by Gideon Madzikatidze in Ingwe Farm
Renowned Zimbabwean socialite, Tyra Chikocho (aka Madam Boss) has managed to keep fellow artists off-balance and in the dark by never revealing the purpose behind her actions when she allegedly duped poor actors and actresses from Ingwe Farm who have been making frantic efforts (with futility) to seek audience with her business notoriety, nearly a year after their theatrical skits; ‘Ka life kemu komboni and Komboni Life’ have been premiered.
Applying Robert Greene’s third Law from the 48 Laws of Power (Conceal your intentions), Madam Boss only managed to pay a pathetic us$10 for the viral skits before she became evasive, a sad development which left the group of artists living in Ingwe Farm compound further wailing in abject poverty whilst expressing their intentions to slap the socialite with a whooping US$20 000 lawsuit covering legal costs, compensation, royalties, penalty and interest in miscarriage of justice.
Speaking on behalf of the dejected group of artists from Ingwe Farm, Anemi Rachel Muchengu bemoaned how Madam Boss used her to lure a sizeable number of compound dwellers into participating during the video shooting, setting, theming and production of the skits in anticipation of payment for artistic services rendered.
“Madam Boss came at our farm compound and convinced us to join perform during the skits. She even begged for permission to do the skits and promised to pay for the services rendered just after the acting,” Muchengu said.
“I starved my baby the whole day during the video shoot and sacrificed a lot since I had been convinced that there would be well meaning payment thereafter,” Muchengu added.
“What caught me by surprise after the act was that she just gave me us$10 to cover for some few incidentials, while promising to pay more before the skits premiere. Unfortunately, it’s been a year of being evasive,” Muchengu added.
Meanwhile, Madam Boss has also been accused of underpaying only us$10 for a special rabbit (which was initially costing us$25).
“Madam Boss further paid another us$10 for a special rabbit breed and owes us us$15, a balance which she is yet to pay,” Muchengu said.
“Meanwhile, am being attacked every day and live a sour life because of pressure from fellow actors and actresses who are thinking that she paid handsomely. Unbeknown to them that I haven’t connived with Madam Boss to dupe them, am now an enemy to the whole compound,” Muchengu added.
“My life is in danger especially from the group from kwaPeter Compound. They are saying I am an accomplice to Madam Boss’ illicit acts and am now a victim of my innocence,” Muchengu added.
“I am kindly appealing to all Zimbabweans and authorities to help us in repremanding and apprehending Madam Boss to come and address all our concerns, failure of which we will proceed to pursue a legal means necessary,” Muchengu said.
“It’s been a year since she duped us and we will be left without an option, but to sue her. Madam Boss is a liar, she should do the honourable thing and pay everyone who contributed on the skits,” Muchengu said.
“She should pay at least us$1500 for our services and amongst the ten members of our team who contributed should be paid that amount each. We are prepared to legally force her to pay our dues in form of royalties, interests, legal fees, among other essentials,” Muchengu said.
When contacted for comment, a male voice (probably the husband or manager) professed ignorance just after ascertaining the controversial viral skits.
“Who are those artists or actors and actresses are you referring to? Which skits are they claiming were not paid for?,” the male voice is heard.
Meanwhile, the Communications and Marketing Manager for
National Arts Council Zimbabwe (NACZ), Mr. Aggabu Nyabinde has encouraged artists to have contractual agreements whenever they are engaged for any service to guard against such unfortunate circumstances.
“I can’t comment on Madam boss without knowing her side of the story,” Nyabinde said.
“As a regulatory body, we encourage people to do contracts when they engage in artistic work no matter how small a project looks. It protects both parties in the future,” Nyabinde added.
“Sometimes people agree to do work when there is no money in the hope that the project will pay later, which is most of the cases in our creative landscape because of limited resources. With the absence of a written agreement it will be difficult to established who is owed what,” Nyabinde remarks.
The two skits, ‘Ka life kemu komboni’ and ‘Komboni life’ by both Madam Boss and Muchengu has recorded over 83 0000 and 39 000 views respectively over a year ago, with Muchengu (aka Tete vaTambu) receiving only a pathetic us$10 for her role while others never received even a dime.
Muchengu narrated how she starved her newborn baby all day long without breastfeeding in their quest to provide a well refined project to the audience and how she was convinced to dispose their rabbit for a meagre us$10 while the balance owed was never paid.