Mugabe to Zodwa Wabantu: What do you want? Men to see you?
Mugabe said the dancer was not welcome to perform in Zimbabwe because her act did not conform to 'local morals'.
Zodwa Wabantu is the personality associated with the dance trend.
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has reportedly slated Zodwa Wabantu for wanting to go to his country and perform without underwear. Addressing media after officially opening Bindura Community Information Centre, Mugabe at the weekend said the dancer was not welcome to perform in Zimbabwe because her act did not conform to “local morals”.
“Who was that again? We don’t want an intransigent or stubborn nobody coming nakedly coming to cause problems. What will be your purpose for coming?
“So man can see you? No, I’m sorry. We disappointed many men who are complaining. I heard that they wanted her to come. Those are the thoughts we don’t want, let that happen only where she comes from, let it remain there,” Mugabe was quoted as saying by Zimbabwean website Bulawayo24.
Zodwa Wabantu’s performance at the Harare International Carnival on Saturday was cancelled.
The Herald in Zimbabwe reported that Censorship Board chairperson and former Cabinet minister Aeneas Chigwedere said Zodwa’s act had “immoral overtones”, and they needed to protect the youth and the community at large.
“I have reserved my comment on this matter, but I might as well make it now. There is no doubt that her appearance is a travesty to our culture. We are told that she will not be wearing a panty. It has some serious immoral overtones. We will not expose our youths to such behaviour,” Chigwedere said.
Zimbabwe Home Affairs Minister Ignatius Chombo said government supported the move by the board.
The decision left the 32-year-old furious because she was invited to Zimbabwe despite never having made a secret of how she performed in public.
“They should have left me alone. I’m really not happy. They are out of their minds,” she told The Daily Sun at the time, adding she felt “abused”.
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