Voices against violence
In solidarity with Africa Day, some of Africa’s most loved artists and entertainers including Oliver Mtukudzi have come together to help stop the xenophobia and political violence against Zimbabweans at home and in South Africa.
Says Tuku: “As musicians, we combine our voices against the violence that is being unleashed against Zimbabweans across Zimbabwe and now spilling into townships in South Africa. Music brings harmony…it connects us to the human story of pain and pleasure, dreams and disappointment, love and hope.
“We cannot allow ourselves the disconnection and discrimination between what is happening now and for what we have built our lives in music on, namely bringing people together. I am here to lend my voice to peace.”
The artists and entertainers have combined under the banner Voices Against Violence. To replace the fear they are offering hope and the promise of what their countries and their communities can be when people look at their potential.
From the tuck-shop owner in Alexandra, to the father of three in Murewa, everybody just wants more out of life…to pay school fees to afford decent transportation, clean water, a chance for the children to reach their potential. Apartheid was fear of the black man. Zimbabwe is fear for the white man. Alexandra is fear of the Zimbabwean.
“When will we stop fearing our man-made fears? We as artists now take our voices to this call that goes beyond politics, beyond borders and into the hearts of people of all these communities.
“Start talking, start expressing, debating, dialoging, use your voices not your violence to communicate. Fear has no place in Africa anymore. There is no need for any liberation wars or community wars against ordinary people. The new war is to fight for human rights so that we all can rise up in dignity to serve one another and to prosper with our unique individual God given talents.”
Voices Against Violence are contemplating a concert in Johannesburg to take this message to the people. The Voices Against Violence tour kicks off on Sunday 22 June in Johannesburg in New Market Theatre or another venue to be advised.

Tuku response to the media
All my life I have written and performed in music to bring solidarity, hope and healing and hopefully a little of joy and entertainment too.
In the early years during the liberation war in Zimbabwe, I wrote about freedom and hope. As the years have gone on, I have sung about many sides of the human story. Laughter, pain, love, hate, Aids, healing, rejection, acceptance…so many subjects that we all face.
Today our country and the people of Africa are facing a new war against their very lives. It’s called hopelessness and it is fueled by fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of other people. Fear of losing. Fear of someone else being better. Fear of ourselves becoming worse. So we fight and see enemies when we should be seeing friends. There is violence to replace our voice. This should not be. We don’t have time, we must act now, lives are at stake.
Voices Against Violence is our way of saying on Africa Day, let’s behave like Africans and take responsibility. What does this mean to you? Fighting in the streets, fighting in the villages or sitting down to find a way forward for everyone to win. Africa has fought so hard for our freedom, now must we fight ourselves in the streets and in the villages and create new wars?
This is not about politics or even about Zimbabweans. It’s about our fears of losing. As artists we are here to say that there is so much more when we all put our hands, heads, hearts and voices together.
Millions of people listen to our music but how can you be our fans if some of you choose violence instead of using your voice to discuss and solve problems?
People buy albums. People buy cars and groceries and pay for clothes and phones. So I say, lets have more people and bigger markets. Let’s enjoy more trade and more openness. We have nothing to fear but fear itself.
Lastly to the politicians of all sides and all countries I say, we are not politicians, we are musicians, entertainers. We are not political. But we want peaceful solutions for all people. – tukumusic.com