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By Ronnie Chisamba
Musana – Hundreds of Gurewamukuru members were among the people who thronged the local cemetery on Tuesday afternoon to bid farewell to one of the legends of the traditional dance, Laytan Losat. Believed to have been in his late 80s, Laytan succumbed to an undisclosed illness on Sunday.
In line with tradition, the pallbearers were all gure dancers, clad in full dance attire. Burial proceedings were accompanied by gure dances from Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique, much to the awe of the locals who are mostly Shona by origin.
Originally from Mozambique, Laytan is said to have been one of the longest surviving members of the gure community. He moved to Musana after his retirement from Shamva Gold Mine.
Paying tribute to the late legend, his son Coffee Kalonga (50) had this to say:” The crowd of mourners is a testimony of my father’s greatness. He taught us to preserve our culture.”
Affectionately known as President in gure circles, Laytan is survived by his wife, 12 children, and several grandchildren.
