Mapfumo-Makore Feud Exposes Weak Music Rights Protection

A public dispute between chimurenga music legend Thomas Mapfumo and fellow musician Makore has put the spotlight on music rights in Zimbabwe. The tiff, played out in the media, underscores the lack of robust copyright enforcement and royalty collection mechanisms. Artists often struggle to earn fair compensation for their work, with piracy and exploitative contracts rampant. The core vulnerability is the absence of a functional legal framework to protect intellectual property, leaving musicians vulnerable to exploitation.