Zimdancehall singer fined over lewd lyrics
By Tendai Rupapa
Zimdancehall artistes who have developed a knack for having sexually explicit lyrics will need to rethink before composing and releasing “dirty” songs.
This comes after Tawanda Mumanyi (26), known as Seh Calaz, was yesterday fined $100 by a Harare magistrate for breaching the Censorship and Entertainment Control Act over a song called “Kurova hohwa”.
The State said the lyrics in the song, where Mumanyi describes two people having sexual intercourse, are indecent, unethical and undesirable to the public.
Mumanyi pleaded guilty to the offence when he appeared before Harare magistrate Ms Josephine Sande.
In his defence, Calaz said he composed two versions of the song: one raw for club use and another clean version for commercial purposes.
He added that someone then leaked the unedited version to the public; hence, he had no control over the distribution of the raw copy to the public.
In her ruling, Ms Sande warned Mumanyi over the dirty lyrics and fined him $100.
He risks spending a month in prison if he fails to pay on or before May 25.
Prosecutor Ms Francesca Mukumbiri proved that sometime in 2016, Sergeant Brian Daimani was on duty in the central business district (CBD) when he received a tip-off that Mumanyi had recorded and performed an undesirable and explicit song entitled “Kurova hohwa”.
Sgt Daimani then went to Mbare to look for Mumanyi and he managed to locate his manager.
He confiscated a copy of the song, which was then sent to the Censorship Board.
It was decided that the song should be banned.
Meanwhile, musician Andrew Ngwenya, popularly known as Andy Muridzo, who allegedly rammed three vehicles before speeding off against the flow of traffic along Sam Nujoma Street, was yesterday removed from remand.
Magistrate Ms Barbra Mateko dismissed the State’s application for further remand.
The State had sought postponement of the matter for the third time on the basis that they were yet to locate their star witness.
Ms Mateko dismissed the application and freed Ngwenya.
He advised the State to proceed by way of summons. The Herald
