.
The South African chief said that Mapfumo’s place in society internationally is symbolic that Africans can achieve greater objectives even under the difficult circumstances of being exiled.
At one point Mkanya confessed that he still misses home though.
Matsila, however, said, “Zimbabwe is not very far from Matsila, so if it’s here he will be able to travel to Zimbabwe through the Messina Border gate and we really are looking forward for him coming here and settling amongst ourselves.”
Mapfumo had not responded to Enthuse Magazine’s questions about how he felt about relocating to South Africa, but Matsila said the musician is happy.
“He is in Limpopo right now at Matsila Village and is very happy with our generosity,” the chief said.
