Winky D, a 40‑year‑old Zimdancehall artist, is hugely popular in Zimbabwe and increasingly in the news for the messages in his songs, many of which address social injustice and corruption under a regime that stifles freedom of expression. Threats to ban his music and claims that his life is in danger have accompanied his rise. On 4 March 2023, during a concert in Chitungwiza, police removed Winky D from the stage after he performed his latest hit “Ibotso” from his twelfth album *Eureka Eureka*. Videos shared online capture him being manhandled as he walks off the stage. The lyrics he sang include the line “Ini ndiri muimbi chete handina pfumo handina bakatwa” (“I am just a singer, I do not have a spear or a sword”). Musicians in Zimbabwe must be cautious when expressing anti‑establishment views, yet in “Ibotso” the artist addresses the decay and economic inequality of a country where a political elite thrives by suppressing the working class.
Winky D became a multiple‑award‑winning star by creating popular music that resonates with youth and the poor, who have been most affected by the country’s economic meltdown. He has gained fans and sympathisers among opposition politicians, their supporters, and human‑rights activists. Known for avoiding social media and keeping his privacy, he lets his music speak for him. As argued in research on urban music culture in Zimbabwe, Winky D has become the voice of the voiceless, targeted by the regime because his songs align him with people’s struggles.
Born Wallace Chirumiko in 1983, he began his music career around 2004 and is one of the pioneers of Zimdancehall—a genre inspired by rhythm‑heavy Jamaican dancehall, an offshoot of reggae. Like the music’s roots in low‑income urban communities, Winky D hails from Kambuzuma in Harare, where he lived a “typical ghetto life” and calls himself “the poor people’s devotee”. His stage names—DiBigman, Gafa (from “Gaffer”, meaning boss) and Ninja President—reflect resistance and hope; his fans are called Gafas and Ninjas. His music resonates with urban and ghetto youth cultural activism.
Since independence, the Zimbabwean government—first under Robert Mugabe and now under Emmerson Mnangagwa—has a history of clamping down on artistic freedom. Winky D’s music became entangled in the rivalry between Mnangagwa’s ruling ZANU‑PF party and Nelson Chamisa’s opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) with the 2018 releases “Parliament” and “Kasong Kejecha”. The latter was linked to Chamisa’s street‑lingo phrase “kudira jecha” (to pour sand) surrounding the disputed 2018 election results. Reports from 2018 claim Winky D abandoned a show after being attacked by a Mnangagwa‑aligned group because of “Kasong Kejecha”, and his album *Njema* was allegedly banned from state radio—a claim the government denied.
The 2023 release of *Eureka Eureka* further politicised his work, especially the songs “Ibotso” and “Dzimba Dzemabwe”, which mourn the country’s social and economic decline, state violence, and elite exploitation of the poor and youth. The CCC hailed the tracks as representing Zimbabwean reality, while ZANU‑PF condemned them for misrepresenting the nation and alleged US funding. A ZANU‑PF‑affiliated group called for banning his music for promoting division and hate speech. In response, Holy Ten, the young hip‑hop artist featured on “Ibotso”, expressed regret for the track and attacked Winky D, calling him a snake for not clarifying the album’s political nature.
Political commentary has long been characteristic of Winky D’s music, predating “Parliament” and “Kasong Kejecha”. His 2009 song “Reverse Dhiri” (Reverse Deal) addressed the collapsing economy, and he frequently alludes to political figures through puns and metaphors, often with sarcasm or ambiguity, delivering subtle critique. While he insists his songs are merely social commentary—a strategy to avoid persecution—the line between social and political commentary is thin, as the poor’s conditions are a product of politics.
Winky D’s persecution highlights the absurdity of state leaders celebrating liberation‑struggle songs while silencing contemporary critics like Thomas Mapfumo, who now lives in exile after similar repression. Zimbabwean artists play a central role not only in entertainment but also in articulating daily struggles, survival strategies, and aspirations. Winky D follows a long line of musicians—including Mapfumo, Leonard Zhakata, Hosiah Chipanga, visual artist Owen Maseko, and writer Tsitsi Dangarembga—who use their art to challenge the status quo. In a country where freedom of expression is curtailed and political dissent is feared, artists like Winky D provide an alternative space for political expression, speaking on behalf of ordinary Zimbabweans whose voices have been stifled. Their support for his music demonstrates a collective desire for free expression.
— Doreen Rumbidzai Tivenga, Lecturer, University of the Free State
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