Makhadzi’s Nightmare. . . Promoter Speaks Out About Aborted Show

Organisers of Makhadzi’s show, which ended prematurely in Mutare on Good Friday, say some enthusiastic and rowdy fans were to blame for the chaos.

The South African energy goddess had a nightmarish outing at the Manicaland Motoring Club.

She was left scurrying for cover when fans hurled missiles into the VIP enclosure.

A number of fans were injured and admitted to hospital, according to the Manica Post.

Some reports say fans were riled by Makhadzi’s move to perform using backtracks, a claim event organisers have shot down.

Others claim the venue was oversubscribed, which led to the stampede as fans wanted to catch a glimpse of Makhadzi on smart phones.

Clearing the air, event organiser — Partson “Chipaz” Chimbodza — urged fans to desist from the violent conduct during live shows.

“Well, I would like to put the record straight regarding what happened in Mutare.

“Firstly, I would like to apologise to Makhadzi and her team for being caught in the fracas,” he said.

Chipaz told H-Metro that fans overpowered their security, which resulted in them destroying barricades.

The Makhadzi show, event organisers say, attracted a bumper crowd as most people were not used to foreign acts in the Eastern Highlands capital.

“It’s true that bottles were thrown onto the stage but they were not targeted at Makhadzi as claimed on the social media and other media outlets.

“When Makhadzi appeared on stage, fans jostled to catch a glimpse of her and broke barricades demarcating the VIP enclosure and ordinary side.

“This did not go down well with fans in the VIP and the pushing and shoving resulted in bottles being thrown towards the VIP section.

“It obviously appeared as they were targeting Makhadzi but the few minutes she performed, people were very happy.”

With violence now common at most high-profile shows in Zimbabwe, Chipaz who sits on the arts and music promoters board, believes there is still a lot which needs to be done to deal with this culture of violence.

“I urge people to be respectful of artists and organisers as this will dent our industry.

“It’s sad when a foreign artist’s act is disrupted by rogue fans.

“We don’t want the same to happen to our artists when they perform in other countries,” he said.

Makhadzi has endorsed Zimbabweans for their massive support of her brand. Last year, she told the local media that Zimbabwe was now her second home. *H-Metro*