Innocent Sibonginkosi Ncube
Arts and Entertainment<\/p>\n\n\n\n
HARARE \u2013 Zimbabwe\u2019s dancehall kingpin Winky D (real name Wallace Chirumiko) has defiantly shifted his highly anticipated August 30 album launch to Alex Sports Club, marking a dramatic exit from the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) after a controversial cancellation of his long-standing New Year\u2019s Eve booking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The move follows a high-profile dispute where businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei\u2019s foundation paid US$245,000 to secure the HICC for a Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church event, overriding Winky D\u2019s prior reservation .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The HICC Controversy: $245,000 “Windfall” Ousts National Icon<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last December, Winky D\u2019s management \u2013 who had booked the HICC in May 2024 \u2013 received a crushing blow when Rainbow Tourism Group (RTG) canceled their contract, citing prioritization of “another event.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Investigations revealed Tagwirei\u2019s Bridging Gaps Foundation had swooped in with a US$245,000 payment to RTG, covering the venue and 200 hotel rooms for five days for an SDA Church crossover service .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
RTG justified the move by claiming Winky D\u2019s revenue-share deal was “not financially beneficial,” unlike Tagwirei\u2019s upfront payment. A source disclosed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRainbow invited Tagwirei to use the HICC\u2026 They negotiated an arrangement where Tagwirei pays US$245,000\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The SDA Church later distanced itself from the backlash, with lawyer Thabani Mpofu stating:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLeave my church out of this\u2026 The allegation is the very antithesis of the church\u2019s thrust\u201d .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Controversial cleric Passion Java further fueled tensions, boasting on social media:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was behind the cancellation\u2026 to teach youths respect for elders,\u201d accusing Winky D of disrespecting President Mnangagwa .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fans erupted, alleging political censorship given Tagwirei\u2019s status as a sanctioned Zanu-PF financier and Winky D\u2019s history of critical lyrics .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alex Sports Club: A New Chapter for the “Gaffa”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Undeterred, Winky D has secured Alex Sports Club \u2013 a spacious open-air venue previously used by artists like Freeman HKD \u2013 for his August 30 album launch. The shift signals both resilience and a strategic embrace of accessible spaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe deal has been successfully concluded!\u201d confirmed promoters on social media, sparking a frenzy among the “Vigilance Nation” fanbase .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Industry analysts note the relocation may amplify Winky D\u2019s message. Cultural critic Tinashe Gumbo observed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAlex Sports Club symbolizes artistic freedom. Unlike the elite HICC, it\u2019s a people\u2019s arena \u2013 perfect for an artist whose music critiques power.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fallout and the Fight for Creative Spaces<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The HICC debacle has intensified debates about corporate ethics and political interference in Zimbabwe\u2019s arts. RTG, partly state-owned, faces ongoing criticism for breaching contractual agreements. Winky D\u2019s legal team previously lamented the venue\u2019s \u201cdisregard for the agreement,\u201d stressing the artist\u2019s \u201csignificant effort\u201d in preparing for fans .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Tagwirei and RTG remain silent despite public outrage . As one fan rallied on Twitter:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey blocked the venue, not the voice! #VigilanceIsBac<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zim GBC News\u00a92025<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Innocent Sibonginkosi NcubeArts and Entertainment HARARE \u2013 Zimbabwe\u2019s dancehall kingpin Winky D (real name Wallace Chirumiko) has defiantly shifted his highly anticipated August 30 album launch to Alex Sports Club,… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7794,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[127],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7793","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts-and-entertainment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7793","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7793"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7793\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7795,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7793\/revisions\/7795"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7794"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7793"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7793"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7793"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}