Zimbabwe Musicians Union announces provincial committee members

A voting process was conducted alongside workshops held in Bulawayo (Bulawayo Province), Gweru (Midlands Province), Mutare (Manicaland province) and Masvingo (Masvingo Province) in January. The committee members were chosen with assistance from local musicians in each province as well as ZIMU management, including its president Edith Katiji and the women’s desk chairperson Chioneso Rutsito.

“The setting up of provincial committees allows for decentralised governance of local musical activities and will benefit our members in the provinces more,” Katiji said. “The committees will determine how they run to address the challenges faced by our members in those communities. We are excited to see this roll out and our next step will be to focus on capacitating our committees so they can deliver on their duties well. We are in exciting times at ZIMU.”

ZIMU also held workshops in Mashonaland Central and Matabeleland South provinces, but because of logistical challenges among the appointed members, positions have not yet been filled. An additional workshop will be held in Chitungwiza on a yet-to-be-announced date, while dates for the remaining provinces will be announced soon.

National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) communication and marketing manager Rodney Ruwende commended ZIMU for this development: “The National Arts Council of Zimbabwe was pleased to assist the Zimbabwe Musicians Union (ZIMU) in the roll out of its project targeting grassroots practitioners in the country’s provinces. The programme dovetails with the NACZ thrust of fostering professionalisation, digitisation and industrialisation of the cultural and creative sector (CCS) in Zimbabwe.”

Newly appointed Midlands province secretary Khulekani Moyo said: “I am very excited with the existence of the ZIMU Midlands chapter. At least we now have a voice that will stand for the artists. Artists had for long suffered from stigmatisation and isolation. It is time now for ZIMU to handle artists’ welfare and fight for them. Already we have started artist recruitment as instructed.”

The provincial committee members are as follows:

Bulawayo Province

• Beke Thorne Sibanda – Chairperson
• Oscar Greens – Vice chairperson
• Nkosiphile Sibanda – Secretary
• Sibonginkosi Sibanda – Treasurer

Midlands Province

• Dr Claudio Chipendo – Chairperson
• Joseph Tawanda Nhara – Vice chairman
• Khulekani F Moyo – Secretary
• Adam Jeketera – Treasurer
• Ngqabutho Mlilo – Coordinator
• Lillian Nhara – Artist welfare
• Michael Sakala – Committee member
• Praise Chenyedzai – Committee member

Masvingo Province

• Dr Phainos Matura – Chairperson
• Priscilla Chiputu – Vice chairperson
• Ratidzo Wekare – Secretary
• Praise Zinhuku – Treasurer 
• Tafara Pande – Coordinator
• Taonga Mutenanhene – Welfare officer
• Reuben matutu – Committee member
• Henry manirudzi – Committee member 
• Norman Hungwe – Committee member

Manicaland Province

• Kudakwashe Muchinguri – Chairperson
• Lionel Muparutsa – Vice chairperson
• Masiiwa Mbutsa – Secretary
• Veronica Matondora – Treasurer
• Seymour Gijimani – Committee member
• Melania Fidze – Committee member
• Tonderai Kashiri – Committee coordinator
• Tadiwanashe Sigodho – Committee member