Zim TV show exploits plight of cancer patient

By Reckson Mandizvidza

Television reality show “ZimPunked” has brewed a storm after using the case of a vulnerable 14-year-old girl suffering from cancer as a bait for one of their episodes meant to comically mislead celebrities.

The ZimPunked crew lured singer Ammara Brown to attend a “handover” ceremony of donated cash to the cancer patient Sandra Chamanga who had previously appeared in various media appealing for financial assistance.

Brown had indicated her desire to help fundraise for the young girl to undergo chemotherapy and she readily made herself available for the handover ceremony that was never to be.

The singer said she broke down when the “ZimPunked” crew later told her that it was a prank.

Ammara said she was heartbroken and disappointed by how the crew managed to see a joke in such a serious case.

“I was and still am very disappointed by what they did because after the news we were really happy to have finally gotten the money to help the girl. When I was told it was a prank I was disheartened to think people could see a joke in the whole issue.

“I was really heartbroken by what they did and I’m very disappointed,” she said.

One of Zimbabwe’s top comedians Carl Joshua Ncube who is also Ammara’s close friend has denounced the way the TV crew handled the matter, saying even the family of the girl had been informed of the development which turned out to be a prank.

“The guys were just irresponsible in taking such a delicate issue as a joke.

“Many of us who had been helping around were truly excited to learn that someone was actually making full donations to the cause.

“What they did was truly irresponsible and the crew should offer an apology to the family, the celebrity involved and the nation for what they have done,” said the comedian.

Ncube has since taken the issue to social media where a lot of people have aired their disapproval for what the television crew did.

Another celebrated figure, Jibilika Festival founder Plot Mhako also had no kind words for the crew and said he was infuriated by the insensitivity of Zimbabwean comedians.

“I find a bunch of Zimbabwean comedians overstated and insensitive,” said the artist.

The social media has since been awash with messages reproving what the “ZimPunked” crew has done with many noting that it was in very bad taste considering that someone’s life was and still is at stake.

Currently a number of Facebook pages have been created and social media users have been sending their views pertaining to the practical joke unanimously discredited “ZimPunk’d”.

“ZimPunk’d” director Clive Mandizha has however acknowledged that a text was sent to Ammara to invite her to the “ceremony” but said the prank was not about Sandra but to talk about Ammara’s controversial new video “Crucify Me”.

“A text was sent with intentions only to bring Ammara over and the guy who sent the text has since resigned after seeing that he should have found another better way of luring the singer.

“The truth, however, is Ammara loves attention and that is exactly what she is trying to seek here by creating controversy because she is aware that we wanted to talk about her new video ‘Crucify Me’,” he said.

Mandizha said to indicate that Ammara was an attention seeker is the fact that after the shooting, the singer had photographs taken with the “ZimPunk’d” crew indicating that there was no hard feelings.

“Ammara wants to taint us for reasons best known to her but I think she is pushing some different agendas altogether.

“I do not understand why she didn’t make it known that she was not happy because she actually posed for photos with the crew after we had told her she was “ZImPunk’d”.

“Its really a mystery why she would do that because the truth is we are also part of the organisation Celebrity Combined which is working towards the realisation of the funds needed to help Sandra.” The Herald