Soul Jah Love goes berserk

By Tawanda Marwizi

It seems dancehall musician Soul Jah Love has a penchant for controversy and violence following revelations that he ran amok in Mutare last weekend and chased fans with a golf club. The excited fans were reportedly jostling to have photos taken with the musician after his arrival for a show at Beit Hall in Dangamvura on Saturday.

A source said Soul Jah Love suddenly became furious, wielded a golf club and charged towards fans and photographers.

“People ran for life after the musician charged towards them with a golf stick. He was clearly enraged and he could have injured people if he was not eventually restrained by his band members,” said the source.

“People came with excitement hoping to have photographs taken with the musicians.

“They were actually happy to see him and we do not know why he behaved that way. He was charging like a bull.”

Photographers who were ready to take pictures are said to have taken to their heels after realising that the situation had turned nasty.

“Fortunately there were no injuries as people safely ran away from the musician while his friends managed to control him.”

Pictures seen by this writer show people running in all directions as Soul Jah Love, who was clad in a camouflage, went after them. Some pictures show people restraining the musician. The musician was in Mutare on invitation from businessman and politician Esau Mupfumi who was holding a campaign rally for Dangamvura-Chikanga constituency. Soul Jah Love was supposed to perform at the rally.

Mupfumi confirmed the fracas saying he wanted people to be entertained during the rally and was surprised to hear that Soul Jah Love wanted to beat fans.

“These days I am campaigning and usually at weekends we have gatherings. This weekend I called Soul Jah Love who was on his way from Masvingo to perform during the campaign but he ran amok after arrival,” said Mupfumi.

He said he was called to the scene and was surprised to see him fuming against fans.

“Zvemukomana uyu ndazvitadzawo, because we only wanted people to enjoy his music during our campaign. He could not even perform after all the fracas.”

Efforts to get comment from the musician were fruitless as his mobile phone was not reachable.

Bounty Lisa who is the musician’s wife and manageress said she could not comment on the issue because she was not in Mutare when the incident happened. This fracas has come barely a month after Soul Jah Love threatened Star FM presenter Phatisani Sibanda with death.

Previously, the musician wanted to beat Suluman Chimbetu’s manager for putting his image on a show poster without consulting him. The Herald