PHILANTHROPIST SAMAITA WINS AWARD
MUTARE based musician and transporter Brian Samaita says he was humbled by the Philanthropist of the Year Award he received last weekend.
The Murondatsimba Express leader, who has been doing charity work in prisons, schools and community, said he was honoured thanks to the Manicaland Provincial edition of the Environment, Responsible and Corporate Social Responsibility Awards.
In an interview with H-Metro, Samaita could not hide his elation and vowed to keep on empowering locals.
“I am humbled especially when people put their heads together and decide to honour you in the country with over 15 million people and I thank God for giving them those eyes that see far more than imagined.
“To be honest, when I do these charities I always want the left hand not to know what the right hand has done. It took the organisers a long time before they got my name. They went to schools where I sometimes pay fees for those who would have failed to pay in time, again through Diamond FM and they managed to pick some charity work we do to prisons,” he said.
Samaita said the ongoing Covid-19 lockdown has also affected his charity work but vowed not to throw in the towel.
“The Covid-19 lockdown has affected much to my musical business from which I take 10 percent of my earnings to charity to extent that I had to pay back some of unfulfilled shows that were lined up in Malawi.
“This has made it a bit difficult for me as all the little earnings I had had to go for legal fees which now worries me as the schools are about to be opened next month and those children will need fees as well.
“I however urge fellow musicians to do the same and God will reward them,” he said.
Musically, Samaita said his plans to release an album this month have been affected.
“I was supposed to release my 7th album this October but the death of my father made me to shelve it to a further date
“As for my musical group’s welfare, my musical group is based in Pretoria in South Africa where it is managed by Kartel Promotions.
“Despite being resident here in Mutare, I make sure that that I always fly to South Africa every Friday for both shows and Church services at ECG) which makes my time very compromised,” he added.
Samaita is one of the sungura artistes who was inspired by the late Tongai Moyo.
At one point, he stayed with Tongai Moyo’s son Obert Tongai Junior in Mutare and mentored him.
He said he was assisting Tongai Junior as a way to honour the late sungura icon who showed him the way.