Zimura rubbishes fake extraordinary meeting

Raymond Jaravaza

The Zimbabwe Music Rights Association (Zimura) has come out guns blazing at two individuals that are allegedly calling for an illegal extraordinary meeting (EGM) while seeking donations to hold the unsanctioned gathering.

Zimura is a non-governmental revenue-collecting society whose mandate is to protect and promote the rights of music composers, authors and publishers in Zimbabwe.

The association also disburses royalties to its members annually.

Zimura said it was forced to alert its members of an illegal EGM supposedly being organised by two unauthorised members of the public after concerns that its members would be swindled of their hard-earned cash.

Zimura represents 4 182 members.

“Seriously take heed that two unauthorised members of the public, one Philip Chipfumbu and one Fred Farai Nyakudanga are calling on Zimbabwe Music Rights Association members to attend an Extra-Ordinary Meeting at the Zimbabwe College of Music on the 22nd of June 2023 on blogs and social media pages.

“They are also asking for money from members to fund this meeting. Zimura members are hereby notified that the meeting is not a Zimura Extraordinary meeting.

“It is both unprocedural and unlawful. It is contrary to the Zimura Memorandum and Articles of Association,” warned the association’s director of information, media and publicity Alexio Gwenzi.

Chipfumbu, an ousted Zimura board member previously accused the current board led by Albert Nyathi of misappropriation of the association’s funds.

Zimura also warned that the alleged con artists are not even members of the association.

“Zimura has contact details of all its 4 182 members so genuine Zimura notices are sent directly to their personal addresses and contact details. No serious company business is ever conducted on blogs and social media groups.

The 2023 Zimura annual general meeting is due in July and all members will be notified of the same in the usual and proper channels.

“The meeting being called by Philip Chipfumbu and Fred Farai Nyakudanga is unlawful and threats the integrity of Zimura so any further association with these two may lead to loss of membership. Zimura will not be liable to pay whoever renders services to Chipfumbu and Nyakudanga,” added Gwenzi.

Chipfumbu and Nyakudanga are, however, adamant that the EGM will go ahead as planned.

“There is nothing stopping us from holding this EGM issue. Here we are dealing with legitimacy issues which they are dodging. These people are afraid of facing musicians and this should not be allowed to continue happening.

“No one is legitimate at Zimura and no one has the power to fire anyone because the last notable board, which was registered, was the one which had the likes of Joice Simeti who died in 2016,” Nyakudanga told our sister paper H-Metro.