Noah Pito in Karoi
The late barbed wire sounds maestro, Tendai Mupfurutsa, had grand ambitions for his rural home area although many people never understood those dreams.

Apart from bringing relief to his kinsmen by constructing the eight-kilometre Mupfurutsa road that saw several villages that were inaccessible being linked to Magunje Growth Point by the Karoi-Binga highway, the “Character” hitmaker also paid the fees for the electrification of the entire Mupfurutsa village under the rural electrification programme before his death.

He planned to construct a clinic next to a shopping centre close to the Mupfurutsa homestead. Prince Tendai at one time confided in this writer that he wanted to bring Harare to his home area of Chishumba in Magunje, by establishing a shopping mall, an entertainment centre and a church, all in an effort to ensure that his people became abreast with life’s ever-changing trends.

“Inasmuch as we would want to live in Borrowdale Brooke or somewhere along Folyjon Crescent, we need to develop and beautify our rural areas because they are our heritage that nobody can take away from us,” once said the urban grooves godfather.
Mupfurutsa also added that by developing his home area he was making it possible for him to enjoy life the same way as his counterparts after his retirement from active life in the city.

Although there now seems to be slim chances of realising his dreams, the villagers, particularly in the Mupfurutsa community, had their hopes partly raised by Mupfurutsa’s close friends who committed to completing the clinic project during the “barbed wire” musician’s burial last year.
Another illustration of his commitment to his people’s well-being is that a few months before his death Mupfurutsa had approached Karoi Town Council and submitted

his proposal to acquire land for a service station, a food court and an arts centre which he claimed would generate employment for his people, among other things.

According to Karoi Town Council secretary Maxwell Kaitano, Mupfurutsa was later invited for an interview after which he was offered and shown the piece of land to the west of Karoi Junior School, opposite Twin River Inn, where he was given the green light to start his projects after certain payments were made.
“His proposal qualified after council unanimously considered his noble initiative. Each time he visited us he would always stress his intention to develop his district of origin so that his people were abreast with other communities elsewhere.

“Unfortunately just after we had met and discussed on the modalities of payment, he was involved in an accident that later kept him shuttling to specialists overseas. The last time I met him, he appeared to be in pain and had a slur in his speech.
“That was the last time he visited us, he died before the deal was concluded.”
According to Mupfurutsa’s first wife, Ringisai, the late musician also assisted many charity organisations with a shining example being the setting up of Tungamirai

Group, a non-governmental organisation assisting the terminally ill and the vulnerable in areas that include Hurungwe, Kariba and Chegutu, among others.
Ringisai is a board member in Tungamirai Group.

By the time of his death, Mupfurutsa with his long-time friends who are successful farmers in Hurungwe — Frank Chikwari and Corys Gandawa — was on the verge of launching Hurungwe Development Association — a forum that was aimed at spearheading development in the district through the benevolence of the district’s sons and daughters resident in different parts of the world.

According to Chikwari and Gandawa, the launch of the association alongside its website had been scheduled for last April at a local hotel in Karoi.
“It’s unfortunate that the vital cog behind the brains is no more,” said Chikwari, who also added that the late musician’s mode of operation was to ensure he made sacrifices each time he embarked on a project for its fruition.

Mupfurutsa’s benevolence could have roots in his parentage and the way he was brought up.
Born in Hurungwe 56 years ago to The Salvation Army parents, his father Manyika, christened Roma, was a Salvation Army brigadier operating in Hurungwe during those days.

After Brigadier Mupfurutsa’s first wife passed away, he married a second wife who later became Prince Tendai’s mother.
With his first wife, Brigadier Mupfurutsa had four children, three girls and one boy —  Jonah.
The first born from the first marriage was a girl who later became mother to Hurungwe Central legislator Godfrey Beremauro while the boy Jonah is now the current Mupfurutsa village head.

From his second marriage Brigadier Nzou, as he was affectionately known, on account of his totem, had seven children with Prince Tendai being among the five boys.

The seven are Obidiah (now late), Amos, Prince Tendai, Noah, Peter Mark (former ZBC broadcaster now based in the UK) and two girls, Sarudzai and Miriam (both late).

Being the son of a Salvationist, Prince Tendai attended Salvation Army schools — Charles Clarke and Nyamutora primary schools — before he transferred to Howard Mission for completion of his primary and secondary education.
According to his young brother Noah, Prince Tendai got the chance of attending a boarding school at a tender age because of his sharp wits.
During the mid-1970s through the man who later became his best friend, Frank Chikwari —  then at the helm of Nematombo Council — Tendai secured a temporary teaching post at Karambazungu School in what is now Hurungwe West.

During those days, rural schools were administered by councils which were also operating under specific chiefdoms.
Some months later Prince Tendai swapped teaching for a post in the Dendera Council which he later worked for till Independence.
At one time he held the reins of the local authority.

Upon leaving Hurungwe during the early 1980s he went to Harare where he worked for an insurance company until he ventured into private business.
Mupfurutsa officially left behind four children although family members put the number at seven (four boys three girls).