Macheso: Beneath the surface

polygamous union.
Singer Alick Macheso is at pains to make the world believe that he, somehow, has a magic touch that keeps his women meek, compliant and happy to see more females come to stake a claim on their man.
Nyadzisai allegedly took Tafadzwa Mapako unto her bosom like a sister and now has accompanied the party going to pay lobola for the third wife – Adeline Hunidzarira – who is her former housemaid.
With so many men from all walks of life in polygamous unions that are usually charcterised by catfights, hatred and bitterness, Macheso has been lauded as a real man; he can control his women!
Even some of our very prominent citizens could learn a lesson or two on how to handle more than one woman at a time without the embarrassment of some very unsavoury public scenes from this man.
The singer could make a bigger fortune selling the ‘magic root’ to other men than he has realized so far from his musical career.
But is this really all one happy and ever growing family? That is the story we are fed but sources close to the family are painting a very different picture.
They tell of a family in increasing turmoil as each of the women involved tries all sorts of tricks to keep the man close to her own side.
They tell of a stressed first wife who has no option but to grin and bear it with the most grace that she can muster.
Nyadzisai looks much lighter-skinned than she has ever done and has obviously had a style makeover.
One source close to her revealed to The Herald that Nyadzisai had taken some measures fashion measures in an attempt to compete with Tafadzwa.
“She even began to wear trousers, something she had never tried before in her life but as close friends and relatives we advised her to be herself and not try to be someone.
“We told her that her innate dignity would eventually overcome Tafadzwa’s flashy trends,” the source revealed.
The ‘birthday party’ itself was a staged publicity stunt and Sharon was the only one of Nyadzisai’s children to attend the photo shoot, revealed another source.
The sources maintain that there is fallout between Macheso and second wife Tafadzwa and they allege that the bone of contention is a phone conversation of the wife that the husband listened to.
He appears to have learnt the hard way that eavesdroppers never hear good spoken of themselves as the beloved wife number two made some very disparaging remarks about her famous husband and his street smarts or rather, lack thereof.
There has been speculation in the media and among friends and relatives of the Macheso family that Tafadzwa might be a gold digger, an accusation she emphatically denied. Macheso is said to have proved that he is very (IT) savvy as he recorded the conversation and confronted Tafadzwa who broke down into a flood of tears.
The matter was then presented to Nyadzisai, the chief wife and in true biblical submission, the latter sided with her husband leaving Tafadzwa out in the cold.
And now Nyadzisai, the source said, has been behind the push to pay lobola for the third wife and actually accompanied the marriage party to make sure that it happened!
It appears as though she is opting for the lesser devil.
Tafadzwa has been the dominant force in the marriage up to now.
But with that one now out of favour, the third wife being so young and a former maid then Nyadzisai can regain the driving seat.
Another source hinted heavily of the employment of some dark forces by some parties involved saying someone has been trying to win the love game by constantly consulting a traditional healer who keeps a goat at his house in one of Harare’s suburbs.
The whole story is beginning to sound like one of those movies that the Nigerian industry churns out with so much predictability.
But just why is Macheso suddenly hell-bent on collecting wives after years of allegedly having a string of mistresses like Petunia, Sarah and Monalisa?
Mbuya Silver Zhuneya, Macheso’s maternal grandmother and the woman who raised him had a very simple explanation.
“I saw the new house that he bought in Waterfalls and it is just too big for one woman and I think Alick is now getting other wives to occupy the house.”
For an exclusive expose on Alick Macheso and his early life, do not miss tomorrow’s paper!