Earlier in the day, news broke out that Holy10 had “apologized” for the ‘politicization’ of his trending song with Winky D
My response to it, was a quotation from Chinua Achebe:
“Whenever you see a toad jumping in broad daylight, then know that something is after its life”.
Since the release of the song, much of the anger was coming from the usual vakarashi social media cluster of the ZanuPF party.
Later in the day, a well known ZanuPF pressure group, #EEG, held a whole press conference castigating Winky D, & calling for the banning of his music.
Sadly, it’s coming to light, that indeed, “…something is after the frog’s life”, as Chinua warned.
It can’t be a conspiracy, that the young man was possibly threatened, & accused of picking a side.
Put differently, “they” are accusing him of pushing a pro-opposition agenda.
Embarrassingly, someone who is yet to listen to the song, will, judging from the ZanuPF anger, assume that Winky D actually sang a song praising Chamisa & America, also calling for an uprising to overthrow the Harare regime.
Unsurprisingly, none of that actually happened.
What Winky D has consistently spoken out against the many challenges citizens face, especially young people in the “ghetto”.
Such is the role of art in any society.
It only becomes “political” when that society is presided over, by people who are threatened by the truth. Students of history would know that the situation Holy10 (and Winky D) tragically finds himself (themselves) in, isn’t unique at all.
Many other artists fell victim to this paranoia, & they include the likes of Mapfumo, Tongai Moyo, Mtukudzi, Zhakata, & the list is endless. If anything is to be read from this tragic episode, it is that we are presided over by extremely paranoid women & men.
They fully recognize how much their maladministration has plunged the nation into a volcanic state.
Anything that seems like a catalyst, freaks them out. But most importantly, over the last few years, it has become apparent, how much “zimdancehall”, is key to the attainment of the “youths vote”, by ZanuPF.
They deliberately throng album launches, shows with international artists, with scarfs, as part of some pacifying capture. ZanuPF is desperately guarding against the use of local genres in conscientizing youths, & potentially exposing the source & root cause of our unending challenges.
Like an opium, ZanuPF prefers that local genres keep youths pacified & disinterested in politics & activism. At their presser, the #EEG ZanuPF pressure group demanded that Winky D, & other artists, sing praises to Mr Mnangagwa for his “development work”.
The logic to the madness is thus exposed.
Under ZanuPF, the role of “art” should be solely praising gov & the status qou. In its desperation for validation, the Harare regime has been creating these funny structures, to claim a wholesome endorsement of Mr Mnangagwa 2023 re-election agenda.
They wish to scarf-matize everyone.
They’ll attack & deligitimize anything threatening this agenda. I however commiserate with the Holy10.
With the devious nature of ZanuPF, noone knows the threats he’s faced with.
Sadly, he committed no crime.
He only co-produced a beautiful work or art, which his audience is free to interpret however they wish.
That’s their headache. Music, like any art, should be a calling of sorts
Winky D has survived threats; violence at his shows, because he chose to speak about the plight & at times joy of the same people who give him relevance by supporting his art
That’s where his loyalty lies.
Not party politics. Sadly, we live in a country where lawlessness, corruption, violence, drugs, immorality, crime, unemployment, unequal opportunities, are all synonyms for ZanuPF
Attack any of that & you’re pro-Opposition; a Western project; a threat to ‘our sovereignity’
Such is our tragedy. Hopefully, when this dust settles, the citizens will be reminded that we can’t carry on like this.
ZanuPF is willing to threaten, cancel & attack anyone to keep us all polarized,- so long they remain in power.
Leaders fix problems.
They don’t silence voices!
