Rick Ross concert: Is Zanu-PF using music as a weapon to capture the youth vote?

Op-ed by founding editor Nigel Pfunde

Harare- THE relationship between music and politics has existed for centuries, sometimes harmoniously, and other times not as much.

The ruling party Zanu PF seem to have used music as a tool to capture the youth vote ahead of the 2023 elections.

Historical records are full of examples of how governments have used music to win elections .

The song Kutonga Kwaro performed by Jah Prayzah easily come to mind, it was a premonition of the birth of the Second Republic.

World over songs that laud the achievements (or lack thereof ) of nations have been recorded and songwriters have used their craft when confronted with social and political unjustness, and give birth to songs that seek to shine a light on the perceived inequities of the day.

Jonathan Moyo formed Pax Afro fronted by Yulith Ndlovu who was said to be his very “close friend” and the songs championed the Zanu PF ideology and ‘brainwashed’ the electorate.

He went on to pen jingles like ‘Dai Kuri Kwedu Machembere’ and it worked.

He roped in young musicians like the Born Free and Tambaoga , who were used like condoms and faded into oblivion after they served their purpose!.

Fast forward 2022, Zanu PF has adopted the same strategy and this time targeting the youth vote given that in 2023, the majority of voters are youths popularly known as ‘ama 2000’.

Prophet Passion Java has held several music shows to lure the youths and his ‘clout chasing ‘ is deliberate.

He is not crazy.

I have known the man since 2011 and he is very sharp , he follows the ‘bag’.
So in this case he is a ‘mercenary’ championing Zanu PF ideals and capturing youths to make sure that President Mnangagwa remains at State House, which is almost obvious considering that his competition Nelson Chamisa has no structures and is employing Machiavellian politics.

According to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, 2.4 million of the over 5.5 million people (43.5%) registered to vote in the 2018 elections were aged between 18 and 34 but tables have turned and that same bracket makes the majority of the voters.

Zanu PF apologist Scott Sakupwanya brought in international hip hop star Rick Ross on Friday and the show was sold out.

He had to part with thousands of dollars which is obviously either part of the ruling party’s budget or he was ‘cleaning’ money .

Rick Ross had to be coerced to pose for Kodak moments with clenched fist- the Zanu PF symbol and he was surrounded by staunch ruling party supporters including the First Son Emmerson (Jnr).

Rick Ross is a darling of the youths and his gracing of our shores is strategic and the ruling party’s public relations and elections campaign machinery is playing the cards very well….joker iro, zvibaba izvi!

I watched some Idi Amin movie where he bragged that if he gets in the boxing ring with the late Julius Nyerere, he would defeat him with one hand tied behind his back!

I will juxtapose his statement to the 2023 election scenario, Mnangagwa will effortlessly trounce Chamisa – it’s like a house of cards.

However, the majority of the targeted youths are not registered.

They are busy drinking cough medicine and smoking skunk in all of Zimbabwe’s high density areas.

To make matters worse they have no identity cards a sticking point that the ruling party must address.

This is my story and I’m sticking to it!