adminagreement between Greencard Medical Aid Society and his Orchestra Dendera Kings band.
The occasion saw Sulu being unveiled as Greencard Medical Aid Society brand ambassador.
“To me this means that our brand has been endorsed. Health matters a lot in every person’s life and therefore we should keep ourselves in good health.
“I am happy that all my band members are now covered under this scheme and I hope that their family members will follow suit.
“This has lifted the burden from me since they can now use the medical aid that Greencard Medical Aid Society has availed to them,” he said.
Sulu described this as a milestone for him and his group, and urged other musicians to emulate the gesture.
“This is an eye-opener to other artistes and even music promoters and I urge them to acquire medical aid for themselves and their families. I remember when I used to pester promoters for assistance whenever I fell sick but now I have something to fall back on,” Sulu said.
Greencard Medical Aid Society chief executive officer Simon Tapfumaneyi said they were driven into signing on Sulu as their brand ambassador in an effort to encourage other artistes to understand the importance of medical aid.
“Most artistes, particularly musicians, suffer from a general lack of concrete support particularly in the realm of medical aid back-up, a very critical element in anyone’s existence.
“This invariably compromises their capacity to perform and in instances careers have ended prematurely due to preventable ailments. We trust this modest intervention will go some way in meeting our mutual goals and set a precedent for the Zimbabwean society at large to support creativity as opposed to pulling each other down,” he said.
Trevor Jakachira, who recently joined Sulu’s band in the newly created post of business manager, reiterated the need for artistes to embrace medical aid policies.
“We are excited as a band to be part of this process. Within two weeks in office, we are beginning to witness the first fruits of the restructuring of the band and by acquiring medical aid policies we have set the pace for other musicians.
“We are going to embark on tours around the country as well as an international tour soon and we are going to carry the Greencard Medical Aid Society flag wherever we go. We are also thrilled that our band members are also part of this process because the welfare of band members is vital. If health issues are neglected shows are unlikely to happen,” he said.
According to Busisiwe Dube, the head of marketing and public relations at Greencard Medical Aid Society, 80 percent of Zimbabweans do not have medical aid.
“About 80 percent of Zimbabwe’s population is not covered by medical aid and this includes musicians. Some members of the society dismiss it as a luxury that only employees of large corporations can join. Greencard as a society has put paid to this belief and urges people to prioritise their health,” she said.
Dube added that her organisation was proud to have Sulu as their brand ambassador.
“We are proud to announce that we have launched a new product named ‘Celebrity Cover’ which will cover celebrities among them sports icons like Benjani Mwaruwari and his family, Miss Zimbabwe Bongani Dhlakama and more recently Suluman Chimbetu,” she said.
Some of the people who graced the occasion included prominent music promoter Partson “Chimbodza”, musician Jah Prayzah and other personalities from the arts and modelling industries.
Online Reporter