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Venon Zhuwaki

Arts Reporter
He dresses like him, dances like him, but unfortunately he cannot live like him.

Venon Zhuwaki (21), popularly known as Wacko Jacko among his peers, is a dancer who was inspired by the late music legend, Michael Jackson.

While some may find it awkward that he wears shiny clothes and gloves every day, Zhuwaki is not shy at all to walk around dressed like his favourite music icon.

“People always look at me like a crazy person but I know I am an artiste so I am not bothered by being different. I actually enjoy the attention people give me,” said Zhuwaki.

He says his love for MJ started at a very young age when he would watch his videos and listen to his music at home. “Growing up in Banket, I would listen and watch his videos then to copy his moves. There is just something about the way he danced that captivated me and at the age of five, I knew I wanted to be just like him,” he said.

Around this time in 2009, Zhuwaki was devastated to hear the sad news of Michael Jackson’s death. “I was so heartbroken even though I had never met him. That same year, I joined a dance group and whilst others were doing some modern dance moves, I focused on Michael Jackson style which made me unique,” said Zhuwaki.

He then came to Harare to pursue secondary education, unfortunately he did not get the support he wanted to do art. “My parents were always against it and they discouraged me to do art. At school, I was forced to study agriculture and I was very bitter about it,” he said.

At one point, one of Zhuwaki’s teacher who saw his talent tried to come to his rescue. “I would perform at school events and in class, I would draw and make sketches. The art teacher saw my potential and he told me to join his class. Knowing how my parents felt about art, I told him I could not. He then bought me dancing gear and bond paper to draw,” said Zhuwaki.

After finishing his O-Level, Zhuwaki went to study art at National Art Gallery for a year then went back to his home town, Banket. “I started losing my customers. They would call wanting portraits and paintings but I was not around. I then decided to come back to Harare to do my art professionally and I convinced my brother who stayed in Warren Park to live with me. He agreed at first, but when I got there, he had changed his mind,” said Zhuwaki.

This was the beginning of street life for Zhuwaki. “I knew I could not go back home if I wanted to continue with my art so I started living in the streets. Every morning, I would go to the Catholic Cathedral to pray. Life in the street was hard, my phone was stolen, I was beaten and I would go for days without food,” he said.

For three weeks, he stayed in the street till he bumped into his cousin who offered him a place to stay. “My cousin convinced his sister who lives in Hatcliffe to stay with me and she agreed. That is where I am staying currently and I am still thriving as an artiste,” he said.

When he is not choreographing for music videos, Zhuwaki will be in the city centre drawing portraits which he sells for $10 each.