The Midas Touch in the Shadows: Tich Mataz Faces Day of Reckoning for Fatal 2024 Road Accident
HARARE — The smooth, velvety voice that once defined an era of Southern African broadcasting echoed through the sterile halls of the Harare Magistrates’ Court yesterday, but not in the triumphant manner his millions of fans might have expected. Tichafa Augustine Matambanadzo, the legendary disc jockey and businessman universally known as Tich Mataz, stood before Magistrate Tapiwa Kuhudzai to answer for a tragedy that has shadowed him for nearly two years: the death of a pedestrian in a fatal road accident.
At 56, the man once dubbed “The Midas Touch” for his perceived ability to turn every media venture into gold, now finds himself at the centre of a culpable homicide storm. The charges date back to the evening of July 27, 2024, when a routine drive through the streets of Eastlea turned into a nightmare that claimed the life of 44-year-old Daniel Uchena.
According to the state’s case, presented by prosecutor Charlotte Gomani, Matambanadzo was behind the wheel of a Toyota Hilux, travelling west along Samora Machel Avenue with three passengers on board. As he approached a point near the Odzi Flats, he allegedly struck Uchena, who was attempting to cross the road heading south. The impact, involving the vehicle’s right fender, sent Uchena sprawling onto the tarmac. While the victim initially showed no visible external injuries, the internal damage was catastrophic. He was rushed to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals but was pronounced dead upon admission, with Dr Mushambi later certifying the cause of death.
The prosecution’s allegations paint a picture of significant negligence. The state claims that Matambanadzo failed to keep a proper lookout, failed to act reasonably when the accident became imminent, and was driving at an excessive speed. The damage to his vehicle—a shattered windscreen and a mangled front right bumper—serves as a silent witness to the force of the collision. The vehicle was subsequently impounded and taken to the Vehicle Examination Department (VED) in Eastlea for a forensic inspection.
Matambanadzo, who was summoned to court rather than arrested, was not asked to plead during his initial appearance. He has been remanded to May 19, 2026, for the commencement of his trial. For a man who has spent decades navigating the highs and lows of celebrity life, this latest legal entanglement represents a sobering chapter in a career that has been as controversial as it has been brilliant.
The Golden Years and the South African Dream
To understand the gravity of this moment, one must look back at the meteoric rise of the boy from Harare who became a regional icon. Matambanadzo’s journey began in 1988 when he joined Power FM (then known as Radio 3). His talent was undeniable, and it wasn’t long before he crossed the Limpopo to seek his fortune in South Africa.
In the 1990s, Tich Mataz was more than just a radio presenter; he was a phenomenon. He dominated the airwaves at Radio Bop and later Metro FM and 5FM. He was the face of SABC’s Woza Weekend, a show that brought South African football culture into millions of living rooms. During this period, Matambanadzo lived a life of opulence that few of his peers could imagine. He owned a sprawling mansion in the affluent hills of Northcliff and operated a high-end nightclub in Rosebank.
DJ Sbu, a prominent South African media mogul and a self-confessed disciple of Mataz, once reflected on this era with awe. “He was way ahead of his time,” Sbu remarked. “If he was never deported from South Africa, I have no doubt this man would be one of our South African billionaires. Almost 30 years ago, in his early twenties, Tich Mataz was a trendsetter. He dressed in smart designer suits, had a mansion on the hills of Northcliff, a banging nightclub in Rosebank, a radio show on 5FM, and a very popular TV show on SABC.”
Indeed, by the age of 25, Matambanadzo claimed to be a millionaire in US dollar terms. He was the quintessential “big spender,” a man who embodied the aspirational dreams of a post-apartheid generation. However, the foundations of this empire were built on shifting sands.
The Fall and the Deportation Drama
The first major crack in the Mataz facade appeared in March 1998. The South African Department of Home Affairs launched an investigation into his status after he applied for a passport to travel to Burkina Faso to represent the SABC at the Africa Cup of Nations. The findings were explosive: Matambanadzo had allegedly acquired a South African identity document through fraudulent means and lacked a valid work permit.
Manase Makwela, the then-spokesman for Home Affairs, revealed a pattern of deception. “We discovered that Mataz had apparently been issued with a work permit on March 31, 1994, which was valid only until March 31, 1995, to work at BOP Broadcasting. He had worked and resided in South Africa illegally since then,” Makwela stated at the time.
The drama intensified when it was revealed that Matambanadzo and his wife, Penelope, had actually been deported once before. Following the 1998 discovery, he was issued a temporary permit to wrap up his business affairs, with the strict condition that he must not work. True to his rebellious nature, he defied these orders, appearing on both Woza Weekend and Radio 5. When he later attempted to return to South Africa on a visitor’s visa, lying that he had never been deported, the authorities acted swiftly. He was deported for the second time on March 24, 1998, effectively ending his reign as the king of South African media.
A Rap Sheet of Deceit
Returning to Zimbabwe did not mean a return to stability. Instead, it marked the beginning of a “colourful” rap sheet that would see Matambanadzo in and out of courtrooms for decades. Shortly after his return, he was offered a senior position at the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), only to have the offer rescinded when he failed to produce the academic qualifications he claimed to have earned in South Africa.
In 2007, he was embroiled in a bizarre controversy involving the Kingdom of Eswatini (then Swaziland). Matambanadzo claimed to have secured a R5 million deal as a 2010 World Cup consultant for King Mswati III. The response from the Swazi government was scathing. Minister Lutfo Dlamini told the press, “I want to warn that Zimbabwean guy that we won’t tolerate such defamatory and derogatory comments about the King. We have no contract with that boy; perhaps he signed one in his dreams.”
The legal troubles continued to mount. In 2009, he was arrested on fraud charges related to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s BACOSSI programme, where he allegedly failed to deliver food hampers after receiving payment. Later, he faced accusations of defrauding Star FM of over $60,000 by diverting advertising revenue to his private companies, Hamtec and Onesay Investments.
Even his personal business ventures were not immune to scrutiny. He was convicted of smuggling designer suits and shoes from China, under-declaring the goods at Harare International Airport to evade import duty. He was fined $300 for the offence.
Perhaps the most surreal chapter of his life occurred when he reinvented himself as a “prophet.” A viral video showed Matambanadzo being prayed for by a very controversial Prophet Paul Sanyangore, during which he appeared to receive divine prophecies via his mobile phone. “I was amazed, actually shocked. There is a living God and you have to believe. God makes things happen and there was impartation,” Matambanadzo said of the experience. To many, it was yet another performance from a man who had spent his life masterfully manipulating his public image.
Recent Incidents and the Current Climate
The culpable homicide case against Matambanadzo comes at a time when the Zimbabwean public is increasingly sensitive to celebrity-involved road fatalities. Just last year, the country watched as Zimdancehall artist Kudakwashe Gift Hombarume, known as Chillmaster, faced similar charges for a fatal accident in April 2025. Hombarume was eventually convicted of killing 50-year-old Custon Charumbira, and his case was later reviewed by the High Court, sparking a national conversation about road safety and accountability for the elite.
For Matambanadzo, the timing of this trial is particularly poignant. Only weeks ago, on March 30, 2026, he seemed to have achieved the impossible: a professional return to the SABC. He had secured a hosting role on Channel Africa, presenting a programme titled African Diaries. It was supposed to be his “full circle” moment, a triumphant return to the broadcaster that had cast him out nearly 30 years prior.
Now, that comeback is threatened by the looming trial in Courtroom 14. If convicted of culpable homicide, the veteran broadcaster faces potential jail time, a far cry from the glitz and glamour of his “African Diaries” studio.
As he walked out of the Harare Magistrates’ Court yesterday, flanked by his legal team, Tich Mataz remained the enigmatic figure he has always been—shrewd, resilient, and seemingly unbothered by the storms that follow him. Whether his “Midas Touch” can help him navigate this latest and perhaps most serious legal challenge remains to be seen. For the family of Daniel Uchena, however, the focus is not on the celebrity of the driver, but on the justice they have sought since that fateful July evening in 2024.
The trial is set to begin on May 19. Until then, the man with the velvet voice remains in the shadows of a tragedy that no amount of smooth talking can erase.
