Cde Chinx contributed to the deaths of innocent people – Silvanos Mudzvova

By Silvanos Mudzvova

To loved ones he’s left behind, I say, ‘Nematambudziko for the passing of Dickson Chingaira Makoni aka Chinx.’ 

‘Afa anaka’ a Zimbabwean saying translated ‘better he that’s passed’ but not anymore. It’s time to call a spade a spade. 

Cde Chinx fought a good war, composed good music to encourage the guerillas and the masses. 

Let’s accredit him with that, however, I would like to pose a number of questions to you, 

1.      Does Chinx deserve hero status and our sympathy because of his association, affiliation and implication with the brutal Mugabe regime after independence?

2.      Should we celebrate his life knowing he sang violence exalting songs promoting massacres, torture and brutality orchestrated by the regime? 

3.      Given, it will not change anything now that he has passed, shall we continue with the farce highlighted by question 1 and 2? 

I do not believe Cde Chinx deserves mine or your sympathy and that of victims of the regime who are still suffering, looking for healing, looking for closure and the many stewing in anger and rage for what they have endured and still are enduring.

A couple of names come to mind: Terry Ford of Cowrie Farm, Chiminya who was burnt alive, Ndira and so many more known and unknown victims. 

Will the Mugabe regime ever answer to their atrocities, will they ever offer compensation, will they ever publicly apologize? Let’s pause for a thought for the relatives of victims shall we.  How do we celebrate a life of a comrade who sang praises of the regime’s terrorist acts towards its own citizens.

Chinx started singing at Chigora Primary School, after completing his secondary education he wanted to study medicine overseas but the Smith regime refused to grant him travel documents. He joined the war for Zimbabwean liberation movement in 1975.

In Mozambique, Chinx was deployed to Takawira choir whose duty was to create music in order to boost guerrilla moral during training. 

When the leader of the choir Cde Mhere Yarira was transferred to Tanzania, Chinx took over and renamed the group which was named to honour the late Leopold Takawira to Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army choir ( ZANLA choir).  The change was soon after Mugabe did an internal ZANLA coup.

In 1980, Chinx returned home and joined Ilanga, it is during his time at Ilanga that he proved beyond doubt a true vocalist evidenced by songs; ‘Ngorimba,’ ‘Zvikomborero’ and ‘Nerudo.’  Despite a disagreement on who really composed these songs, his vocals perfected the tracks.

 When Chinx left Ilanga and joined Mazana Movement, he continued producing hits namely, ‘Hokoyoyi’ and ‘Vanhu vese vemuAfrica.’ His signature classic, ‘Roger Confirm’ was produced in 1989. ‘Roger Confirm’ topped the chart on Radio Two’s top twenty for a staggering 23 weeks.  This was Chinx’s greatest year, gaining him popularity and fame which he enjoyed until his death on 16 June 2017.

It should be noted that the success Chinx enjoyed was not linked to his open and direct support of the Mugabe regime and Zanu PF. At the turn of the new millennium came the land reform exercise, Cde Chinx lost the plot.

He joined hands with the police band and produced an album titled ‘Hondo Yeminda (War for the land),’ supporting the violence and bloodshed experienced by many Zimbabweans during farm invasions under the guise of the land reform programme dubbed the 3rd Chimurenga. Chimurenga means war.  Like any war, people lost lives whether black or white. Chinx did not murder anyone directly but he incited violence.

Chinx behaviour can be likened to that of Rwanda’s most famous singers, Simon Bikindi, who was convicted on 2 December 2008 for his direct and public incitement to commit genocide. In its judgement, the criminal tribunal for Rwanda said I quote,

“three of Bikindi songs were specifically referred to in the indictment: ‘Twasesereye,’ ‘Nanga Abahutu’ and ‘Bene Sebahinzi.’ The chamber found that all three songs manipulated the history of Rwanda to extol Hutu solidarity. It also found that Bikindi composed with the specific intention to discriminate pro-Hutu ideology and anti-Tutsi propaganda, thus to encourage ethnic hatred“.

This is what Chinx did, the difference being that he was singing against the white man. He should not have encouraged a violent takeover in his songs. For this reason; I dismiss him from being called a ‘National Hero’. 

Whose hero? Music is very powerful and influential. Chinx contributed to the deaths of innocent people. His ‘Hondo Yeminda’ album incited violence which resulted in drunk youths and war veterans moving in on farms murdering farmers, their families and their workers.

On 12 August 2012 during heroes’ splash gala at Mupandawana growth point in Gutu, I remember this gala for two reasons:

i)                   it’s my home town

ii)                 ii) Chinx went on stage and said pasi naMorgan Tsvangirai pasi neMDC (down with Morgan, down with MDC) yet it was during the time of a unity government. If he is a true hero, why not promote the unity that was established and agreed upon than to call for disunity at a national event?  Heroes stand for unity, heroes promote unity and heroes sing unity. 

His last worth mentioning song ‘Chauya Chikopokopo,’ a lot of Zimbabweans enjoy the chorus of the song 

                        chaiti chauya chikopo kopo 

                        kutendera kuseni seni 

                        kusimudza mweya wegamba 

and forget the verse message. 

                        vaMugabe vakanganisa 

                        aihwa havana kukanganisa 

Despite the economic meltdown the country is facing Chinx continued praise singing Mugabe. Chinx saw nothing wrong with Mugabe until his death. Surely a mentally blinded and seriously corrupted person like Chinx doesn’t deserve to become a national hero. I will not go further and delve deeper into his lyrics and expose his song where he blamed and mocked those born after 1980 born free.

Zimbabwe deserves true heroes to be honoured not because they continued until death to praise and sing for the nonagenarian ailing dictator Mugabe.  Zimbabweans should learn, mainly artists, that Zanu PF will use whomever until wapera panonaka and dump you.  Chinx was exploited and lost his investment during Murambatsvina.  He was neglected during his sickness and today they will pamper mourners with goodies at the funeral and spread the hero mantra.

Jairos Jiri, Ndabaningi Sithole, Canaan Banana, Cain Nkala to name but a few, unsung but true heroes because they denounced Mugabe’s tyrannical rule, as a result are buried away from the Heroes Acre. Let’s call a spade a spade, singing and praising Mugabe only makes you a hero in Zanu PF albeit short-lived, BUT liberated minds take it like a non-event. it’s a mockery if great and true heroes like Joice Mujuru die and their heroes status is decided by the likes of Grace Mugabe.

If the music of Cde Chinx could encourage, offer solidarity and give strength to comrades during the war in Mozambique how can we today logically argue that it did not encourage and mobilise the Zanu Pf militia that has been murdering opposition supporters over the years?

Yes, Chinx never killed anyone physically just like Mugabe who never pulled a trigger during Gukurahundi but 20 000 people died because of his speeches and messages to the 5th brigade, which means Mugabe  killed more than 20 000 people in Matabeleland. By the same rule of thumb, Chinx contributed to the torture, murder and rapes of many thousand Zimbabweans during the land reform exercise. As such he is no hero at all. 

Silvanos Mudzvova is an Arts Activist currently an Artist Protection Fund Fellow at the University Of Manchester.  He can be contacted on email: [email protected]