Zimbabwean police on Saturday night stormed a show by popular musician Winky D, a popular dancehall artist who has over the past few years raffled feathers in the political establishment through his socially conscious lyrics.
According to reports on Sunday, police officers – some in plain clothes – surrounded the star before dragging him offstage just after 10pm (2000 GMT) during a show to promote his latest album in Chitungwiza, a dormitory town about 40km southeast of the capital Harare.
The 40-year-old singer enjoys cult status among fans for his conscious lyrics reflecting on Zimbabweans’ daily struggles.
Saturday’s skirmishes started when the star – real name Wallace Chirumiko – started singing his latest song iBotso in which he castigates high-level corruption that is fuelling poverty and vice among unemployed young people.
In the song he accuses political leaders of abusing their power to grab all the country’s resources while the majority of the people are wallowing in abject poverty.
A youth group aligned to the governing ZANU PF recently called for a ban on the artist’s music on local radio stations, accusing him of trying to cause alarm and despondency among Zimbabweans.
JN/APA