Harare — ON numerous occasions, promoters have taken Zimbabwean music lovers for a ride by promising performances by renowned foreign stars, gigs that have not materialised.

Foreign artistes have failed to turn up "at the last minute". But most recently, the foreign artiste has turned up, but without a work permit.

Now, at a time the credibility of music promoters has been rendered rickety, Harare music lovers are being promised a massive gig by rhumba giant Werrason, at the Harare International Conference Centre next week on Friday.

In February Werrason real name Noel Ngiama Makanda had been billed to grace the 21st February Movement celebrations at the HICC, but the gig was eventually cancelled.

In April/May there were colourful adverts promising a performance by faded Soukous artiste, Alan Kounkou, but he never made it to Zimbabwe and it ended up being a Tongai Moyo-Suluman Chimbetu affair. In May, Harare dancehall fans were convinced that Shaggy would rock them but it was another no-show and it later emerged that the Jamaican artiste had not been granted a work permit by the eve of the show.

Also, there was to be a string of performances by Nairobi-based rhumba artiste, General Defao who did make it to Harare but did not have a work permit and had to leave without playing or singing a note.

However, despite the string of no-shows, the sponsors (Chez Ntemba International) of the proposed Werrason show insist that they have done everything needed for the gig to go ahead as scheduled on July 31.

Werrason and his high-octane 24-member outfit, Wenge Musica, is expected to arrive in the country on Wednesday afternoon ahead of his one-off gig before departing for Zambia where he is expected to perform at Pamodzi Hotel on August 2.

"The National Arts Council of Zimbabwe have cleared us," said a spokesman for Chez Ntemba, "and have written to Immigration clearly stating this, while the work permits for Werreson and his group are all in order. "We are not going to do the General Defao fiasco of hide and seek with the authorities.

"Everything here is above board. If you know our background, you will know we have been bringing a number foreign musicians into the country, some of whom have performed at our club."

A letter dated July 6 and signed by C Makoni, the programmes officer of the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe and addressed to the Immigration Department reads: "Chez Ntemba is registered with the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe and will be hosting a Congolese musical outfit (Wenge Musica Maison Mere) fronted by Ngiama Makanda popularly known as Werrason.

"The National Arts Council of Zimbabwe supports the application for temporary work permits by Chez Ntemba for the group. The group is scheduled to perform on the 31st of July in Harare.

"The National Arts Council of Zimbabwe requests your office to assist by expediting the processing of the work permits for the artistes."