Interview: Thomas Mapfumo blasts ‘oppressive’ Mugabe

LONDON – Legendary Zimbabwean musician Thomas Mapfumo has expressed outrage at the xenophobic violence currently rocking South Africa but says much of the blame should be placed on President Robert Mugabe and his ‘oppressive’ Zanu PF government for driving out millions of Zimbabweans into exile.

In a no holds barred exclusive interview on Nehanda Radio broadcast Wednesday evening, Mapfumo who is exiled in the United States, said everyone was focusing on the violence in South Africa but ignoring why millions of Zimbabweans have been forced to flee their home country and be subjected to abuse in foreign lands.

“Why are millions of Zimbabweans running away from home, what is the reason? The reason is Zanu PF. People are running away from an oppressive government and going to countries they think will offer them a better life. The country has been destroyed because there is no rule of law. Everyone is now a vendor or a thief,” Mapfumo said.

Mapfumo said the issue of xenophobia was not important to Mugabe during his recent state visit to South Africa because he knew he was the reason why many Zimbabweans are there in the first place.

“Is freedom removing an oppressive white man and replacing him with an oppressive black man? Is that freedom? Freedom has several inputs, freedom of speech, freedom of religion etc.”

Mapfumo reflected on the Independence Day celebrations in 1980 and how the late Bob Marley came to perform. He said Marley sang for the freedom of everyone in the world and if he was alive today he would be saddened by what has since happened to Zimbabwe under Mugabe and Zanu PF’s rule.

The Chimurenga musician tore into Mugabe for selling out the ideals for which he and everyone else fought for during the liberation struggle that led to independence.

“The leader of a country, why would you build a mansion with chairs made of gold? Yet you claim you came with “Gutsa Ruzhinji – Plenty for all”. So why do you need the mansion? You are over 90 years old. What is going to happen to your mansion? Who is going to live in it? Are you representing people or you came to rob people in the name of the revolution,” a fired up Mapfumo added.

Below is the full interview with Thomas Mapfumo on Nehanda Radio