2013 HORROR NEWS: LET’S WATCH OUT FOR OUR LITTLE BOYS

Last week, a 24-year-old primary school teacher from the Matabeleland area was arrested for allegedly sodomising TEN pupils at the school in separate incidents. Nkosiyazi Sibanda started sodomising the pupils in his class last year and would give them money to buy their silence.

In September, 19-year-old Importance Muranganwa who is partially blind, and doing Grade Seven was arrested for having sodomised TEN of his fellow pupils aged between 10 and 12. The alleged crimes were committed between July and September this year. Apparently, Innocent would wake up when all the pupils in the dormitory were asleep. He would randomly pick on his dorm-mates whom he would force to lie on their bellies before sodomising them.

Reading about these stories in the press got me so furious and sick I just had to say something! We have been for so long concentrating on protecting and emancipating the girl child that we have forgotten that the little boys also need our attention.

We are living in very bad times. Gone are the days when the child was everybody’s child, raised by the whole village with love and care. Nowadays it is each man for himself and God for us all, hence if you as a parent do not take care of your own child nobody else is going to do that for you.

In the home, let us equip our children with information! They should be aware of sexual violence and let us make it clear to them that they should be open enough with us enough to come to us if something like this happens to them. Drum it into their heads that they should ensure everybody RESPECTS their PERSONAL SPACE, and that they must not trust anyone, be it a family friend, a relative, a teacher, anybody!

Once upon a time we used to allow our relatives to sleep together with our children in the same room if they came to visit. People! PLEASE DESIST FROM THAT BEHAVIOUR!!! Rather have your relatives talk about you but knowing that your children are safe. If you do not have a guest bedroom, then make room for your relatives ELSEWHERE! And NOT together with your children! And make sure your children’s bedroom doors are LOCKED when they go to bed because it is the people we trust the most who do the most hurtful things.

If your children are going to go for any trip be it church or school, matter of fact, whenever your children are out of your sight, ensure that you have equipped them with PROTECTION, KNOWLEDGE and SKILLS that help them AVOID situations of sodomy or rape.

My heart bleeds for victims of such heinous crimes. And as much as we may cry for the government to do something, the onus is on us the parents! Let us not forget that our little boy children are just as vulnerable as the girls.

 

 

 

TEHN DIAMOND: LIKE AN OPEN DIARY

The past year or two, Hip hop in Zim just hasn’t been the same with Tehn having declared who the new king of the roost is. Why he took his sweet time coming we just wonder, because clearly he was born for this. Happy and Grown up Kid are amongst our personal favourites and we know the numbers still make you go crazy as wellJ. So we caught up with the brother last week and this is what he had to say:

TAW: FIRST THINGS FIRST, WHO IS TEHN DIAMOND?

            I’m just a young Zimbabwean with a dream and the courage to chase it. TALK ABOUT HUMILITY, WE COULD COME UP WITH A WHOLE LOTTA WORDS TO DESCRIBE HIM!!!

TAW: WHAT AND WHO IS FEW KINGS?

            It’s a hip hop group made up of myself, JBrown and Take Fizzo.

TAW: HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH ‘TEHN DIAMOND’

            My given name is Tendai. When I first started, my stage name was Diamond and my friends started calling me Tendai Diamond and then when I decided to go professional, Tehn Diamond was born. EISH! HOW MANY OF YOU COULD SPICE UP YOUR NAMES LIKE THAT!!?

TAW: APPARENTLY YOU ARE ALSO KNOWN AS HAPPY SMURF. WHY?

            I don’t know, I just started calling myself Happy Smurf. A lot of my stuff is online, so for my online persona I decided on Happy Smurf. HE COULDN’T HAVE DECIDED ON A MORE APT NAME – DUDE IS ALWAYS SMILING! WE FIGURE HE KNOWS HIS SMILE’S GOT MAGIC ON THE LADIES!!!

TAW: HOW DID YOUR MUSIC CAREER START?

             It was end of 2008 when I came back from Australia having dropped out of studying finance. So I had no degree, but a mixtape. A friend of mine who had a club in Singapore invited me there and I was there for 10 months. I had a ball, with my face on the billboards and everything and they loved my music. TALK ABOUT HAVING THE REAL DEAL!

TAW: SO HOW DOES ONE GO FROM A FINANCE STUDENT TO A HIP HOP ARTIST?

            I’ve always loved music. Finance wasn’t my thing. I’ll probably finish the degree though, just for my mom, coz I always say it’s her degree, so I’ll finish it and hand her the certificate. NCOOOOH ISN’T THAT SO SHWEET? IF ALL SONS WERE LIKE TEHN!

TAW: SO HOW DID YOUR FAMILY TAKE IT?

             They are still taking it. (HE LAUGHS) LOL, NAUGHTY NAUGHTY.

TAW: WE REMEMBER YOU PERFORMED AT ONE OF THIS YEAR’S BBA’S EVICTION SHOWS. HOW WAS THAT EXPERIENCE?

            It was incredible, I was so nervous. It was like a flash, one minute I’m on stage, the next I’m off and then there’s all this hype. I barely savoured the moment. TOO BAD EY, WE REMEMBER IT LIKE YESTERDAY, AND YOU WOULD NEVER GUESS HE WAS NERVOUS, DUDE WAS ON FIRE!!!

TAW: COULD YOU SEE YOURSELF IN THE BB HOUSE AS A HOUSEMATE?

            Never ever!!! No! I can’t be on camera 24hrs!  I KNOW A LOTTA LADIES WHO’D LOVE TO SEE HIM 24HRS ON AND OFF CAMERA kkk!!!

TAW: SO WHAT ELSE DO YOU DO BESIDES RAP, SING AND WRITE SONGS?

            I’m an entreprenure, I got my own hustles. Right now trying to be a mushroom farmer. THAT PIC JUST ISN’T COMING – TEHN IN THE FIELD? LOL, NOO!!!

TAW: WE’VE NOTICED YOU OFTEN HAVE INTERESTING FASHION ON-STAGE. CARE TO COMMENT?

            My stage fashion has been evolving for a number of years. It was at BBA that I decided I wanted people, especially the kids to see Africa when I’m rappin and not a cap and chains – but the true Africa. J AND TRUE AFRICAN WOMAN TOTALLY APPRECIATES!!!

TAW: AND YOU’VE JUST RELEASED A NEW ALBUM WITH FEW KINGS – THE FEELING AINT FAIR. TELL US ABOUT THAT.

            It’s like an open diary about my experiences with my brothers Brizzy and Take Fizzo. And it’s titled so because it depends on whom you are and you could be like eish! Tozvidawo, it aint fair. LOL

TAW: SO WHO IS THAT SPECIAL WOMAN IN TEHN’S LIFE?

            A number actually. (AND HE PUTS ON A SINISTER SMILE) my mom and my three sisters (FELOW GOT JOKES) and of course my girlfriend. She keeps me centred, stable and focused. NCOOOOH WE COULDN’T BE JELOUS EVEN IF WE WANTED TO!!!

TAW: RANDOM QUESTION, IF YOU COULD DATE ANY AFRICAN ARTIST, WHO WOULD IT BE?

            Does it have to be an artist? (WHOA HE ACTUALLY HAS A CRUSH!!!? NO IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE AN ARTIST.)  Boitumelo!!! She’s my African celebrity crush! KKK OH OH TEHN’S GIRLFY BETTER WATCH OUT HERE LOL.

PHONEY ACCENTS: WANNABE COCONUTS NXA!!!

There is nothing as irritating and annoying as people with phoney English accents. It’s sad, pathetic and just plain shallow!

I’m a fan of killer accents. That is one of the first things I notice about a person when I meet them for the first time. Some accents have almost had me molten to the point where I have had to force myself to respond because I’ll just be enjoying the listening part of the conversation.

I’ve noticed people who went to private schools got the best pick of the kind of accent any black person could ever wish for. It’s not fair yes, but that’s just how it is. I suppose it’s the exposure to a number of races in terms of both the faculty and student body.

It is from the rest of us who went to either former Group A or B schools with accents which aren’t much to speak of that you will find wannabe white people. Funny story actually because during the conversation you’ll be dying from suppressed laughter and wonder at how a grown human being could seriously do a thing like that.

There is nothing wrong with being proud to be black! Everybody has their own accent. Don’t we all just love the French, Italian and Spanish accents? They are just to die for. Why? Because I figure we have been conditioned to think like that and frown upon our own accents. If you are Shona, Ndebele, Zulu or Xosa be proud of that accent because it is who you are and try as you might, you can never be white, even MJ failed.

Yesterday actually, I was talking with a couple of ladies whom I know for a fact went to government schools, just like I did, and who, like myself never spent more than a year at once outside the country, yet I was surprised to hear them speak as if they had just landed from the UK. Sad thing was, it was such a poor imitation of the English accent it sounded horrible!

The bitter thing in a situation like that is you cannot really tell someone to drop it and be natural because that would be just mean. I get tempted sometimes though, kkk don’t they say be cruel to be kind?

FUNNY SCENARIOS – THE IRONY OF LIFE

My mother always says real life makes for great television. And she’s right, television doesn’t even have the best of drama, comedy, horror or fiction kkk.

FRIENDZONE: UNCLEAR RELATIONSHIPS

Personally, I do not like to be in a situation where I do not know where I stand. If we are friends let’s be that, do not be going all boyfriend-like on me and not actually follow through on the asking me out part. IT’S FRUSTRATING!!! And the nasty bit is when you cannot do anything about it. If you ask him out, he probably wasn’t thinking about it, or he doesn’t like being asked out by a girl and rejection of that sort is horrible! And you really do not want to push him away because you like him too much. STRESSFUL!!!

BEING PLAYED: THE LOVE TRIANGLE

Every girl thinks her boyfriend is that one and only being dreamt of by every girl on the planet. If you ask a girl if she thinks her boyfriend would ever cheat on her, without thinking most times, her answer would be ‘not in this lifetime’. So sad, because am sure it’s only a handful of guys who follow the one-man-one-woman rule. It’s amazing how one can get away with it though. We almost always see the tell-tale signs, but it’s so hard to face the truth and only when you catch him red handed or if he “confesses” that you feel like slapping yourself. Funny thing is, every girl thinks she can’t be played, but almost all the time, she does get played.

THE GUY YOU DUMPED HAVING MADE IT

Have you ever met an ex you dumped and felt like being sick? Not because he is disgusting or anything, but you are thinking argh!!! If only I hadn’t been too materialistic! Let’s face it, dollars do matter (lol, sometimes). Now meeting him alone might just be nasty but not nearly as, if you are still single and he’s engaged. Mmm mmm mmm definite dagger through the heart!

MEETING THAT GIRL YOU HATED IN SCHOOL

When we were in school, there was always that girl you loathed. Maybe it was because she was brighter, richer, hotter, or whatever. Girls like that you wish to never meet again in life, lol. Well here’s the irony, imagine meeting her later on, and she is way up there kkkk and you are way down there. Wouldn’t you just want to kill yourself! The perfect scenario I guess would be for roles to be reversed ey, she down there and you up there, lol, pity fate doesn’t usually give you what you want.

BEING THE OTHER WOMAN

It’s funny how you never think of karma when you are the other woman. Apparently, what goes around comes around. So maybe you did not know you were being played, but after he probably “confesses” and makes amends and swears to you that you are his sun, moon and stars now, what makes you so sure that he will not cheat on you like the way he cheated with you? Harsh, but true and super frustrating if you ask me!

WHEN CONVERSATION BECOMES STRAINED

There is nothing as embarrassing as uncomfortable silence. It could be when you are still a new couple and you do not know anything about each other, and both of you are probably shy. I wonder which is worse though, that silence over the phone or in person, lol. What of when you are at the brink of breaking up. At that point you don’t even want to talk to him, whatever he says is irritating, whatever he does is annoying and you are still not sure if you should stick around and work at it or just leave him, lol, how in the world could you make conversation in that scenario?

Eish! If all that had to happen to you life wouldn’t be fun at all! But wait, it probably has happened, is still happening and will still happen! What to do? I recommend taking everything as it comes and laughing about it afterwards because if not, you couldn’t stay sane. Life!

LOVE HATE – THE WEASELS THAT WORM INTO OUR LIVES FOR NO REASON

One thing I have failed dismally to understand is men! Why at all they bother with us when they do not seem to appreciate us once they have gotten us I don’t get. And the annoying thing is, in most cases, you will love and hate him at the same time in spite of whatever he has done to you.

THE ONES WHO BROKE YOUR HEART AND WANT TO COME AGAIN FOR A SECOND ROUND

We girls have been hurt by these guys so much it’s unbelievable! Some will make you feel like you are the problem, while others will leave you wondering if there is something wrong with you. And as if that isn’t enough, when you are almost healed after the break-up, the weasel will try and oft times succeed to worm his way back in to your life. As if that isn’t enough again, he will hurt you again in almost the same way he did the first time. But what do you do? You ignore the signs because you love him and because you can’t believe he could actually hurt you a second time. Mxm!

THE ALWAYS BUSY

It’s always some work, school or family thing they got going on that prevents them from either seeing or calling you. My question is really? Out of a whole 24 hours, you were too busy that you could not spare a few minutes to call me and hear how I am or pass by my house and just see how I’m doing? Incredible!

THE ONES WHO SEEM TO HAVE LOST INTEREST IN YOU AS SOON AS YOU SAID YES

Some guys make you feel as if their only goal was to have you say yes when they asked you out and brag to their boys that they can get any girl they want. Honestly! Otherwise what else could be the reason for them being nowhere to be found when you are supposed to be madly in love with each other?

THE ONES WHO HAD A GIRL ALREADY

Now this just makes me furious! If you have a girl already, why are you getting all cosy with me? At first I probably don’t even like you and then when you have made sure that I’ve fallen head over heels for you, I find out that you were dating someone else already! Ah! Why!?? What’s the point to that? Do guys have a biological quest to hurt as many girls as is possible? I just don’t get it!

Too bad we many a time cannot tell what kind of guy we get ourselves hooked up with. I mean, when he comes up to you the first time, charming his way to you, you could never know that beneath that dashing smile is a pig who is going to see to it that you regret the day you laid eyes on him. Nxa!!!

MMT - ZVIDHORI ALL STAR REMIX ft Smylie Simba Tagz Alvina Boi Mac YoungN...

PRIMROSE “THE P FACTOR” JANI - 'PLAYROOM PRINCESS' COMES OUT TO PLAY

Radio has for ages remained a very powerful media worldwide. Even with the various advances in technology which have seen new forms of entertainment especially over the internet, radio still remains the most outreaching. Yes! You can play music on your iPod, iPad, phone (these days almost everything seems to start with an 'i'), but nothing can beat that 'voice', the voice of the dj introducing music. No wonder they have included the radio app in all those 'i' gadgets!

Our 'Star of the Week' is in my opinion, (which by the way, is sought after world overJ) a revolutionary in the broadcasting industry. She makes radio sound so super sexy. She is none other than Power FM's Primrose Jani better known as 'The P Factor' (I always say she is the 'P' in 'Power FM'! (There! I've said it again).

Primrose Shamiso Jani is a 29 year old (though I doubt the authenticity of the fact because 1. she looks 23 and 2. how often does a lady reveal her age?) radio and TV personality, music librarian, voice over artist and producer amongst many other things at ZBC, the country's national broadcaster. She has been with ZBC for a good decade plus 1 year which means she started out at the tender age of 19 (based on my theory she started at 12- hey! it's possible maybe she was one of those Power kidz J). Her work CV would take you ages to go through because she is all over the place from marketing, advertising to logistics; she is what we would call in simple terms, a hard worker!

Born and bred in Gweru, she attended Nashville and Chaplin high schools (and here I was thinking all the pretty girls went to Regina Mundi). Her story to where she is today is a fairy-tale full of inspiration. After her 'A' Levels, her parents could not afford to take her to university but that did not take her down. She had to do an LCCI course and after lessons she would go to the then 3FM studios to hang around there. Being someone who loved learning, she was so enthusiastic about how the station was run. She would help out at their music library learning more about radio in the process.

As time passed, she had learnt so much that she could do everything that was supposed to be done by a librarian and was also learning more about broadcasting as a whole. Now fate is one funny thing, it just takes an unexpected turn of events for you to realise it. The librarian whom Prim had become an understudy to, got married and had to change base and that created a vacancy within Power FM. The decision as to who would fill that vacancy was an easy one to make as it was a unanimous one. I mean, who wouldn't want such a smiling face in their library? So she signed a contract and as the cliché goes, the rest is history. When Power FM moved back to the bright lights of Harare (not so bright these days), she started spreading her wings and branched out to TV as well becoming the presenter of Gospel Blend on Channel2. Her voice can be distinctly heard on most advertisements on both radio and TV.

Midnight radio does not get any better than The Playroom Party - a show which is her personal creation. "Radio is my passion, I'm all about making people smile”, she says with that trademark smile on her baby face. Personally I have always thought being on air at night is a bit challenging (I love my sleep) but Prim says it's fun, "people 'hear' the radio during the day but 'listen' to it during the night and that makes it so much fun especially with the interactions with your listeners."

Power FM for a long time enjoyed what I would call a 'monopoly' but with the coming in of two new players in the industry, we have seen some competition arise and I asked her if as a station they were worried of losing listenership. "Power FM is a big brand and it's not easy to take us down. It's not a fluke that we won Super brand of The Year two years in a row. The competition only makes us stronger as we now work harder." So to all those who thought Power FM was finished, think again!

A proud mom, Prim likes spending quality time with her two boys (can't say they are cute because I'm a guy but yeah! They look like their mom) Kupakwashe and Tadiwanashe. She watches cartoons with them, feeds them (a lot) and takes them out but she instils in them good values, morals and behaviour and raises them in the way she was raised herself. "I thank God for them, they are the reason why I'm a hard worker."

Prim feels that it is hard being a single mom because society judges you in all kinds of ways but, "I love my kids and I would never give them up for anything", she says. Being a small town girl, Prim finds Harare to be difficult to adjust to (we totally understand). She is reserved at times and sees Harare's social life a bit extreme. Power FM however holds 'family nights' and Prim says they are fun. She is a mother both at home and at work as she loves serving her colleagues especially at functions. Oh! And did I mention she loves eating (a lot).

According to her, a True African Woman is someone with hunhu (good morals) and is respectful to others (for me anyone like Prim is a true African woman). She is inspired by Bridget 'Bubbling B' Gavanga who was her mentor when she started out. To all those out there who (like me) dream of being on radio one day, "radio is you! it just requires you to be confident, you just have to put yourself out there it's not about having whatever degree".

Prim is planning to work on a project that is surely going to change reality TV in Zimbabwe forever as it will be the first of its kind in this land (watch this space!!!). The sky is certainly not the limit for this young lady and one can only wonder, 'what next?!!'..."You never know, acting maybe!”. In the meantime, for all you radioholics like me let's make full use of the time we still have in The Playroom to play and dance to the hits especially those 90s mid-retro. It can only be The P Factor on Power FM!

Catch The P Factor for:

The Playroom Party every Saturday @3 am,

The Dairyboard Power Kids weekdays @2:30

On 99.3 Power FM

Facebook: Power FM Zimbabwe

The writer Eddie Love Jones Biriyati is the Entertainment reporter for True African Woman Magazine. He is also an events dee-jay.