Staff Writer
He’s not a man of many words — instead, he lets the gentle cry of a guitar string speak his truth.
But this time, Trust Samende, one of Zimbabwe’s most gifted guitarists, traded chords for words — to share a painful story not of music, but of loss, corruption, and a dream stolen.
Samende, known for his soulful riffs and global tours with his boyhood band, grew up in Victoria Falls, but built his career in studios and on stages around the world.
As a session musician, record producer, and performer, he has spent most of his 30 years making music — and like many Zimbabwean artists, learning to survive in an industry where fame doesn’t always mean fortune.
“All I wanted was a place to call home,” he wrote in a Facebook post that has since gone viral.
For five years, he saved every cent from shows, recordings, and even modest church gigs. All of it went into building his house in Manyame, Chitungwiza, a bustling township about 20km from Harare.
The land had been bought from a cooperative, and all the paperwork, he says, was approved and authenticated by Chitungwiza City Council.
But just as he neared the finish line — ready to move into his modest home — Samende’s dream crumbled.
A battle over the land erupted, dragging him into a five-year legal nightmare, as the Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) Church claimed ownership of the same piece of land.
What followed was a sobering journey into what Samende calls the “disgusting corruption” of municipal land dealings in Zimbabwe.
“I tried in good faith to engage with the church. My house only occupied a tiny fraction of what they claimed was their land,” he wrote.
“They refused to accept an alternative stand offered by the municipality. Instead, they chose to drag me through courtrooms, bleeding me of money, time, and hope.”
Despite no development ever taking place on the disputed land, the case slowly drained him — financially, emotionally, and spiritually. Eventually, he says, he gave up.
“As a musician relying on gigs, I simply couldn’t afford to keep fighting a well-funded institution. I gave up,” he said in the heartfelt post.
The story has struck a chord across Zimbabwe, where land corruption has left thousands of aspiring homeowners stranded, even after building their properties with officially approved documents.
Samende’s case is not isolated — but it has become a symbol of a broken system, where artists, workers, and dreamers are routinely failed by institutions meant to protect them.
In a country where musicians are often accused of failing to “prepare for the future,” Samende did the opposite — he invested, built, and believed.
Yet, his story is a stark reminder that sometimes preparation isn’t enough in the face of systemic injustice.
“It was meant to be my legacy. Now I’m back to zero,” he said.
For now, Trust Samende returns to what he knows best — his guitar, his music, and the stage. But the pain of the past five years will not fade easily.
His post continues to gather thousands of reactions, shares, and comments from fans and fellow creatives — many of whom know this kind of loss all too well.
And while the courts and the council may have moved on, Samende’s story lingers — not just as a personal loss, but as a haunting chord in Zimbabwe’s unresolved land crisis.
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