Hip-hop artist takes a swipe at Mugabe

Rarely do hip-hop artistes tackle political issues in their music, but the exceptional Sadza Boiz Botswana-based, Zimbabwean hip-hop crew has broken this rule by taking a swipe at President Mugabe.

In an industry were hip-hop artistes are known for singing about women, love or gangsterism, the Sadza Boiz have chosen to critique the salient issues of which artistes should be involved as the nation gears up for the referendum and elections.

In the song I am not a Star Robert they lambast the 88-year-old leader saying, "Don't mess with Zimbabwe" noting that Mugabe is taking Zimbabweans for granted by stealing elections and his grip on power.

Aggrey Chiuma the band manager told the Daily News that the group is making waves in Botswana and the single is meant to give a voice to the voiceless Zimbabweans.

"It is not political, but it is reality and the boys have chosen to speak as musicians by interrogating political issues through song," Chiuma said.

They also took a swipe at the Botswana police who are known for harassing Zimbabweans staying in Botswana when they say "I've got my papers, I've got everything that is important to me," according to the song.

Zimbabweans have for the past decade lived in fear of criticising the President who as a public figure should be subject to scrutiny; likewise the musicians have been gagged and sometimes used to propagate the Zanu PF ideologies.

Like the legendary Thomas Mapfumo of the Mamvemve fame who has been a critic of Mugabe, Sadza Boiz are bold enough to castigate acts of injustice in Zimbabwe were locally-based musicians dread to even sing due to fear of victimisation.

Comments