By Brian Okoth
Tanzanian musician Diamond Platnumz, 35, and his singer girlfriend Zuchu, 30, have broken up after nearly three years of dating.
Tanzania's Zuchu, whose real name is Zuhura Soud, announced on her Instagram page, which has a following of more than 6.4 million followers, that she and Diamond "have positively decided to call it quits."
"This was a mutual decision from both parties," Zuchu said in her statement on Tuesday.
She, however, revealed that they have a joint project together in the coming days, and that their fans should "not be surprised when it is released."
'Healing and career'
Zuchu added that she was wishing her now-ex-boyfriend, Diamond, "the absolute best." The couple started dating in early 2022.
According to Zuchu, her main focus now is "healing and my career."
Diamond Platmumz, whose real name is Naseeb Abdul Juma, is yet to publicly comment on the said-break-up.
Zuchu was Diamond's protégé. He signed her to his record label Wasafi Classic Baby (WCB) in 2020, and thereafter held her hand to stardom.
Award-winning
Zuchu has won several awards including the African Muzik Magazine Awards (AFRIMMA) and the Tanzania Music Awards, and also received recognition for being among the fastest East African musicians to hit 100,000 subscribers on YouTube.
She achieved that feat in July 2020, amassing 100,000 subscribers in one week of opening her YouTube channel.
And 11 months into opening her YouTube page, she reached one million subscribers, stretching it to two million by June 2022, and over 3.5 million by November 2024.
The 30-year-old, who sings the Tanzanian Bongo Flava genre, has several hits songs, including "Sukari" — to mean Sugar in English language — which has over 106 million YouTube views.
Mother also an artiste
Zuchu's mother, Khadija Kopa, who is in her early sixties, is also a widely known musician.
Diamond Platnumz has flown the East African music flag high on the international arena.
He has won major awards such as the MTV Africa Music Awards, MTV Europe Music Awards, and the Channel O Music Video Awards.
He is among the most followed and streamed African musicians, with his music crossing borders to the Southern, Central, and West Africa regions.
Relationships
Given his superstar status, his relationships have often attracted fans' interest. Diamond has dated big-name celebrities from Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya.
The notable names include Tanzanian actress Wema Sepetu, Ugandan socialite Zari Hassan, Kenyan singer Tanasha Donna, and Tanzanian model Hamisa Mobetto.
Diamond — a father of four — has two children with Zari (a son and a daughter); a son with Tanasha, and a son with Mobetto. The children are aged between 5 and 9 years.
The artiste's success story is widely documented, having been born and raised in a humble family in Tanzania's Tandale area, a small town in the commercial city Dar es Salaam.
Celebrities faking break-ups
Diamond's mother Sanura Kassim, alias Bi Sandra, almost single-handedly raised Diamond through difficulty.
The artiste has strained relations with his biological father, Abdul Juma, who he accuses of neglecting him and his mother during the musician's childhood.
In East Africa — as is often the case with other parts of the world — celebrity news is a big topic of social discussion.
But again, some entertainers have often used their relationships as content for clout on social media, going to the extent of faking their break-ups to make it to the blog headlines.
Another case of clout?
Diamond Platnumz, himself, has often faced such allegations, though on very few occasions.
It now remains to be seen whether his reported break-up with Zuchu is actually true, or is another case of shoring up fans' interest ahead of the release of their mentioned entertainment project.
Diamond burst into the East African music scene in 2009, after releasing a major hit song titled "Kamwambie", to mean "Go and inform her."
In the song, he asks a mutual friend to reconcile him with his ex-girlfriend, who he dearly loved.
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