Online Reporter
Mbulelo Mpofu, Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub
ZIMBABWE’S music royalty collection society, the Zimbabwe Music Rights Association (ZIMURA), is engulfed in a full-blown governance crisis, pitting a faction of its own board and the nation’s musicians’ union against management accused of operating “rogue” and violating fundamental principles of accountability.
The escalating conflict, now spilling into public view through duelling statements, threatens the integrity of the institution tasked with protecting creators’ rights and royalties.
The crisis ignited publicly on 13 January 2026, when three ZIMURA Board Members – Dereck Mpofu (Chair of Communications, PR, and Strategy & Official Spokesperson), Joseph Garakara (Deputy Chair of Communications), and Gift Amuli (Chair of Licensing, Documentation, and Membership) – issued a joint statement disavowing a “Public Notice” issued by ZIMURA the previous day (12 January).
The directors declared the notice “unauthorised” and a severe breach of governance. They asserted that, by formal board resolution, all official communication is solely the mandate of the Communications Committee, chaired by Mpofu and deputised by Garakara. The issuance of the January 12 notice without this committee’s consent was labelled a blatant violation of ZIMURA’s operating procedures and board mandates.
The unauthorised notice, according to the dissenting directors, appeared designed to deflect from deeper issues, particularly the controversial sale of ZIMURA’s Avondale flats. While the notice cited Article 41 (affirming the Board’s authority to dispose of assets), Mpofu, Garakara, and Amuli stated it deliberately sidestepped the core ethical concern raised by members: Did a sitting board member participate in the sale through an estate agency where they are employed?
“This core grievance remains unaddressed. To date, those who participated in the transaction have failed to provide a direct response, appearing to rely instead on legal technicalities,” their statement read. They condemned what they perceived as a strategy of evasion.
Rejecting the notion that ZIMURA “does not answer to anyone,” the three directors emphasised its obligation to transparency, regulatory oversight, and government bodies. They issued a striking invitation: “We call for an immediate investigation into the unauthorised use of the company letterhead and a full audit of ZIMURA’s social media credentials. It is imperative to establish who authorised this document and whether those managing the Association’s communication platforms are liable for misrepresentation by disseminating unverified policy without the Committee’s consent.”
Furthermore, they condemned attempts to use “the threat of litigation to silence stakeholders and the press,” framing their stance as a commitment to the reform mandate they believed they were elected for: replacing “a culture of defensiveness with professional transparency.”
The Zimbabwe Musicians Union (ZIMU) swiftly amplified the dissenting directors’ claims. In a statement dated 14 January 2026, ZIMU declared it had taken note of the “profound governance crisis” and hailed the board members’ joint statement as “courageous,” confirming the “severe issues of opacity, procedural breach, and intimidation” ZIMU had long raised.
ZIMU’s interpretation was stark: “The disavowal of an unauthorised ‘Public Notice’ by the 3 Directors reveals an alarming breakdown in governance and a management structure running without proper oversight. The management seems to have gone rogue. This situation, if left unchecked, fatally compromises the integrity of an institution meant to protect creators. This situation, ZIMU warned, “fatally compromises the integrity” of ZIMURA, endangering the assets and trust of the creators it serves.
Demanding immediate action to protect members and restore trust, ZIMU issued a non-negotiable four-point plan calling for the urgent convening of an Extraordinary General Meeting to allow full members to exercise their sovereign authority, the launch of an independent forensic audit into ZIMURA’s finances and recent asset disposals, the suspension of key management figures—including Alexio Gwenzi pending clarification of his role and General Manager Polisile Ncube, whose earlier fraud conviction was cited as rendering her continued leadership untenable during an investigation—and full accountability for all individuals involved in the unauthorized communications and the Avondale transaction, with a direct response demanded to allegations of conflicts of interest.
ZIMU declared “solidarity” with all ZIMURA members and the dissenting board members, pledging to support lawful measures to restore ethical governance. Crucially, they issued a warning: “We stand ready as a union to respond decisively to any attempted harassment or intimidation of anyone speaking out against the ongoing chaos at ZIMURA.”
The public clash between a significant faction of ZIMURA’s board, the collective voice of Zimbabwean musicians, and an accused “rogue” management presents an existential threat to the organisation.
Allegations of procedural breaches, intimidation, unresolved conflicts of interest, and the specific demand for the suspension of a manager with a fraud conviction paint a picture of an institution in deep dysfunction.
The calls for an EGM and a forensic audit indicate a complete breakdown in trust. How ZIMURA’s leadership responds to this unprecedented public challenge will determine its future viability and its ability to fulfil its core mission of protecting Zimbabwe’s music creators. The eyes of the nation’s arts sector and regulatory bodies are now firmly fixed on the unfolding crisis. – Follow on X @MbuleloMpofu
