Alick Macheso in costly divorce?

By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka

Could the high profile divorce between sungura star Alick Macheso and his second wife Tafadzwa Mapako cost the singer his endorsement deals? Macheso who is lovingly called Baba Sharo after his first daughter, is the humanitarian ambassador for Zimbabwe Red Cross Society and also the face of Bakers Inn’s Zvazvinhu brand.

However, Takesure Mazuruse, the ZRCS marketing and public relations manager could not confirm whether or not Macheso would be stripped of his ambassadorial role.

Mazuruse said the organisation treated the divorce as a personal matter since it did not affect Macheso in his capacity as the humanitarian ambassador.

“For us as an organisation that (divorce) case does not in any way affect our operations or that of Macheso, so he is still our humanitarian ambassador,” he said.

As a humanitarian ambassador, Macheso was tasked with fundraising for the needy but he was also entitled to monthly allowances.

He has in the past, mobilised other musicians to offer their services free of charge in support of the needy.

The ZRCS which brokered the deal between Macheso and Bakers Inn could not state how much the Orchestra Mberikwazvo pocketed from the deal saying they were only providing the technical advice to the bakery.

“In terms of how much Macheso got from that deal we are not sure but the figures which were being thrown around ranged between $20000 to $50000,” Mazuruse said.

According to Mazuruse, initially the deal was that for every loaf of bread sold a percentage would go towards charity.

And the campaign hinged on Macheso’s catch phrase which says “Zora Butter”.

Contacted for comment, Patel Ketan, the brand and marketing executive of Bakers Inn who was out of the country, referred us to the Human Resource manager Ngoni Chamanga who asked for questions in writing but could not respond at the time of going to press.

Since our sister paper H-Metro broke the story early this month that Macheso and his erstwhile wife Tafadzwa had separated since last November, word doing the rounds is that the bassist is now a victim of the circumstances. Unlike in the song “Tafadzwa” in which he implored his erstwhile wife not to despair, the tables have turned and now it is Macheso who needs to keep calm.

Revelations are that both Tafadzwa and Macheso wanted to keep the break-up under wraps but after the story leaked to the media things changed for the worse.

It is said that Macheso’s lawyers – Mugiya and Macharaga Law Chambers – based at Makoni Shopping Centre in Chitungwiza wrote to Tafadzwa seeking to finalise the divorce.

According to H-Metro, the letter from Macheso’s lawyers asked Tafadzwa to attend a meeting so that they agree on the financial terms for maintenance and rentals regardless of what they termed wayward behaviour by Tafadzwa.

“More dramatic was that Macheso’s lawyers indicated to Tafadzwa that they had been instructed to pursue paternity tests to determine whether the sungura giant is the real father of the two children he will soon be maintaining.” The Herald