I was mistreated in my father’s house, sharing meals with the dog – late music icon Mtukudzi’s daughter opens up

By Staff Reporter

THE late music legend Oliver Mtukudzi’s daughters, Sandra and Selmor, have opened up about how they were mistreated by their stepmother Daisy while growing up.

This comes after Selmor broke down on stage during her performance at the Oliver Mtukudzi International Festival of the Arts held at Pakare Paye Arts Centre in Norton over the weekend. She had initially been omitted before a public uproar.

Their stepmother, Daisy, responded, saying she was shocked by Selmor’s behaviour, portraying her as dramatic and disrespectful.

However, speaking in an emotional interview on the DJ Ollah 7 podcast, Sandra said she was mistreated and often had to share meals with the family dog.

“We used to be left out of everything. Kubvira tiri vana vadiki taingosiiwa, vanhu vaibuda vachienda kuma holiday naSamantha naSam isu tichinzi sarai makachengeta pamba, toda kudzoka pamba pakachena, tichisara (The rest of the family would go on vacation and we would be left behind, under strict instructions to clean the house),” she said.

“I remember this other day we were invited to a party, all of us as children, and we were so excited about it. Surprisingly, on the day of the event, only Sam and Samantha were allowed to go, and I was given some laundry to do while others were going to the party.

“Paibikirwa imbwa yedu Kwanai sadza, iwe ndopawaidya ipapo ndopaipakurwa rako ipapo vamwe vachidya rice (When meals were prepared, mine would be prepared in the same pot as the dog’s),” Sandra said.

In the lengthy conversation, she also revealed that she was left alone in Kwekwe while aged 16 when the rest of the family secretly relocated to Norton.

The two also said they used to talk to their father behind their stepmother’s back, as she did not allow it.