Yes! Sentiments by Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) youth leader Bowman Lusambo about President Michael Sata’s hero Dandy Krazy are well meant.
Lusambo says; “we believe Dandy Krazy is a bad role model to the youths and that award does not befit a man of his character. We hereby demand that President Sata grabs the award from Dandy. This again goes to show that there was not so much thought given to this matter before the decision to award him was arrived at.”
Before the Donchi Kubeba [Don't Tell Them] campaign hit, Dandy Krazy, otherwise Wesley Chibambo, was only one of those singers on the Zambian music scene.
The political fever that griped the Patriotic Front’s emergence to power propelled Dandy Krazy to some sort of popular status for aligning himself with President Sata.
And when the PF won the election, the first thing – without thinking as the case is with most decisions by Michael – he awarded Dandy Krazy with the Order of Freedom award.
Now this is a prestigious award. Not every jim and jack gets this award. But because some useless bunkum went to the computer and streamed a few lines, he got an important national status. There was no background check, nothing at all. Just decorating him with a state honour as if its at a farm in some village in Chitulika.
Barely a year after that honour, this self-confessed chamba [dagga] smoker is exposed for who he is – a drug trafficker and inhaler. He is due to be sentenced. There is already precedence. Maiko Zulu, another singer, was found guilty and convicted. Dandy Krazy is hopefully not getting any less.
It is for this reason that Michael should revoke the honour bestowed on this criminal. There is no criminal who deserves the Order of Freedom award in Zambia.
That award does not belong to Michael. He bestowed it on his Dandy Krazy on behalf of Zambians because he occupies that position not by virtue of inheritance but privilage of Zambians. This singer may have inspired the PF, as a political party, but is not a role model to anyone. Zambia can’t have a chamba smoking role model.
If the Order of Freedom award will be maintained on Dandy Krazy, it will be as bad as considering our very own Iris Kaingu for the same decoration. But the Order of Freedom is not a preserve for chamba smokers or porn stars. Do you want our children to aspire for chamba smoking or porn industry because that is the only sure opportunity to get the Order of Freedom award? The relationship between Dandy Krazy and the PF was purely commercial. Paying the singer royalties and giving him a house was enough appreciation, not landing him an important accolade to mess up in the manner he has done.
Michael might pretend he does not pay attention, but on this one he must listen. There are better people to give that award. Those people that work hard to liberate their families from the jaws of poverty. Look here Michael, it’s better to go to Soweto market, find a woman who has single handedly raised her 5 children taking them through to university by selling tomato and salaula [second clothes] than waste important national status on a riff-raff that inspires nothing but smoke.
Some of these music dwarfs are an insult to the tradition of Rastafarianism. He calls himself a Rastafarian, postures in dreadlocks but does not practice their religion, except that of illegally partaking in the herb. His music is nothing but trash generated from computer. He can’t even play a line with a live band on any given day.
As you prepare for the next Independence Celebrations Michael, find better and credible candidates to reward with national status because characters like Dandy Krazy continue to throw mud in your already tattered image.
The best Dandy Krazy has done for Michael is to affirm they are one of a kind. We respect that Michael and Dandy Krazy have something in common but the Order of Freedom belongs to sane and respectable recipients. Please, don’t devalue some of these prized possessions. Strip that Dandy Krazy of our honour. He has chosen to disrespect the honour, and so, he does not deserve it.
Ashamedly, Airtel acted on Dandy Krazy to become their ambassador or billboard man because of presidential approval but they must act as swiftly as other international brands have done when those they endorse come into conflict with public interest.
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