President Emmerson Mnangagwa has sent a message of condolence message to the Mtukudzi family following the death of Dr Oliver ‘Tuku’ Mtukudzi today.
Mnangagwa said he learnt with “a deep sense of shock and great sadness of the death of our very own legendary musician and artist, Dr Mtukudzi, who died at the Avenues Clinic, Harare, this afternoon.”
“An international icon, the late Dr Mtukudzi has been our cultural ambassador throughout his illustrious musical career, raising our national flag high wherever he went to perform here at home, on the African continent and throughout the world. He was an expression of Zimbabwean identity, a man of humble character, very affable and engaging in his own unique way through Tuku music,” he said.
The President added that the whole nation is poorer without Tuku.
“On behalf of the government, the party Zanu PF, my family and indeed, on my own behalf, i wish to extend our sincere condolences to the Mtukudzi family, especially his wife, Daisy, and the children, during this their dark hour of grief.
May they derive comfort from the knowledge that the arts world in particular and our nation as a whole, share their deep pain and great loss,” he also said.
Tuku died at the age of 66.