The Sunday News
John Masuku
JAPHET MASUKU who died on 28 November this year, aged 85 at his rural homestead in Mkhalandoda, Nkayi District in Matebeleland North was a rare multi- talented type of “four-in-one” entertainer and educator.
Most prominently, he was a household broadcaster of his time, then a musician-cum- composer, a teacher and also a freedom fighter.
Thus, conveniently equipped with such skills Masuku crossed the country’s borders in 1977 to join the liberation struggle in Zambia where his non-militant on-air, dance floor and classroom talents became a great mobilisation asset to the former Vice-President Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo led Zapu’s Voice of Zimbabwe Short Wave radio station in Lusaka, Zambia where he teamed up with fellow broadcaster Joseph Masuku, veteran nationalist Jane Ngwenya, Chipo Mabuwa (sister to former Minister, Chiratidzo Mabuwa), Andrew Ngonye, Oliver Juru — all late and many others in mobilising people through the airwaves to join the guerilla war in order to free the country from colonial bongage.
“At that time I had moved to the Bulawayo City Council as a youth advisor when, defying my old age, I made a bold decision to go and free my country. So, I went to work in the morning as usual, greeted every one in a very jovial mood, not showing any indication that by sunset I would be approaching the mighty Zambezi River from the bush to cross into Zambia for the liberation war.
I was placed straight into the radio studios where the leaders said I naturally belonged armed with my voice as my gun,” said Masuku during an interview with this writer in 2015.
Well known as “Jazi Elindizayo” (Swinging overcoat), an on-air and stage name Masuku adopted the nickname from his late father Mankunku Masuku of Ntunteni, Essexvale (now Esigodini) who was easily identified with the oversized coat whenever transporting relocated fellow villagers in a scotch cart or sleigh during the oppressive colonial land apportionment period.
A bubbly broadcaster, dexterous dancer, astute composer and politically alert Japhet Masuku was recruited into broadcasting in the early 1960s during the then Federation of Rhodesias and Nyasaland by the late Justice John Manyarara who later trained as a lawyer and became a judge in Zimbabwe and Namibia and Edward Moyo who was appointed ZBC Director-General after retiring from Unesco.
He was then a teacher at Matshetshe Primary School, Mzingwane in Esigodini and Plumtree when Manyarara and Moyo visited him for school choir recordings.
He admired their work and immediately applied to join them.
Jazi Elindizayo worked at the Bulawayo Studios located along 10th Avenue long before moving to Montrose Studios. His workmates were Amon Nyamambi, Joseph Masuku, Benjamin Chipere, Cyrus Ntini, Ferdinand Sibanda, Christopher Sibanda, Lazarus Mpofu, Kingsley Banda (Sibanda) and Abbie Dube among many others.
Coming straight from teaching he was allocated the long running “Abancane Qha” (Children’s Corner) show to which Masuku also known as Zim Zim used to invite for script reading his favourite “brilliant young boys” Muchadeyi Masunda who later became a lawyer and Mayor of Harare, the capital city and late war veteran, one time long serving Zanu-PF youth leader and national hero Absalom Sikhosana who had been Zipra leader during the liberation war.
Japhet was popular for his programme “Suka Masuku sizwe ingoma” a hit after hit type of fast moving presentation.With Joseph Masuku they co-presented “Kuhlangene uMasuku lo Masuku” (Masukus clash) where they competitively played their favourite popular tunes of the time.
Masuku travelled the length and breadth of Bulawayo and Matabelaland provinces recording different programmes especially those to do with children’s activities,culture and music.
During his short stint at Harare, now Mbare Studios in Salisbury where he learnt Shona for the first time, Jazi Elindizayo worked with Oliver Chimenya, Pamenous Nyamurowa, Hwaru Nyathi, Ephraim Chamba, Selby Hlatshwayo, Wilson Chivaura, Jabulani Mangena, Jonathan Mutsinze, Mavis Moyo, Shiyeka Khumalo among many others.
Japhet and the trilingual Joseph, nicknamed uSibagobe inyoni encane, uZondumoya in Ndebele presentations and “Tambawaguta” in Shona programmes and “JM on Harare” in popular morning shows made the surname Masuku synonymously associated with broadcasting all the time.
I joined RBC African Service at Harare Studios in 1974 when both my predecessors had resigned but with their popularity still lingering in many people’s minds to the extent that Harry Nleya my late humorous workmate of the drama Sakhele Zinini fame nicknamed me Umalandela abafowabo aze ayebafica meaning “he who follows his brothers and finds them”.
Years later Harare Polytechnic trained journalist, Itai Masuku son of Joseph joined Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation( ZBC) at Pockets Hill, Harare as a television news reporter and currently there is Lisa Masuku who reports from Montrose Studios in Bulawayo. Other Masukus like my father were non-microphone broadcasting staffers.
Leaving broadcasting on his own accord after turning a deaf ear to all manner of persuasion from his friends and relatives Jazi Elindizayo formed a music band Izintombi ZikaMthwakazi Labafana Bomdlalo which released the hit song Thina Siyahlupheka (We are suffering) which in no time was banned by Rhodesian authorities.
The flipside was Ikhaya lethu silitshiyile (We left our home). Band members included acrobatic dancer Japhet Ncube better known as “Bhaqela,” guitarists Sibangani Nkomo, Jonathan Majola, crooner Bhangalala Mugabe and female singers like Mimi and Attaliah.
“I enjoyed South African smanje manje and mbaqanga music to the extent that when bands such as Mahotella Queens, Izintombi Zesimanje Manje and Jabavu Queens toured then Rhodesia I would attend most of their shows for free as a broadcaster until something disturbed me,” said Masuku about what inspired him to form his own band.
He overheard late popular vocalist Simon Nkabinde popularly known as Mahlathini who backed the Rupert Bopape managed Mahotella Queens remarking backstage saying,
“These Rhodesian guys are always following us everywhere we go. Don’t they have their own music to sing and dance to?”
That was enough for Zim Zim to form his own band, later joined by former Highlanders Football Club executive Malcolm King whose adopted surname was uNdebele.
“We toured the entire country and were equally welcomed everywhere even in places like Mashonaland and Manicaland where Ndebele the predominant language of our music was not spoken. People just enjoyed the beat and the dancing,” recalled Masuku.
It was after the band’s collapse in the mid-1970s that he joined the Bulawayo City Council’s social services department where he worked with young people at youth centres.
Returning home at Independence in 1980 and failing to secure a broadcasting job at ZBC, Japhet briefly went back to teaching before rejoining Bulawayo City Council until retirement.
“I taught briefly at Sibona in Gwanda in Matebeleland South before requesting to be transfered to Nkayi,my home district where I taught at Saziyabana,” recounted Masuku.
However, his counterpart Joseph was lucky to rejoin broadcasting at ZBC as a newsreader after some representations by former Zapu Secretary-General Joseph Msika to the then Information Minister Nathan Shamuyarira.
Born in eNtunteni, Essexvale now Esigodini on April 12 1936 Japhet Masuku was educated there and at Inyathi Bantu Boys Mission ( Inyathi Secondary School) under the London Missionary Society now known as the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA) before training as a school teacher at Dombodema Mission in Bulilima District.
Japhet’s father Mankunku and this writer (John Masuku)’s grandfather Wulumeni, sons of Phugeni Masuku of eMalungwane area, Esigodini were direct brothers, same father, same mother.
Uncle Japhet popularly known in our family circles as uSeka Ga (Galaza being one of his sons) was buried on December 4, 2021 at his rural homestead in eMkhalandoda, Nkayi where he had lived for decades after retiring from his post-liberation war stint with the Bulawayo City Council and kissing goodbye to city life.
He was a successful peasant farmer in the nearby Ziminya Dam project along Shangani River and also community leader very active in war veterans affairs of the district.
Masuku left behind two wives Mama Masalu Ngwenya and Mama Joice Ndlovu, several children and grandchildren.
John Masuku, a nephew of the late Japhet Masuku is also a veteran radio and television broadcaster/media trainer.
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