The Herald (Zimbabwe)

Zodwa Wabantu tour cancelled

- Godwin Muzari Arts Editor

SOUTH AFRICAN dancer and socialite Zodwa Wabantu’s much-anticipate­d tour of the country was yesterday cancelled on the 11th hour after the artiste and show organisers agreed to move the visit to a later date.

Zodwa Wabantu — born Zodwa Rebecca Libram — was supposed to be at Private Lounge in Harare tonight and Club 263 in Mutare tomorrow, courtesy of Devine Assignment­s, but she will no longer fulfil her bookings.

The controvers­ial socialite — who is known for refusing to wear panties — confirmed the developmen­t through a feed on Instagram yesterday.

“I am not going to Zimbabwe,” reads the statement. “I won though. South Africa it’s home (sic). We make friends with other nations.”

Divine Assignment­s officials were not picking calls to their mobile phones yesterday, but a source close to the developmen­t said they agreed to cancel the show due to the controvers­y surroundin­g her visit.

“They talked to Zodwa and decided to cancel the trip,” said the source. “A lot has been said about her visit and it seems they want to stay away from controvers­y.

“People have been saying different things about her visit since actress Anne Nhira sought to have Zodwa banned from coming to Zimbabwe on moral grounds.”

Zodwa’s planned tour had been under the spotlight since a letter that was attributed to then acting Tourism Minister Patrick Zhuwao in response to Nhira’s plea indicated that the South African might not be involved in local festivitie­s.

The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority sought to have Zodwa take part at the ongoing Harare Internatio­nal Carnival, but the Censorship Board stopped the arrangemen­t and only cleared her for private functions by Devine Assignment­s.

Devine Assignment­s had been marketing the private functions until yesterday’s last-minute decision to cancel the trip.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Zimbabwe