IF Noble Stylz' recent song Zviripasi Mukuru is anything to go by, then President Emerson Mnangagwa is detached from the reality of Zimbabwe's failed economy and his supposed trusted advisers are not telling him how things stand.
Zimbabwe is battling an economic meltdown made worse by a high unemployment rate.
Mnangagwa, who is seeking a second term in office in the upcoming August 23 general elections, attained power in 2017 after dislodging long time ruler Robert Mugabe through a military-assisted coup. He promised the nation renewal and better livelihoods.
Zviripasi Mukuru, aptly means 'What's on the ground," is a two-minute social and political commentary where Mnangagwa is referred to as 'Mukuru'.
Zviripasi Mukuru is a State of the Nation Address (S.O.N.A) made from an inverse point of the nation addressing the President.
In the lyrics the rapper outlines key points of economic and political meltdown.
Metaphorically he warns the President of imminent danger if the situation continues and wonders if his loyalists and advisers are being honest with him.
“Vabereki vakabuda BhoBho (Robert Mugabe) paDraft. Asi vakutora dhora reMwana relunch kuti vaende kuGraft. Hazvisi safe izvi Mukuru Variku kuudzayi here maShefu izvi Mukuru ,” he sings.
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He ends by distinctly narrating that this country's survival is now based on international money remittance (World remit and Mukuru) and leaching off political connections.
Last year, the rapper addressed the country’s crumbling economy and government maladministration and its effects on the youth’s mental health in Ndopika naGogo album.
The rapper starts off by addressing how rest in peace messages (death messages) have been trending on social media where many youths are active.
He digs into how inflation has “scavenged” the bond note and how pensions have been eroded and become irrelevant, hence putting pressure on the youths to take care of their retired parents yet they also don’t work in a country with a high unemployment rate.
Noble Stylz reveals how the stress that comes with the ever crumbling economy affects the youth’s mental health hence many resort to alcoholism and drug abuse in a bid to numb their pain but that won’t take anything away.
Some have resorted to taking their own lives, with the rate of male suicides higher than than that of their female counterparts mainly because there are few male support groups.
He mentions that he is back to making music again after a sabbatical while advocating for the release of activist Makomborero Haruzivishe with the #FreeMako hashtag.
Born Prince Butawo, the rapper has in the past released songs that took a dig at the government including the famous $15 billion video skit.
In 2018, prior to the general elections, the rapper dropped a song After maElections which featured Blacperl. The duo went on to launch a webseries of the same project last year just before last year's by-elections.
The web series, After MaElections, which can be best described as a Zimbabwean story from the view of a contradicting lense, a narrative from different perspectives meant to stop electoral violence and raise awareness of the political and social journey the youths have endured.
Political parties are in election campaign overdrive and reports of electoral violence were reported.
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