Sulu in hot potato debt
By Liberty Dube
MUTARE – While sungura music heir Suluman Chimbetu is currently riding high with his sizzling Gunship album, the popular artiste is proving to be a “father/chibaba” of defaulting.
It seems Sulu has become the Sean (Shawn) Timba he mocked when he coined the chart buster song and sang: “Ndirikushandira mhuri yangu mufunge, handishandire iwewe Sean Timba”.
Having exhausted all avenues to recover US$3 600 from the sale of potato seed to the star musician, a Nyanga headman who is also a musician, Landmine Madongonda, has decided to take the legal route to get his dues.
The debt is more than a year old after Chimbetu bought potato seed on credit in October 2013.
Madongonda, who is also Headman Muwi, filed his case at Nyanga Magistrates Court (Case Number 132/14) on December 19, 2014.
In the affidavit which is in the possession of The Weekender, he claimed that he sold Suluman Chimbetu potato seed worth US$3 600 and they agreed that Madongonda would be paid US$300 every Tuesday by the Orchestra Dendera Kings management.
Ali Chimbetu, Sulu’s brother, is a part to the agreement and he appended his signature.
Reads part of Madongonda’s affidavit:
“I am the plaintiff in this action and the facts stated herein are within my own knowledge true and correct and I am duly authorised to make this my affidavit . . . The defendant is truly indebted to me on grounds stated in the summons..”
When interviewed Madongonda said he only received US$20 through EcoCash on October 27, 2014 at 07.21pm from Chimbetu’s Econet line before Orchestra Dendera Kings manager, John Local Nyamungoma, sent him US$62 on January 5 at 2.25pm.
This was after he had made a follow-up in Harare.
From the US$3 600, the dejected Madongonda was paid a paltry US$82.
When contacted for comment, Chimbetu only said: “Zvimwe zvinhu ndezvekusiyana nazvo (Some things are better left alone),” before he promised to call this reporter later, which he never did at the time of going to Press.
Incessant efforts to contact him were fruitless as he did not answer his phone.
“I drove to Harare from Nyanga on October 27 and asked him to give me my money as per agreement.
“He could not give me the US$300 and gave a flimsy excuse that things did not work out the way he wanted and had no money. He gave me US$20 which he said was for my fuel back to Nyanga.
“My brother had to give me more money since US$20 was not enough for the fuel. I was so dejected. This year, after realising that he was reluctant to pay me, I sort legal recourse and he was issued with some summons,” said Madongonda.
“He refused to sign the affidavit. He called and begged me against dragging him to court. He promised to pay after the “January disease”.
I visited him in Harare and thought that he had reformed. He sent me US$62 through Nyamungoma’s EcoCash number. He said it was for fuel and for the repair of a broken window to my vehicle.
“Since then, he has never paid me anything,” Madongonda added.
Madongonda said he saw the Dendera exponent Suluman as his son and felt for him, but he was worried about the Nyuchi hit-maker’s untruthfulness.
“My father used to be great friends with Simon Chimbetu. My father was a promoter and the Chimbetu family was close to us. I did not want to take the legal route, but I was left with no option.
“January has ended and I am waiting to see if he will pay me otherwise we will meet in court,” said Madongonda. Manica Post
