“I don’t know why people hate me” – Daisy Mtukudzi opens up

Daisy Mtukudzi, the widow of the late music icon Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi has opened up about how much she has endured ridicule, hurt and betrayal before and after the death of her husband.

Mtukudzi died in January 2019, aged 66.

Daisy was a guest on Star FM programme, The After Drive, hosted DJ Ollah 7 and one of the questions she had to answer was how it felt to be a widow.

“That question is difficult for me to answer; I feel my tears coming down. I miss my husband, each time he came back, he would kiss me, even on his hospital bed, he would kiss me. I miss him so much.

“It’s painful, I didn’t think, he will leave me early. 

“For me ndinofunga vakakurumidza kutungamira, but Mwari havatongerwe, vanoita kuda kwavo.

“Asi kazhinji ndinofunga kuti munhu anenge atorwa sekutorwa kwakaitwa baba Mtukudzi, Mwari vanenge vachimuda kuti akakodzera kuti ange ari kwavari.

“I think God loved him the way we loved him.

“I want to tell you the truth, don’t listen to what people say. By the time of his death, he would go into shower on his own.

“He did not want to use a tub but a shower, he would bath. He had his own people whom he loved to come and see him.

“You know he was diabetic,” she said.

“Up to now, it pains me, it looks like it’s yesterday. We were always together and, at times, I would not go to his shows and it would pain him.

“At times, I still expect to see him coming back. Ndiri panguva yakaoma, since we were too close, I hear some say, they have moved on after losing their loved ones.

“For me it’s difficult.”

Affection from foreign fans

“We had to put the screen on the grave and it’s locked. We have people who come from outside the country.

“Some white guys came to say, they want to talk to Oliver. They were from Sweden, and they acted like they were talking to him, laughing.

“We are in the process to put some tables so that people can sit.

“We have some South Africans who also come and the place is not frightening. And these white friends, stayed for long.”

Choice of burial place

“He had told his little cousin about where he wanted to be buried.

“I thought he wanted to be buried in the mountain, so after his death the cousin said, sekuru told him that he wanted to be buried kumusha.

“So, it appeared as if I refused to have him buried at the National Heroes’ Acre.

“I did not refuse, Tuku was an old-fashioned person, he said he wanted to be buried kumusha kwavo.

“He said it long back, and if you listen to his songs, he said Katsamvi, it’s under the shed, yavaida,” she added.

“At Tuku’s funeral, I did not know he was a blessed man like that.

“After ndasara ndega, it didn’t go well, I was hearing a lot of words, people exaggerating, mashoko anga akawanda.

“Instead of mourning my husband, I was attacked left, right, centre.

“That’s where you also see who loves you or not.

“But mazino irema ndowakawanda, but ndotenda Mwari kune vamwe vanoonawo the role I play.

“Social media was busy, with people saying a lot, with some supporting me.”

How Tuku proposed

“I grew up in Kwekwe and my father had some businesses in the area.

“I stayed in Kwekwe, I am sure, he saw me when I got into the shop.

“I still remember, there were some war vets and his friends.

“I heard my uncle, Sam, who told me about him. I think he made some time, watching me, before he proposed, so my uncle, told me kuti munhu uyu anokuda.

“I knew him as Dairai, ndikati ndianiko iyeye. I think we had three shops in Kwekwe, saka taitozvinzawo.

“Ndiri mukorekore, I grew up kumusha, tasiyana nevemazuvano, ava ukavatsiura kuti hatidi kuti muuye kumba husiku, vanobva vabhoeka.

“They say, they are old enough, they go for sleep overs, but during our time, there was nothing like that.

“I am someone, akarairwa, so waisangomhanyira kuti mukomana akakuda wototi ndakudawo.

“I took my time, zvekuti kana iye akatoti musikana uyu ibharanzi, ndewekupi.

“I still remember, being given an LP and I refused, and it took time.

“After a year, I then accepted his proposal.”