Chimurenga Music icon Thomas Mapfumo has threatened to sue news publications for claiming that he is swimming in $10 000 debt. The musician was recently evicted from a house in Glen Lorne over unpaid rentals. However, Mapfumo said that he was not responsible for the payment of the rentals as it was the duty of his promoter Max Mugaba. Mapfumo accused Mugaba of swindling him of his share of the profits and threatened to sue both Mugaba and the publication which claimed that he was swimming in debt.
In a candid interview with local publication H-Metro, Mapfumo said,
I was shocked to read in the press that I had been chucked out for failure to pay rent which is not true. The rent issue was between Max and the landlady who was owed US$1 600 by Max. This accommodation was organised by Max and I was not involved. The police in Borrowdale convinced the landlady to unlock the door and we managed to take our clothes and moved to a new place that I was given by my younger brother Minister (Fortune) Chasi. “We have been staying at his lodges and up to now, I am still there till I leave on Monday.
I am actually going to sue those people who are saying I am swimming in US$10 000 debt after my tour. I challenge the reporter to give me a list of the people I owe some money.
Today (yesterday), I actually called the writer of the story to tell me the people whom I owe money and they could not say anything. I even challenged the writer to accompany me to the lady who owns the Glen Lorne house to hear her side of the story, but he was not forthcoming.
As it stands, we are going to sue the paper because my image has been tarnished. It was nice for the writer to seek clarification with us before writing the story.
hmetro
