shloboe boe
Zimpapers Arts
The finalists of the “Munondida Ndakadaro” Open Verse Challenge, curated by multi-award-winning gospel musician Everton Mlalazi, are set to be announced on Wednesday.
Entries for the three-week music challenge, which closed last week, saw a wide array of young creatives participate. The initiative was designed to give emerging musicians a platform to showcase their hidden talents while praising God.
Munondida Ndakadaro is a spiritually resonant gospel track featured on Mlalazi’s 2026 album Great God. The song is performing strongly on local charts, currently holding the number one spot on the Star FM Gospel Greats show.
The winner of the challenge will walk away with US$1 000 in cash, though fans are now advocating for the top three entrants to also receive recognition.
“Let’s have a top 3… A lot of people did well. One winner doesn’t sound fair,” one follower commented, to which Mlalazi jokingly replied, “Can you help sponsor the other two?”
Mlalazi explained that several factors are being considered in determining the winner, including creativity, melody, musical arrangement, and social media engagement.
He confirmed that hundreds of young creatives from across Zimbabwe, as well as Zambia and South Africa, submitted entries.
“A heartfelt thank you to everyone who submitted their verses for the challenge. Their creativity, passion, and talent did not go unnoticed. We appreciate every artiste who took the time to be part of this initiative,” Mlalazi said.
He added that the adjudication process is underway, with the winner being selected based on multiple criteria.“We are reviewing the originality and uniqueness of each submission, including artistic ideas expressed in the lyrics and performance.
Audience response, measured through views, likes, shares, and overall interaction on our page, will also be considered. The effective and creative use of language in delivering each verse is another key factor,” he said in a previous Facebook post.
Online Reporter