Musician Roki dumped by promoters in Malaysia

roki

Pauline Gundidza, wife to controversial urban grooves musician, Roki, gave birth to a bouncing baby girl on 6 January but she was not that elated

Last year in December, Roki (Rockford Josphat) went to Malaysia to hold a number of musical shows but things fell apart when the promoters who had invited him had a wrangle. The wrangle saw one of the promoters pulling out. The other one soon bailed out on the award-winning musician leaving him in the care of a few Good Zimbabwean Samaritans.

Roki of the Chidzoka fame has carved a bad-boy image and has a history of courting controversy wherever he goes. Last year he was reported to have assaulted his wife for allegedly drinking while pregnant. In 2008 Roki was in the media for wrong reasons when he was sentenced to do community service after he was found guilty of sitting on 125g of mbanje.

He was also once caught up in a raid at the Ximex Mall in Harare where he was suspected to have been dealing in foreign currency. In an interview with Sunday Leisure last Wednesday, Pauline of Mafriq, revealed that she could not help but fear for her controversial man who is reported to be in trouble with Malaysian immigration officials for overstaying his welcome.

“I am more than worried about him because he is stranded in a foreign country and worse he is on his own. I fear for his safety but there is nothing much that I can do . . . I am praying for him. Still I know my husband; he is going to overcome all the tribulations that are bedeviling him in Malaysia. I talk to him everyday but I don’t ask him much about his health because I don’t want to be too distressed. I don’t ask him whether he has eaten anything or not because even if I know I wouldn’t be able to serve him with food,” said Pauline.

Pauline, who has at times been reduced to a punching bag by her husband, rubbished media reports that Roki, who is no stranger to controversy, overstayed in Malaysia by design.

She said: “He is still in Malaysia not by choice but because things are beyond his control. First of all his promoters left him on his own and when he had raised enough money to fly home all the flights in Malaysia were fully booked for the festive season. That saw his visa expiring and as a result he is now in trouble with Malaysian immigration officials.

“But they (immigration officials) need to understand my husband did not overstay by design, it was by default. He has been going to the Zimbabwean Embassy to sort out his visa and I am confident that he will be home in a week or so.”

Pauline, who has had a stormy relationship with her controversial husband, who once divorced her and married Amanda Enude believes that their marriage has turned a corner for better.

“As much as I don’t really know what is going on over there I refuse to believe media reports that Roki has been living a wild life, cheating on me. He told me that there is no truth in the allegations and I believe him because I know he has changed. He deserves a second chance, so I won’t judge him on the basis of speculation, in fact, I have learnt not to judge and he does not judge me. Previously Roki wanted me to stop singing but now he understands that music is in my blood.

“I believe in him, he is a talented artiste and a good husband. People questioned the wisdom of our reunion in March last year, but they don’t know that our love conquers all. They say that he will never change and I say that in life there are no guarantees, you just have to throw caution to the wind, risk it all for your heart’s desire. In fact I leave it all to God,” said the lead singer of Mafriq.

The only female member of Mafriq who also has a four-year-old daughter named Sky with Roki let slip that they have christened their second born Minana, a Shona name that means miracle in English.

“I am thrilled to have Roki’s child, but I don’t want to talk much about it. All I can say is that our daughter’s birth has been a silver lining in this dark hour.”

Meanwhile, Pauline revealed all the three members of Mafriq are going to release solo singles by the end of January.

“We have been working on individual singles and they are likely to be out by the end of January. Before you say it, the solo efforts are not an indication that Mafriq are about to split. The funny thing about the upcoming singles is we feature on each other’s songs.’’