Antony Chawagarira
HARARE – The battle for the soul, sound and future of Zimbabwe’s iconic Chimurenga music has taken a dramatic turn, with legendary musician Thomas “Mukanya” Mapfumo and his nephew Kurai Makore now seemingly on opposite sides of a bitter copyright dispute.
And as the Chimurenga family wait for the dust to settle, one million-dollar question is dominating the music industry:Can Mukanya still rule the stage without Makore by his side?
Chimurenga Music Company, owned by Mapfumo, has issued a cease-and-desist notice ordering Makore to immediately stop performing, recording, streaming or commercially exploiting Mapfumo’s music without the required copyright clearance.
The company has also poured cold water on claims that Makore is Mapfumo’s chosen heir, saying the veteran musician has never appointed anyone to inherit his musical legacy.
“This is a complete falsehood,” the company said in response to reports suggesting that Mapfumo had passed the musical torch to his nephew.
“Thomas Mapfumo has never designated any heir or successor to his musical legacy – by blood, by decree, or by any other means.”
The statement, dated August 8, has transformed what many fans had viewed as a generational musical handover into a potentially serious legal and family dispute.
Makore’s association with Mapfumo had generated growing speculation that he was being groomed to carry the Chimurenga sound into the future.
His appearances alongside his uncle, including opening performances at some shows, appeared to reinforce that perception.
But Mapfumo’s company says the narrative was never sanctioned by the veteran musician.
According to the statement, Makore had been encouraged by his uncle to establish his own musical identity.
The company, however, accused him of continuing to perform Mapfumo’s songs without authorisation.
“His persistence in performing his uncle’s copyrighted material without a licence is not a family dispute; it is a blatant and willful legal violation that can no longer be tolerated,” it said.
The company maintains that anyone wishing to commercially perform Mapfumo’s copyrighted works must first obtain the necessary clearance.
The dispute has inevitably raised eyebrows because of the family relationship between the two musicians.
But Chimurenga Music Company is adamant that the matter should not be dismissed as a family disagreement.
“This is not about personal disputes – it is about defending the rule of law, protecting intellectual property, and preserving the dignity of creative labour,” the company said.
It has warned promoters, event organisers, venues, media organisations and digital platforms against facilitating performances or distributing material involving Mapfumo’s catalogue without proper licensing.
Among those named in the warning are Chipaz Promotions, Primus Energy Corporation, Naison Marufu and Percival Percy Mukuchura of Tropical Sound & Music Distributors.
The company says legal proceedings against Makore, promoters and other parties are already underway.
Can Mukanya go it alone?
This is perhaps the most intriguing question arising from the dispute.For years, Makore’s presence around Mapfumo has given fans the impression of a bridge between the legendary musician’s generation and the next.
Some followers had begun seeing the younger musician as one of the faces likely to keep the Mapfumo sound alive.
But the latest statement has dramatically changed that narrative.
There is no suggestion that Mapfumo cannot perform without Makore, but the separation will inevitably be watched closely by fans and promoters.
Can the veteran Chimurenga star continue filling venues and commanding audiences without the younger musician who had increasingly become associated with his performances?
Or will Makore use the dispute as an opportunity to build a completely independent musical brand?
The answers could shape the next chapter of the Chimurenga story.
The dispute is also spilling into the digital space.
Chimurenga Music Company has demanded the removal of videos and livestreams allegedly showing Makore performing Mapfumo’s works from Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.
Media organisations that have referred to Makore as Mapfumo’s chosen heir have also been urged to retract such reports.The company has further appealed to the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe to strengthen copyright education among musicians, promoters, venue operators and event organisers.
It wants greater awareness of licensing requirements and intellectual property rights within the creative industry.
For now, the dispute remains one-sided in the public domain.Makore and the other parties named in the cease-and-desist notice had not publicly responded to the allegations by the time of publication.
The claims made by Mapfumo’s company have also yet to be tested before a court.
What started as what appeared to be a musical relationship between an iconic uncle and his nephew has now become a much bigger conversation about copyright, succession, family, artistic identity and the future of Zimbabwe’s Chimurenga music.
The big question remains:
Was Makore ever the heir to the Chimurenga throne – or did fans and promoters simply create a succession story that Mapfumo never endorsed?
The coming weeks could provide the answer.
