Catching up with John Phiri

Bongani Ndlovu Showbiz Correspondent
John “Mzala” Phiri, a name that is synonymous with the Zimbabwean broadcast scene has been an icon for the yesteryear generation during the time of ZBCtv’s Mutinimira Wemimhanzi/ Ezomgido.

Every Thursday evening with his tag team partner Eric Knight, the duo kept people glued to their television screens with their wit and charm.

Phiri, 52, who was called Field Marshal Mzala and Knight, who was called “The General” or “The Knight Rider”, brought witty humour to the television screen before Phiri left the station in 1996. These were the years when the late Don Gumbo, System Tazvida, John “Mr Chitungwiza” Chibadura, Leonard Zhakata and Lovemore Majaivana were at the top of their musical careers.

This week Saturday Leisure caught up with Field Marshal Mzala who was in Bulawayo, in transit to Plumtree where he donated school kits to Thekwane High School.

The pint-sized presenter said he has been in America for the past four years in the State of Indiana setting up Vision FM (VFM), an online radio station based in the United Kingdom. Zimbabwean radio icons including the UK-based pair of Peter “PJ” Johns and Kevin “The Prince” Ncube, and Hoseah “Hitman” Singende, are some of the hosts on the radio station. Phiri presents the programme Umratha Wengoma which is dedicated to old school music, live from his home in America.

He said when he left ZBC he worked for Video Audio Network in Harare then moved to America with his family in 2011 to seek greener pastures which he said were not as green as he expected.

“We left Zimbabwe looking for those green pastures that everyone was looking for those days. When we got there, it was not what we expected as we had to start from scratch.

“The first years were difficult, I must confess,” Phiri said chuckling.

While pursuing his radio career in America, Phiri had to work part time in a warehouse, packing supermarket products.

“When they say it’s an eight hour shift, they mean it. It was tough working there as I was packing supermarket products. I left after a year because other doors had opened up and that’s when we set up an online radio station with my friends, Kelvin Prince Ncube, Ezra Sibanda, Eric Knight and Hoseah Singende which we called VFM,” he said.

He said compared to Zimbabwe, radio musical programmes in America were well sponsored.

“There’re numerous radio musical shows that are packaged and sponsored in America. The relationship between music and corporates is very strong, that’s what should happen in Zimbabwe,” he said.

Phiri said he had fond memories of working at ZBC when he hosted Mutinimira Wemimhanzi/ Ezomgido.

“We enjoyed ourselves when we were on the programme as music programming started then and was very popular in the country. I started working with Barney Mpariwa then Eric Knight,” he said.

Phiri said initially he was a behind-the-scenes person and was fortunately slotted into the Ezomgido programme after presenters could not make it for the show on time.

He said he took to presenting like fish to water because he knew what was needed to make a production work.

“When I was behind the scenes, I was also directing the presenters on what to do. That made presenting easy for me because I knew what was needed by the producer to make the programme a success,” he said.

Phiri said the most memorable days were when he and Eric Knight would present the ZBC Top 100 (Pungwe) on New Year’s Eve.

“This was the most challenging because we’ d start at around 9PM and finish at 6AM on New Year’s Day. We had to be alert and we tried by all means to keep the show going with my co presenter Eric,” Phiri said.

He said the nickname Field Marshal Mzala came about when Eric Knight wanted to be called General Eric Knight.

“To make the team well oiled and move in the same direction, Eric decided to call himself the General. He then suggested I name myself brigadier, of which I didn’t agree.

“I came up with Field Marshal Mzala because it’s more senior than General. The name caught on and the team was a hit,” he said.

Mzala urged up-and-coming radio and television presenters to work hard to perfect their craft as there were no shortcuts in the industry for one to be successful.