By Josephine Mugiyo
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While Paul Matavire’s legacy lives on through his music which has withstood the test of time, the late popular musician’s mother is wallowing in poverty and struggling to make ends meet.
Such is the agony of a mother as she stares into what remains of an enigmatic character, who became a social commentator and an everyday part of many households through his craft and wit.
As many danced to his tunes, his mother danced to the success of a boy who lived to the promise of being a provider, a duty he served well.
However, 16 years after his death, the story is totally different.
“Death is arrogant. I would not be suffering like this if he were still alive. I used to enjoy good breakfast and a healthy diet,” says Mbuya Matavire.
The same music that once brought her joy is now a source of anguish as she reminisces on what could have been, if her son was still alive.
“I am pained. I wish they would play his music and give me the royalties so that I can buy basic food. They are enioying his music at my expense. Whenever I hear his songs play in the towns I go outside to sit alone,” she adds.
While Mbuya Matavire is living through hell, the Executive Director of the Zimbabwe Music Rights Association, Ms Polisile Ncube revealed that the late musician did not leave a will hence his royalties are being paid to his daughters.
“With the Matavire issue the situation is that when he died he did not leave a will. So, as ZIMURA, we had to ask the relatives to sit and decide who should benefit from royalties and his family decided that his three daughters were going to be the beneficiaries.
“If the mother is aggrieved about the daughters, she should approach the family members and they can change that. The Zimbabwe Music Rights cannot change what is in the Matavire file,” she explained.
While others are celebrating a bumper harvest, for Mbuya Matavire the story is different after stray cattle feasted on her maize crop as the fence surrounding the plot was vandalized.
Apart from the distress call, there is need for a proper tombstone at the grave which does not do justice to the great man the late Paul Matavire was.
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