adminElliot Ziwira Senior Writer
As explored in our previous instalment, iconic yesteryear music promoter, Lashton “Lashers” Chitoro, who has somehow mastered the art of falling, keeps on picking himself up in the face of adversity.
Like a phoenix from ancient mythology known for its astonishing abilities and symbolism — signifying hope, pliability and transformation, Lashers is an enthralling character.
He may have fallen many times, sometimes with a thud, but the way he rises from the ashes with the same impact that he falls is the stuff of legend.
His passion and dedication to the preservation of Zimbabwean cultural heritage, explored through music remains inspiring.
Over the years, he introduced new ideas and formats to the music landscape, through fusion gigs and collaborations, keeping the industry freshly exciting.
Also, he forged partnerships with local and international artists, promoters, and organisations, hence catapulting Zimbabwean music onto the global stage. In collaboration with other promoters, Lashers brought international acts like Awilo Longomba, Kanda Bongoman, and Koffi Olomide to Zimbabwe.
He was also the man behind the hyped Freddy Gwala shows billed for Bulawayo, Gwanda, Beitbridge and Victoria Falls in 2007. Lashers would later sue the South African pop musician for failing to turn up for the shows.
As his brand grew, which saw him founding Lashfin Finance in 2005 and opening another outlet at Jongwe Corner in 2007, he gave back to the community, supporting 25 less privileged children through school, and forming a soccer team, Lashers FC.
From glory to ashes: The tragic fall
Having dared the devil several times, rising to glory unperturbed, by 2009, Lashers’ flame, which started dimming around 2008, had been extinguished.
He closed Club Lashers at Crocodile Motel in Rusape through disposal of asset by the landlord, left Club Lashers Makoni in Chitungwiza to Patson “Chipaz” Chimbodza, and lost Club Lashers Budiriro in 2008.
As the gods of fortune deserted him, he closed operations at Jongwe Corner in 2009. Hence, suffering a devastating fall from grace before the year was out. To compound it all, he had resigned from his job at the bank.
The loss of Club Lashers Budiriro marked the beginning of a downward spiral that would leave him whirling.
“Club Lashers Budiriro pains me. It was only a shell when I got in, and I renovated it on the understanding that I would use it for 30 years, paying agreed upon monthly rentals and all attendant increments,” Lashers laments. “But the goalposts shifted.”
Contractual deficiencies and misfortune conspired to dismantle his empire piece by piece.
“My landlord at Crocodile Motel was more understanding, though. He gave me a two-bedroomed house in Vengere, Rusape, and 17 heifers as compensation,” says Lashers.
The once-thriving Club Lashers chain, which had given life to countless music careers, was reduced to ashes.
Undeterred, the blows kept coming, tempting his fighting spirit.
In 2010, Lashers sold his Glen Norah house. He fell victim to a fraudulent residential stands deal, losing all the money. The commercial stand in Sunningdale, once a symbol of his success, was also sold to pay off debts.
Unfortunately, after selling the stand, he lost building materials, including 500 bags of cement, to swindlers. He approached the courts, but the cases dragged on forever, until favour missed him in the maze.
Furthermore, he sold his other brainchild, Lashfin Finance, marking the end of an era. Homeless, he moved into a rented cottage in Greendale, before relocating to Marondera between 2010 and 2015.
It was in this state of affairs, around 2012, that I met Lashers, again. I was running a butchery at Gazaland, Highfield, and he was down.
“Mhepo dzakafamba mwana wamai (ill winds blew, my brother)”, he confided in me.
He would later lose a Toyota Hilux Kzte double-cab vehicle to cheque fraud, and a Toyota Townace in a deal gone awry, leaving him grounded. He would come home, to my shop or workplace, and I did all I could to help him.
As the dust settled, he was left to pick up the pieces of a shattered dream. Nonetheless, in the face of misfortune, his spirit remained unbroken.
“Zvichanaka chete mwana wamai (It shall be well, my brother)”, he said, reassuringly, when he visited me at my workplace in 2013.
A triumphant comeback
In 2014, Lashers received a second chance at redemption, when a Japanese company he had previously worked with, offered him a new opportunity to rise from the ashes.
With a renewed sense of purpose, he seized the chance to revive his fortunes. Leveraging on his entrepreneurial spirit, he began importing cars from Tanzania, charging a commission for his services.
“I charged US$300 for my services, and on top of that got US$50 commission from the Japanese supplier,” Lashers reveals.
His business acumen and marketing skills helped him attract a loyal customer base, and his income began to flourish once more. As his financial stability grew, in 2015, Lashers set his sights on a new venture—establishing a lodge at Jongwe Corner.
With the support of his landlord and encouragement from music legend, Alick Macheso, who even donated beds to the cause, he embarked on a journey to create a welcoming haven for travellers.
In 2017, when his family moved to Tynwald, Harare, he identified an opportunity at Sanganayi Inn along Solomon Mujuru Drive (formerly Kirkman Road).
He entered into a 10-year lease agreement with his landlord in 2018, renewable yearly, opening up space for a hub for music enthusiasts and revellers alike, seeking a unique experience away from the bustle of the city centre.
He had two Macheso shows at the inn in 2019. Thus, his rise from the ashes was complete.
However, Mother Fortune had something up her sleeve.
The fall that refuses to end
Lashers’ dream of establishing a music hub, complete with guestrooms, a butchery, bars and a nightclub, was shattered when his landlord repossessed the property in March 2023 following a Supreme Court judgment.
He insists that he invested US$12 000 in initial renovations to the property, with costs substantially rising to at least US$30 000.
“We agreed that I would recover all my money within 18 months, with me paying half the rentals agreed upon,” Lashers says. “So, we invested. I finished the renovations in 2019. When I was about to open, in 2020, Covid-19 hit. I didn’t operate until 2021, but I was still paying rentals as agreed.”
In 2020, he was put on a three-month notice to vacant the premises, but he disputed it. Later, he was issued with summons to stop operations.
The situation worsened when his landlord took him to court in 2022, seeking to repossess the property for renovations. As court papers show, the landlord successfully argued that he had reneged on their contractual agreement by subletting and not paying agreed upon rentals, in addition to running down the place.
The other sticky issue was that he wasn’t supposed to make any improvements and or alterations on the property without prior written consent of the landlord, rendering everything he did, or claims to have done, unlawful.
Lashers won the Magistrates Commercial Court case in 2022. His landlord appealed to the High Court, and won. He subsequently appealed to the Supreme Court, and on February 28, 2023, he lost in the Sanganayi Inn (Private) Limited vs The Crystal Club Lashers Bar and Night Club case.
“I had a Macheso show on March 3, 2023, so I asked the court to allow me to hold it, and I was given the greenlight,” he says.
The court’s ruling came with a crippling blow—he was ordered to pay costs, resulting in the seizure of his and third part assets, including generators, snooker tables, fridges, television sets, and stock.
He was left with nothing save for memories of his once-thriving empire.
Despite being found on the wrong side of the law, Lashers feels that the scales of justice did him hard, maintaining that he lost “on technicalities”, and that the landlord had “simply been cruel” to him.
“The issue affected me so badly that I considered dying by suicide. It has also affected my wife, who has since been diagnosed with high blood pressure, and is now on medication,” Lashers says.
“Remember, I neither own a house nor a good car, but I convinced her that we should invest in business first.”
His family has once again moved to Hatfield.
Dusting knees, again
Refusing to remain grounded, Lashers has dusted his knees, again, for another rise.
In his estimation, he has invested US$120 000 in a new entertainment centre, Lashers Gardens International, located in the Independence Arch area under Arlington Estate near Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport.
“Macheso has also chipped in,” reveals Lashers.
The sprawling complex boasts 32 bedrooms, two bars, a butchery, kitchen, and ample parking space. Lashers’ vision is to create a hub for music lovers, a place where they can enjoy live performances, book rooms, and revel in the beauty of Zimbabwean culture.
As he awaits the operating licence, Lashers’ resolve is palpable.
“Before year-end, the place will be running,” Lashers says, beaming with confidence.
He acknowledges the risks, but is willing to take the gamble, knowing it’s the only way to rise from the fall.
With a 10-year lease, renewable for another 10 years, and plans to develop two commercial stands of his own in Kadoma and Masvingo, the diminutive goal-getter, is set for a grand comeback.
Notwithstanding the cruel blows he has endured, Lashers remains resolute, his passion for music and community outreach solid.
For over 20 years, I have come to know Lashers as an ever-smiling man, regardless of the odds. Behind that smiling face and a never-say-die spirit, however, lies a painful story of love, trust, and betrayal.
The pain reflects in his eyes, becoming a window into the darkest recesses of the human soul.
“My prayer is that God will protect me from ill winds and avaricious inclinations of humankind,” he says, determination spreading across his face into a triumphant smile as we part ways, one more time.
Will he succeed? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain—Lashers will never give up. Like a phoenix, he will rise again.
Online Reporter