BY KUKURIGO*
HARARE — Zimbabwean music star Emegy Chizanga, popularly known as Freeman, has been charged with ‘conspiracy to commit robbery’ and will appear in court within 48 hours.
Chizanga, 34, is accused of having links to armed robbery suspects, including two who were killed in shootouts with police in Harare last month.
Chizanga was interviewed by homicide detectives as part of ongoing investigations into the criminal allegations.
The charge came after Godknows Machingura, a friend and music promoter of Chizanga, was shot dead by police in Arcadia, Harare, on December 19.
According to a warned and cautioned statement signed by Chizanga, he denied the allegations and said he never conspired with anyone to commit armed robbery.
He also said he did not know the victim of the alleged robbery, Paul Chimbodza, or his residential address.
He challenged the state to produce evidence of any communication or meeting between him and the other suspects, whom he also claimed not to know, except for Machingura.
Chizanga said he met Machingura in 2017 when he invited him to perform at a show in Durban, South Africa.
Machingura and Chizanga’s management entered into an agreement, with Machingura paying for the whole show, including their air tickets to and from Durban, as well as all expenses, food and accommodation.
“Our first show together was a huge success, such that he invited me to another show in Durban in 2018. Ever since that time, we grew to be friends, since I was very appreciative of the support he extended to me as a musician and to many other musicians at a very difficult time. My association with Machingura was purely innocent and founded on music entertainment,” Chizanga said.
He said he had no idea that Machingura was involved in any criminal activities and was shocked by his death.
“I had photos taken with him innocently, the same way he would have pictures taken with many other artists. I never knew or suspected that he could be involved in armed robbery or crime. I never saw anything that could have made me suspicious or suspect that he was involved in crime,” he continued.
“Sometimes he would invite me and my band members to stay at his house if we had shows in Johannesburg, South Africa, and he would also tell me whenever he was travelling to Zimbabwe. However, around 2021, he started withdrawing himself from me and would not share much information about his movement and travels to Zimbabwe.
“For the record, I am a musician and a family man who has worked so hard to build my brand to where it is. I would never willingly, intentionally and knowingly associate with any criminal elements, because this would definitely affect my family, music, brand and professional career,” Chizanga said.
He accused one Paul Ernest Muzenge of lying to the police and implicating him in the case.
He said he did not know the circumstances under which Muzenge made the allegations, but he suspected that someone was trying to destroy his reputation, music brand and career.
“In recent times, Machingura and I were no longer as close as we had become between 2017 and 2020. I never knew that Machingura was now involved in crime. This probably explains why he had withdrawn himself from me. It is also unfair, malicious and insensitive for Muzenge or any other person to falsely allege that I supplied them with information that was used or to be used to commit armed robbery. That is false,” Chizanga said.
Chizanga further said he was ready to cooperate with the police and clear his name in court.
The Zimdancehall star said he was confident that the truth would set him free and that he would emerge stronger from the ordeal.
“Whoever is behind these false allegations is bent on destroying my reputation, music brand and career, but the truth shall set me free. I am very innocent. I will emerge stronger,” Chizanga added on his warned and cautioned statement.
*This story was first published by Kukurigo.
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