John Mokwetsi
21 June 2008
KENYAN musician and pastor, Njoroge Wanjigi, has recorded an album dedicated to how much Zimbabweans are suffering under Zanu PF rule.
Wanjigi, a born-again Christian, said from South Africa he had come up with an album called Prayer of Zimbabwe in Shona and Ndebele.
He said he grasped the languages from "friends from Zimbabwe".
Cry for Zimbabwe, the only song Standardplus listened to through an attached MP3 file, was inspired by the political violence and persecution Wanjigi saw during his own country's post-election scenes early this year.
He said the song was influenced by his interaction with Zimbabweans living in SA, listening to talk radio and watching TV footage of scenes of violence in Zimbabwe.
He said: "My anger was particularly acute when I saw South African President Thabo Mbeki proclaim to the world there was no crisis in Zimbabwe."
"As the world waited for the release of electoral results weeks later," he said, "I was Godly-inspired to give the voiceless men, women and children of Zimbabwe a voice. I felt their pain, anger, suffering and more importantly, their will was being grossly misrepresented by such reckless eloquence. To add insult to injury, Robert Mugabe's total dismissal of their desire for change did not make it any better."
Twenty percent of the total sales of the album have been ear-marked for humanitarian aid for the struggling people of Zimbabwe
"I hope this song pulls at the heartstrings of the people of the world and unites us to mobilize humanitarian aid for the people of Zimbabwe, as opposed to shiploads of arms sanctioned by a demented government, a government committed to self-preservation at the expense of the starving people of Zimbabwe."
The album is now available in South Africa but is yet to reach Zimbabwe.
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How can we purchase this masterpiece? Where is Njoroge? We need to see and hear more of his work. Has he launched the music? If so is he planning on touring the Nations?
Where are you brother? Keep the fire burnin. Zimbabwe is on fire but not for long.
Linkan.