AFTER years of speculation and denial, music sensation Sandra Ndebele Sibindi has come out of her shell and publicly declared her affiliation to the ruling Zanu PF.
JONATHAN MBIRIYAMVEKA
The sultry and energetic dancer, more popularly known on stage simply as Sandy, is the latest musician after Joshua Sacco to embrace Zanu PF politics.
According to campaign posters doing the rounds on social media, the Bulawayo-based artiste has thrown her hat into the race to represent Zanu PF as a councillor for ward 20 Pelandaba-Tshablala in the upcoming primary elections set for this weekend.
If she wins, Sandy will proceed to represent Zanu PF in the general elections set for August this year.
On the poster, Sandy is decked out in her signature traditional outfit which she accessorised with a colourful beaded choker around her neck and matching earrings.
The poster has a portrait of President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the Zanu PF party symbol in the background.
By submitting her curriculum vitae to participate in the primary election, this means Sandy is interested in representing Zanu PF in the council elections despite her denying for years that she was a member of the ruling party.
There have been so many affiliate campaign entities which have sprouted up this year ahead of the general elections, most of them purporting to be this or that for ED (Mnangagwa).
In August 2021, Sandy was appointed a representative of Young Women in Economic Development (Young Women 4ED), essentially a Zanu PF affiliate group. At the time, Sandy claimed it was not about politics but so-called development.
Independent Norton legislator Temba Mliswa slammed Zanu PF’s manoeuvres to try and use celebrities in politics.
But even then, Sandy had long been part and parcel of Zanu PF-organised musical galas where she was a regular performer together with other praise singers, the likes of Tambaoga, Cde Chinx, Bryan Mteki and Andy Brown.
While Sandy has now openly come out, other artistes who portray messages critical of the Zanu PF government, the likes of Winky D and Baba Harare, face repression.
Only last month, police stormed and disrupted Winky D’s show held at Dam View in Chitungwiza before they declined to clear Baba Harare’s scheduled gig scheduled for the same town.
Sandy also pulled a shocker on 12 November 2022, when she launched her 10th album at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair Hall 3 in Bulawayo. The event was a culmination of her 20 years in the arts sector since 2002 when she released her first song, Mama.
In the audience was Finance minister Mthuli Ncube, deputy Youth minister Tino Machakaire, Women’s Affairs minister Sithembiso Nyoni and Zimbabwe Music Awards (Zima) chief executive officer Reason “Rizzla” Sibanda.
The high-powered government delegation pledged its support for the artiste by buying the album for a combined total of over US$30 000.
After launching the album, an auction was initiated and Minister Ncube bought the album for US$8 500, setting the tone for the night. He went on stage and was presented with the album by Sandra.
Thereafter, Deputy Minister Machakaire gave Sandy US$13 000, much to the delight of the crowd.
A local music promoter, Rice, pledged US$1 000 and the Young Women for Economic Development said they would buy the album for US$500 while the organisation’s chairperson, Tatenda Mavetera, pledged US$1 000. Minister Nyoni pledged four cows.
