Zim artists mourn Morgan Tsvangirai

In Zimbabwe, arts and politics have been closely connected since the struggle for independence from British rule in the early 1970s. This gave rise to the chimurenga genre, which literally means “the fight for struggle”. The genre gained prominence in 1972 with the emergence of its progenitor Thomas Mapfumo, who was one of the first high-profile Zimbabwean musicians to pay tribute to Tsvangirai.

“On behalf of myself, my family and the rest of the chimurenga music fraternity, I am saddened to hear about the death of cadre Morgan Tsvangirai, the founding president of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC),” Mapfumo said.

“I send my heartfelt condolences to his family, the party and the nation at large. We shall forever remain indebted to him for his revolutionary contribution in the struggle for democracy in Zimbabwe. We lower our banners in honour of this fallen cadre and we shall keep his spirit alive by continuing with the struggle for democracy and good governance in Zimbabwe.”

Mapfumo, a fierce critic of former president Robert Mugabe’s government, applauded the late politician for his continued fight for injustice. “He left an indelible mark as a trade unionist and championed the cause of social justice and economic transformation without fear or favour before he joined the political struggle,” he said.

US-based gospel musician Charles Chipanga told Music In Africa that Tsvangirai was a hope for democracy and the arts sector in Zimbabwe.

“It’s a sad loss of a selfless cadre,” he said. “We all know what he went through in challenging the government of the day on democracy issues. He gave us a song to sing about, gave us hope to wake up to, gave a voice to the voiceless and above all he set the tone and rhythm of the struggle.”

Chipanga also took the opportunity to remind the new Zimbabwean government about the lack of resources towards the arts sector. “We will sing the same tune of democracy and bravery until press freedom is realised, until artists are included in the country's national budget and honoured,” he said.

Germany-based journalist and music critic Plot Mhako also paid homage to Tsvangirai. “It’s a dark day for the country. Morgan Tsvangirai player a key role in changing, shaping, informing and influencing not only the politics of the country but by directly impacting on arts and culture,” Mhako said.

He said the late revolutionary was a role model for many Zimbabwean artists. “His fearless character inspired many artists to stand up and speak out about injustice, bad governance and censorship. His quick-witted character, political messages and often at times misdemeanours fed the creatives with great content and the hard-pressed citizens with much-needed comic relief. His legacy will forever linger and inspire generations to come.”

Veteran musician and producer Mono Mukundu lauded Tsvangirai for standing up to Mugabe’s oppressive style of governance.

“He was the first one to provide a proper opposition in Zimbabwe,” Mukundu told Music In Africa. “The politics of any country is healthy if there is a strong opposition – it provides balance. It’s a sad day for Zimbabwean politics.”

Norway-based musician Busi Ncube said Tsvangirai’s death was “a sad day for Zimbabwe and democratic supporters”.

“I am personally sending my deepest condolences to the family. I hope the road to democracy doesn’t end with him gone. Ndinoti zororai murugare va Tsvangirai [Rest in peace, Mr Tsvangirai],” Ncube said in a note sent to Music In Africa.

“Democracy for us as artists means that we need not self-censor our messages. As artists in music, theatre, spoken word and poetry, it means freedom of speech to sing and say whatever concerns us as a people. That is what Mr Tsvangirai stood for as democratic leader,” she said.

Jah Prayzah tweeted: “My deepest sympathies go out to the late Morgan Tsvangirai's family. We pray that God strengthens and comforts you. May his soul rest in eternal peace.”

Tsvangirai was president of the MDC-T – a splinter party of the original MDC he founded in 1999 – until his death. After making a power-sharing agreement with Mugabe in 2009, he served as prime minister of Zimbabwe until 2013.

Tsvangirai employed the arts, particularly music, as a propaganda tool and to create awareness in Zimbabwean communities about Mugabe’s regime.

In 2013, his party released a five-track pro-MDC-T album entitled Real Change. The album, which was officially launched by Tsvangirai, features songs such as ‘Team Hombe’ (Big Team), its Ndebele version ‘Team Enkulu’, and ‘Magamba Eshanduko’ (Cadres of Change).

In 2009, former MDC MP Paul Madzore released the Tinovarangarira album, which focuses on the MDC’s struggle for democracy.