By A Correspondent- Generally, artists are considered as role models, which means their actions and behaviour must be impeccable.

Artists, especially musicians, create a following through their conduct on and off the stage, and when the artists misbehave or are associated with vices such as drugs, usually their life turns into one miserable mess.

Because artists are usually the voice of the voiceless, many organisations have and continue to engage them for different initiatives that include, but are not limited to awareness campaigns.

Musicians, for example, end up being ambassadors of certain initiatives. Sungura ace, Alick Macheso, for instance, was appointed the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society ambassador in 2013 because of his ethical and exemplary behaviour as highlighted by his annual Chitungwiza General Hospital charity show that helps the sick.

The list of model artists is quite long and many have, thus, supported them because of their moral uprightness.

But sadly, many Zimbabwean musicians are yet to make the cut.

Sungura singer, Mark Ngwazi is one such artiste who really needs to grow up because at the moment, it would seem he has grown big-headed.

His comment after he failed to turn up for a show at PaGomba Cafe in Beitbridge on Heroes Day leaves a lot to be desired for an artist of his calibre.

We can only assume that probably he was not aware of the show, which speaks to the critical issue that artists need to rope in the services of managers or publicists.

Lone ranger musicians are a recipe for disaster. They are a serious danger to themselves and society.

When contacted for comment over why he didn’t turn up for the Beitbridge show, Ngwazi shot back at the journalist saying: “You can just write that I have nothing to say as regards that issue. I am about to perform here at the Defence Forces event and you want me to say something now because you want me to, you can go ahead and say I have nothing to say.”

If this guy had a manager, which is very doubtful, his deportment would most likely be different.

No doubt, Ngwazi has talent and great potential, but such behaviour of failing to turn up for shows and then be rude to the Press for merely asking for answers leaves a lot to be desired.

Ngwazi doesn’t even realise that he may have unwittingly banished himself from Beitbridge town, where people were injured after those who had paid to attend his botched show vented their anger by throwing missiles everywhere.

In April, Zimdancehall artiste Killer T did not show up for a gig in Botswana and the result was chaos that saw bouncers being stabbed in violent skirmishes.

According to media reports, he had been paid US$2 000 for the show.

We beseech all other creatives across the arts not to be short-sighted and headstrong like Ngwazi. They are, however, free to do so at their own peril, of course.

— NewsDay