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Popular traditional healer, Sekuru Banda has come to the rescue of musician Paradzai Mesi who had reportedly fallen on hard times and resorted to drug abuse.
Mesi hogged the limelight when videos of him being accused by fellow farm workers of being caught in the act of stealing groceries from a tuckshop in Concession were awash on the Internet, with popular social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube carrying the story.
Socialite Mudiwa Hood gave the musician some groceries and bought him new clothes. He splashed pictures of his benevolence on the Internet. Hood’s gesture received mixed feelings with a majority of analysts praising the singer-cum-businessman for generosity while others chastised him for taking advantage of a poor man in need so he would gain popularity.
Spiked Online Media caught up with Sekuru Banda and Paradzai Mesi in Concession yesterday.
Mesi revealed to this publication that he woke up in a drunken stupor and realised that he was not in his house but rather in a small grocery store in Concession.
He said he received the shock of his life when fellow farmer workers jeered him while others beat him for stealing. He said the actual matter is that he was offered a ride home in a car owned by strangers who pretended to know him but instead of taking him home, they asked him to help load some groceries from the shop into their car, purporting to own it.
“Zimbabweans read in the media that Mesi was released by the owner of the grocery shop after he had proved that he was innocent. That’s not true. In fact, the owner of the grocery store said he lost goods worth US$1 450 and I actually paid him that amount,” Sekuru Banda said, adding he has plans to build musician Mesi a decent home.
“I am very thankful for the gesture by Sekuru Banda. We have made peace with the grocery store owner. He has been restituted for what he lost. I have no words to describe Sekuru Banda’s generosity. I know he will fulfill the pledge to build me a decent home,” Mesi told Spiked Online Media.
Sekuru Banda said his gesture is for willing Zimbabweans who can afford to emulate the same. He praised organisers of the show where Mesi is expected to perform at Club Joy Centre in Chitungwiza as a fundraising concert.