Online Reporter
Trust Khosa
Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub
Good Samaritans still exist, and the family of John Chibadura can attest to this.
Recently, a generous well-wisher stepped in to design a new tombstone for the late musical legend at no cost.
Chibadura’s grave had fallen into disrepair, attracting the attention of celebrated tombstone designer Tendai Mbofana from Ngoda Granites, who came to their rescue.
As a fan of Chibadura, Mbofana was shocked when photos of the neglected grave circulated on social media, sparking mockery and criticism.
Chibadura, who passed away on August 4, 1999, at the age of 42, was buried in Unit L Cemetery in Chitungwiza.
Twenty-six years later, his gravesite had deteriorated, leading to widespread derision on social media.
However, the tide has turned from ridicule to happiness, as Mbofana has silenced the critics by designing a state-of-the-art tombstone with the family’s approval.
“I was touched when I saw the pictures circulating on social media and how people mocked the family for not maintaining the gravesite,” Mbofana explained.
“I didn’t want to go public about this issue, but since you saw us today designing it, we are simply assisting the family. After all, I am a fan of Chibadura, and I can’t enjoy his music while my hero’s gravesite is in such poor condition.”
He continued:
“I will always do my best for these legends because we need to honour them. I’m glad that the family is cooperating well with us, and we don’t intend to go back on our promise.
“We want the same social media critics to make the same noise they did before, but this time in appreciation of the transformation. As Zimbabweans, we need to respect one another and stop this behaviour for the sake of likes and attention on social media.”
Mbofana, who has designed tombstones for other celebrities like Soul Jah Love, Lazarus “Gringo” Boora, Paul Matavire, Rhoda “Mai Sorobi” Mtembe and Susan “Mai Rwizi” Chenjerai, stressed that celebrities deserve to be honoured at all costs.
“As a nation, we need to appreciate our icons and make sure that we honour them in the best way we can. For Chibadura, we have gone out of our way to ensure that the family’s legacy is respected and honoured. I am not even ashamed to be associated with them,” he stated.
Chibadura’s son, Simba, welcomed Mbofana’s move after they were ridiculed on social media.
“The trolling we suffered on social media was a blessing in disguise for us because now a Good Samaritan has come on board to assist us.
“There was nothing we could do to stop them from saying what they wanted, but we all know that we are operating in a challenging economic environment. As musicians, we are all struggling to draw big crowds, save for a few musicians who are making a killing,” he shared.
“Getting this help is the best thing ever because we’ve wanted it for so long.” It’s not that we were reckless or unconcerned; we were doing our best to maintain the grave.
“Our father was a legend, and he deserves to be honoured. We are glad that we have come to this point where one of our father’s fans, whom we have never met, has designed this state-of-the-art tombstone. We will always cherish the good work Ngoda Granites has done for us.”
Simba, who now leads the Chibadura Brothers Band alongside Knowledge and John Junior, revealed that they will organise a special event to unveil the tombstone simultaneously with a new album.
“We want to make it a double celebration where we will be launching our album and unveiling the tombstone on the same occasion.
“We will announce the dates soon, but we want to make it a big celebration where our father’s legacy will be remembered for years to come,” he added.
Despite poor cash flows hurting the industry, Simba remains confident in preserving his father’s legacy.
“We will keep working hard, and we can’t afford to lose what our father has left for us.
“Our father laid the foundation, and it is up to us to build on that and make sure that we leave a mark. We want the name John Chibadura to be remembered for years to come.”
