Opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) president Nelson Chamisa has castigated actions by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) to disrupt popular Zimdancehall Winky D's show in Chitungwiza over the weekend.
Police officers are alleged to have stormed the stage surrounding Winky D before dragging him offstage moments after he had performed his controversial song, Ibotso which talks about corruption.
Posting on twitter, Chamisa called on the Government to deal with the message being expressed by the musician than to harass him.
"Stop stifling artistic freedom and creativity... @winkydonline Gaffa to the Gaffest is just a musical icon. Don't shoot the messenger, troubleshoot and deal with the message. Fix the citizens' daily problems and struggles. "Is this the land, we cried for, we died for, #Musadaro!" said Chamisa.
Meanwhile, Norton legislator Temba Mliswa blasted Government over the issue saying musicians like Winky D deserve to be celebrated as models.
"A government that is confident in its conduct and policies doesn't operate like this. This is shameful! You can't be so insecure as a Gvt to the point of fighting even musicians! Why fuel anger and frustration among people? This lacks both sophistication and thinking.
"@PoliceZimbabwe blocking a @winkydonline show in Chitungwiza is not just disturbing but shameful. Are the authorities now trying to derail his career by this cowardice? An artist whom we should be celebrating we are busy fighting! Minister @KirstyCoventry what is this?
"This kind of fascist fear for anything contrary to the state's position is very unhealthy, dangerous and unprogressive. It stunts growth everywhere since you want to create a docile population of gullible yes-men. In our troubled economy where youths are getting destroyed by drugs young people like Winky D should be celebrated and used as models of how ghetto youths can make it cleanly instead of sending ZRP officers to fight him. Do we even know what we want as a country?" said Mliswa.
Efforts to establish the mastermind of the disruptions were futile, Winky D has been labelled an opposition sympathiser for expressing the country's problems through music.
