Mutare-based self-proclaimed prophet and musician Hosiah Chipanga’s 13-year-old son Delight died yesterday at Dangamvura suburb after a short illness.
Chipanga, who confirmed the death of his son, said he was completely devastated, as it was something he had not expected. The boy had been fit and fine all along.
“On Saturday morning he was fine and I actually sent him to buy bread for breakfast and when he returned he was vomiting a lot.
“His sister confessed to have seen him vomit the previous night as well, but none of us expected anything serious until later in the day,” said a devastated Chipanga.
He said on that same day, he rushed his son to a local clinic where they gave him medication for malaria, although his temperature was not as high as in other common malaria cases.
Chipanga said he thoroughly questioned his son on what he had consumed the previous day at school and he told him he had drunk cold juice out of a satchet a friend had given him.
“On that same night the situation worsened and I rushed him to the provincial hospital where they put him on a drip and we only returned home at around 2am the next morning, but he looked very weak,” he said.
He however did not sleep, as his son started convulsing and at times got into what looked like fits attack.
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Things got worse when he attempted to run away as if in fear or being chased by something.
Chipanga said it was too much for him to bear. In a desperate attempt to have his son cured of the unknown ailment, he took him to a local prophet where his son wrestled the prophet until he sent them back home with an instruction to give him porridge.
“I could see that my son was weakening further as he was tired and giving him the porridge was fruitless. He could no longer open his mouth and his eyes were now closed until we lost him at 7am on Monday morning,” he said.
Chipanga said Delight, who was his last born out of three children and a Grade Seven pupil at Dangamvura Primary School, had shown great interest in music at a tender age and had featured on his videos. There was a great possibility that one day he would be a musician as well.
He said it was unfortunate to lose him in such a way and his mother had constantly complained about his occasional habit of eating at people’s houses without his parents’ knowledge and consent.
Nicholas Zakaria said he personally knew the young boy and agreed it was another talent that had been lost.
“I knew him because I used to pay a visit to Chipanga when he was still staying here in Chitungwiza and I agree with his father that we have lost yet another (young) talent,” said Zakaria. Mutare-based musician Blessing Shumba said he was puzzled by the death of Delight, who was a young promising artist in the making. He said he had seen him playing some of his father’s tracks and practising with the band. Biggie Tembo (Jr) said it was a sad loss because Delight was a potential successor to his father.
“Look at me, Peter Moyo and the likes of Lenny Mjintu, who took over their fathers’ bands. I feel Chipanga’s legacy would have been kept alive through him. May his soul rest in peace,” said Tembo (Jr).
As Chipanga and his family are still in great shock and pain, Delight will be buried tomorrow at Dangamvura Cemetery. Several artists paid their condolences to Chipanga.
