Tongai Moyo Cancels Botswana tour due to illness

Sungura artiste Tongai Moyo’s health has reportedly deteriorated forcing him to abort last weekend’s Botswana tour. Dhewa, as he is affectionately known by his followers, was reported to be in a critical condition at St Anne’s Hospital on Saturday. “His whole body was shaking. It was like he was having fits,” narrated a close friend on Saturday. “His condition was just bad,” added the friend who declined to be named.

Shiga Shiga, one of the senior members in Dhewa’s band confirmed the band had to perform in Botswana without their leader who was admitted in hospital. “We had to go and perform and his son Peter replaced his father as the lead vocalist while another band member, Willow, played the lead guitar which is normally played by Dhewa,” said Shiga.


Dhewa has, however, since been discharged from hospital and is said to have expressed faith he would be ready for his shows lined up for this weekend. “When I talked to him he said he is fit for the weekend shows so we are happy he will be back on stage.” Efforts to get a comment from the Utakataka frontman were unsuccessful. As if that was not enough trouble, Dhewa’s senior bassist, Spencer Khumbuyani, is reported to have declined to travel with the rest of the band as scheduled on Saturday morning. Instead, Khumbuyani opted to go to the National Sports Stadium for the national team’s crunch tie against Liberia on Sunday.

When NewsDay contacted Khumbuyani for comment he refuted the claims and said he had been involved in an accident. “I did not go to Botswana because I was involved in an accident along Bulawayo Road. I am on my way to have an X-ray taken now.“Who said I refused to go?” quizzed Khumbuyani. “However, a source close to the goings-on said: “Spencer declined to go giving the reason that he wanted to watch the Zimbabwe-Liberia match live rather than wait for results.

“This was, however, an excuse as the real reason was that he argued with the management that there was no point in the band travelling all the way to Botswana for the same amount of money they could get here in Zimbabwe,” said a source close to developments at Utakataka. If any of the claims against Khumbuyani are true, this might be taken to mean he is likely leave Dhewa’s band. Three months ago, Dhewa is said to have made Khumbuyani sign a contract that stipulated that if they were to have another fallout, the contract would automatically be terminated.