As advertisers, we do not wish to be seen to be influencing the editorial policy of any key media in our business. However, as the promoters of the forthcoming Black Spirits Easter shows in England, we would like to put on record our objection to some of the misleading points raised in your “offensive” front page lead article entitled “ The bungling lunatic from Dande “.

Before we take off my gloves for NewZimbabwe.com, Zimtownship wishes to indicate at the outset to the readers and Tuku fans out there in very unambiguous terms that the purpose of this press statement is NOT to explain (away), justify or defend Tuku’s participation in the “Mujuru Gala” or dwell on why he attended the function as a relative of Joyce Mujuru.

The “rights or wrongs” of Tuku’s attendance at the Gala is not germane to this response. It will be up to Tuku’s fan base, which is a large portion of the population in Diaspora, to forgive and forget if a “crime” was committed and move forward with the business of having fun and being entertained. We, as the forthcoming Easter tour promoters hope you support the shows and enjoy yourselves.

In response to your article:-

1. We, Zimtownship, have worked with a multitude of musicians presenting shows in Zimbabwe, UK and USA irrespective of whether musicians are considered to be on the ‘left’ or ‘right’ of Zimbabwe’s polarized political spectrum. We do not believe it our place to dictate to any musician what is politically or socially acceptable.

2. Our key requirement for the musicians we work with is that they have the capacity to entertain their crowd with a big heart, passion and professionalism.

3. Whilst we might expect them to sensitize themselves to the political environment prevailing in Zimbabwe, it is as important to us that they also address the wider issues that continue to impoverish the majority of Zimbabweans living back home both socially and economically.

4. Like anyone else, musicians / entertainers have their own personal and political preferences but in Tuku’s case, the consistent message has been to uphold human rights, Christian principles and confront major issues decimating our population like the Aids pandemic.

5. Throughout his career, Tuku has maintained an open stance politically but clearly remains partisan to ‘the people’. He continues to live in Zimbabwe and tries to weave threads of unity through all the opposing forces. We, Zimtownship, have worked with NewZimbabwe.com for more than year in the promotion of our shows in both running commercial adverts in your publication and in providing information you require for your articles on upcoming shows from us without any fear, hesitation or favor.

6. There is not doubt in my mind that we have worked together well and will hopefully continue to do so. As promoters, we are proud of the shows we have done and the artists we work with and will continue working to improve them.

7. We have worked with Oliver Mtukudzi and the Black Spirits and one White Spirit (Debbie Metcalfe) for over 2 years with a relationship based on mutual respect and understanding of one another. Tuku and his band still travel even when we have been tardy paying their costs or fees because they value their fans more than the promoter(s).

8. To us this always made us understand the humility and respect Tuku has first for his fan base and secondly his patience in trying to develop business partners like ourselves to improve in our endeavours. For the record, Oliver & Black Spirits are the only band we have worked with that pay for their own UK visas and airfares rather than demanding payment in full before departure and the forthcoming Easter shows are no exception!

9. The Herald published on the 14th of March in its headline story Thousands attend Mujuru’s party and stated “Veteran musician Oliver Mtukudzi, who comes from Vice President Mujuru’s constituency, entertained the gathering”. A week later The Standard repeats the same story with its own dimension Oliver Mtukudzi commits 'business suicide'. We do not take issue with either publication or the content contained in their articles.

We do, however, take issue with your misrepresentation of facts through your statement in the front page article March 21st 2005 …. “He is picking up a fat cheque of over £9 000 for three shows in the UK, all paid in advance by promoters who now have to mop-up after a bungling lunatic from Dande”. For the record, no fee payment has been made and secondly the figures you have decided to ‘fly around’ are inaccurate.

We also question NewZimbabwe.com’s decision to break a story from The Standard’s publication on Sunday 20 March when the Herald published the story last Sunday 14th March and then, fictitiously spike the Standard’s article’s focus of how this will affect Tuku’s marketability – could it be to court favour with other Zimbabwean promoters who have lost the opportunity of promoting Tuku or alternatively those promoters who are running shows in the East End over Easter and in April or, are you doing this with the hope to generate readership at the expense of Tuku?

In the final analysis, we still hope and believe you can rise above cheap tabloid “headline sensationalism” and report news as it happens objectively and unpassionately.

Nzou aka Samanyanga can stand for himself but “free” press does not entitle you to abuse of the pen and fairness demands that you contact us before you make statements on our behalf. For you to lend a sympathetic tone for the poor promoters who have “to mop-up after a bungling lunatic from Dande” is an emotive stand, just as you make a cheap shot at Tuku by calling him a “bungling lunatic”. Your personal dislike of Tuku should not override objective reporting.

If NewZimbabwe’s objective is to produce an impartial publication, defending the pain and anguish of those in the Diaspora, why the front cover images of Jonathan Moyo’s campaign, as was the case a few days ago? The man who single handedly has done so much damage to Zimbabwe, not to mention press freedom.