Koffi Olomide in trouble for ‘praising’ Zimbabwean President.
Famous Congolese rumba artist Koffi Olomide is in the eye of the storm in Zimbabwe by singing the name of President Emmerson Mnangagwa in his new song.
Olomide, born Antoine Christophe Agbepa Mumba, teamed up with Zimbabwean Rockford musician ‘Roki’ Josphats and Tanzanian artist Rayvany to release a tip called Patati Patata this week.
We hear him sing: “Zimbabwe hoyee! ED Mnangagwa, number 1. ”
The tweet sparked outrage from Zimbabweans online, who accused President Mnangagwa of misusing government resources to justify himself before the 2023 elections.
Olomide arrived in Zimbabwe three weeks ago to prepare the song and has been welcomed by a successful preacher, Passion Java, who has been the subject of a re-election campaign. The song was recorded under the new Java music label.
Fadzayi Mahere, the main opposition spokesman for the Alliance Alliance, said the 78-year-old leader was “arresting artists for attempting to hide his government from fulfilling its election promises.
“Your plan is to capture artist , you should let them sing your praises and suddenly you’ll be famous?”
“It will not work. People can see from their own pockets that the country is moving in the wrong direction,” lawyer Mahere said.
“Propaganda will not change that. We need new leaders.
Hopewell Chinogo, a well-known investigative writer and a major critic of the government, claimed that the song was made using government resources.
Chinogo, who has been arrested several times for criticizing President Mnangagwa’s government, also opposed the decision to include Olomide in the campaign due to her history of violence against women.
“When you see yourself paying thousands of dollars looted from civilians to get a cry from a failed rhumba singer, a violent man who beats women on a regular basis, then you must know that you and those who support the idea are not ashamed. They are morally bankrupt. Tweeted.
“They want us to dismiss the fact that there is no clean tap water, no work, no good roads, no medicine in the hospital because they sing rumba.
Former minister of higher and higher education in exile, Jonathan Moyo, however, believes the accusations against the song are very strong.
“If anyone is offended by Kofi Olomide’s ridiculous words:” ED Mnangagwa number 1, that he sings only once in his collaboration Patati Patata and Roki and Tanzanian Rayvany, need a moral compass, “wrote Professor Moyo.
Singing is ridiculous, but not offensive. “
In the 2018 elections where he ran for the presidency for the first time, President Mnangagwa used music to try to push his story.
Before the 2023 election, he is trying to attract young voters who have traditionally backed his main rival, Nelson Chamisa, 43, of the MDC Alliance.
In previous votes, he narrowly beat Mr Chamisa during allegations of electoral fraud.
Voters, as well as the well-known Afrobarometer, say many Zimbabweans disagree with President Mnangagwa’s performance over the past three years as the economic crisis continues to worsen.
