Nick Mangwana, Zimbabwe’s Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, has described a viral reggae song, ‘DemLoot’, condemning corruption in the country as boring.
The hashtag #DemLoot is trending in Zimbabwe after an investigative journalist Hopewell Chin’ono posted a video of himself singing the reggae track about alleged rampant state corruption.
“Lord have mercy, mercy, mercy; hospitals no medication, dem loot; ghetto youths no jobs, dem loot; no water to drink in townships, dem loot,” the lyrics go.
However, Mangwana said the song does not reflect the prevailing situation in Zimbabwe.
Describing the song as “a very boring song”, the Zimbabwean government spokesman said: “[It] has gone viral, but the point is, how does it connect with the reality on the ground? Are people being arrested for corruption in Zimbabwe? Yes. Is there corruption in Zimbabwe? Yes. Is something being done about it? Yes.”
Chin’ono, who posted a video of himself singing the track and inspiring other #DemLoot versions, said he did it to engage the youth.
“When I came out of prison, I decided to find something to engage the youth because there seems to be an elite discussion about how corruption is destroying Zimbabwe,” Chin’ono, who has been held in custody three times in the last six months, told Channel 4.
Before being granted bail last week he had been remanded in prison for almost three weeks on charges relating to communicating a false story, after retweeting a video that alleged to show a policeman beating a baby to death – an account that has been denied.
Chin’ono’s recent troubles started last year when he helped expose an alleged Covid-19 procurement scandal.
He was also held in custody for a month last year after being charged with inciting violence for tweeting about a planned anti-government demonstration.
He says he was being targeted for criticising President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government.