Barbara Chikosi
| Barbara Chikosi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1955 Marange, Manicaland Province |
| Other names | Mama Red Rose |
| Known for | Being a music promoter |
| Children | 4 |
Barbara Chikosi is a Zimbabwean businessperson and music promoter. She is the founder and managing director of Red Rose. Chikosi is also the current chairperson of the Zimbabwe Women's Football Super League. In April 2022, Chikosi was retained into the ZIFA executive committee at an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM).
Background
Barbara Chikosi was born in 1955 in Marange, Manicaland, but grew up in Highfield in Harare. She was married until 2005 when she and her husband went their separate ways. She has four children, two daughters and two sons who as of May 2016 were outside Zimbabwe.[1]
Education
Barbara Chikosi said she went to school with Oliver Mtukudzi. She attended Mutasa and Chengu primary schools before doing her secondary education at Highfield Mhuriimwe Community School. She completed her O and A-Level studies in Zambia where she went to Kitwe High, Mindolo Girls High and Chipembe Girls High in Lusaka.[1]
Career
Music Promotion
Chikosi went into music promotion after she had already established her Red Rose hair salon. She got assistance from promoter Patrice Chakanyuka and Oliver Mtukudzi’s former manager Debbie Metcalfe. Chakanyuka introduced her to musicians and saw her through her very first show featuring Alick Macheso and Diamond Musica in 2002. Chikosi said Metcalfe taught her the professional side of music promotion.
She was the first Zimbabwean promoter to bring South African duo Mafikizolo to Harare. In 2003, Chikosi also paired Oliver Mtukudzi and Alick Macheso at Old Hararians Sports Club. Barbara Chikosi also reunited Macheso and Nicholas Zakaria on stage for the first time since Macheso left Khiama Boys to start his solo career as the leader of Orchestra Mberikwazvo. She also did shows like the King of Dancehall as far back as 2007, the Ghetto versus Ghetto gigs, which gave the likes of Soul Jah Love, Kinnah and Seh Calaz platforms to be visible.
She brought Jamaican musicians Turbulance, Capleton and Chris Martin to Zimbabwe.[1] She also brought Paradzai Mesi and Njerama Boys to Harare from Muzarabani.[2]
Football
When her Red Rose Salon business was still based in Mufakose she sponsored Mufakose Queens for some time until her business moved to the CBD. Chikosi joined the Zimbabwe Football Trust.
She then became chairperson of Cyclone Stars and got into the Women Soccer League as a board member (finance). In July 2018, Barbara Chikosi was voted chairperson of the Zimbabwe Women Soccer League.[3] Chikosi got into the ZIfa executive committee in December 2018.[4]
Chikosi, together with Farai Jere was not suspended by the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) when the regulatory body suspended the ZIFA board on November 16 2021. On 1 February 2022, Chikosi was suspended by the ZIFA board president Felton Kamambo who was suspended in November 2021. Chikosi dismissed her suspension and challenged Kamambo to prove the legality of the action he had taken against her.[5]
Businesses
Her first shop was in Mufakose in the 1980s. [1] Barbara Chikosi owns Red Rose which includes the Red Rose Hair and Beauty Salons, Red Rose Entertainment, Red Rose Events Management and Red Rose Real Estate.[6]
Controversies
Covid-19 Funds
She was the chairperson of the Zimbabwe Women Soccer League (ZWSL) when the league's leadership were criticised for their distribution of the FIFA Covid-19 relief funds. ZWSL was granted US$500 000 from the US$1,5 million Covid-19 relief fund that ZIFA received from FIFA. The Sunday Mail reported that Super League clubs received $256 579.
The amount was supposed to be disbursed only to clubs under ZWSL, but according to the list, instead of the 14 clubs under the league, 19 clubs benefited. Questions were raised on how five clubs — COSA, Weerams, ZRP Harare, Auckland Queens and Cyclone ended up being paid when they were not part of the league.
Clubs in Division One were given $32 500 and that is where COSA, ZRP Harare, Auckland and Cyclone were playing in at the time the funds were distributed while Weerams, owned by Chikosi's deputy Wilbert Rambanapasi were relegated to Division One after failing to finish the league in 2019.
Chikosi defended the payments, claiming the clubs were paid on the basis that they had been demoted from the Super League in 2019 and not as Division One sides. however, Weerams were not on the final log standings of the 2019 Super League. The four clubs which were promoted from Division One were also handed funds commensurate with being in the Super League, amid suggestions that this was to silence them.[7]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 lady of velvet, steel, The Sunday Mail, Published: May 8, 2016, Retrieved: May 5, 2022
- ↑ ROBERT MUKONDIWA, The sad case of Mama Red Rose, NewsDay, Published: April 22, 2022, Retrieved: May 5, 2022
- ↑ Godwin Muzari, Iron lady of showbiz conquers another world, The Herald, Published: July 25, 2018, Retrieved: May 5, 2022
- ↑ Felton Kamambo voted new ZIFA President, Soccer24, Published: December 16, 2018, Retrieved: May 5, 2022
- ↑ NEW: Chikosi scoffs at ZIFA board suspension, The Sunday Mail, Published: February 3, 2022, Retrieved: May 5, 2022
- ↑ Barbara Chikosi, LinkedIn, Published: No Date Given, Retrieved: May 5, 2022
- ↑ Veronica Gwaze, Women’s Soccer League in eye of a storm, The Sunday Mail, Published: October 25, 2020, Retrieved: May 5, 2022
