By SIMON MUNTEMBA
THE raids and searches of prominent Zambian music promoter, Bwalya Kalandanya and some musicians who supported the Patriotic Front (PF) in the August 12 elections is not only nonsensical but an embarrassment to the nation, PF member, Chanoda Ngwira has said.
Mr Ngwira said there was nothing wrong with political parties engaging music promoters to spice up their campaigns, “there was absolutely nothing wrong with its members singing campaign songs because art was a business.”
Music, he said, was a business and that artists provided a service like any other service provider, and must not be intimidated or maligned.
Mr Ngwira said musicians have a right to choose the political party they want to align themselves to, just like other citizens have such freedom of choice.
“Mr Kalandanya is a music promoter with no limit with regards to who to sing a song to because it is business. If the PF found it fit to engage Kalandanya Music brand on a business basis, there is really nothing wrong for the music brand to do business with them.
“Therefore, these raids and searches on musicians and their promoter is nonsense. This witch hunt is not helping us but embarrassing us as a nation. The government must stop it,” Mr Ngwira said.
He also said that the raids and searches targeting PF and its associates was a sheer waste of time as it did not yield results.
“The UPND government has a lot on their table more than these raids and searches. It seems they are on a fishing expedition targeting the PF and its associates. We have seen that most raids and searches have embarrassed the security wings, and continuing will just bring in a lot of embarrassment to the government,” he said.
He called on the Human Rights Commission to take interest on the raids and searches aimed at abrogating the rights to do business with political parties.
Last week, Mr Kalandanya, and some musicians who supported the PF in the August 12 elections, were raided by a joint team of investigative wings.
Mr Kalandanya of Kalandanya Music Promotions was vocal in the PF campaigns as his group of musicians comprising among others Dandy Crazy, Slap Dee, Macky 2 and Richy Bizzy threw their weight behind the PF which however failed to bounce back after the last August 12 tripartite elections.
And in an interview, investigative wings spokesperson Rae Haamonga said that the raid was a routine search that is being conducted by the investigative wings.
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