#ZambiaSayNoToKofi Wins As Zambia Cancels Kofi's Shows

By Paul Shalala

Yet again, the online community in Zambia has demonstrated that injustice should and will not be tolerated in Zambia.

Just a few weeks ago after Twitter erupted with the #LintonLies hashtag following Scottish actress Louise Linton’s lies about Zambia in her book, Zambians have again scored a first: They have blocked the self styled ‘Mopao Mokonzi’ from performing in the country.

Kofi Olomide, the Congolese rhumba maestro was scheduled to perform at the Agricultural and Commercial Show in Lusaka this coming week but he has now been barred following his violent conduct in Kenya on Friday.

A Tweet from Kenya

The four time Kora Awards winner was filmed kicking one of his female dancers at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi as Kenyan Police officers watched.

The video went viral and KOT (Kenyans On Twitter) petitioned their Inspector General of Police to arrest him using the hashtag #ArrestKofi.

The Congolese artist was later arrested after an interview with Citizen TV, one of the largest TV stations in the country.

After his arrest, KOT had another demand: #DeportKofiBackToCongo.

The following day he was deported and according to a video posted on a Facebook page called Diaspora Katangaise, the maestro was booed by dozens of his countrymen upon arrival in Kinshasa.

Zambia Daily Mail's Doreen Nawa

This Kenyan episode later inspired Zambians online to also start their #ZambiaSayNoToKofi campaign which was mainly led by well known Zambian media personalities like Doreen Nawa, Kunda Kunda and Nchimunya Ngandu.

The campaign was later joined by various women’s groups who called for the Agriculture and Commercial Show Society to cancel Kofi’s four performances which were scheduled for between 29th July and 1st August at the showgrounds in Lusaka.

Due to too much pressure, the Show Society has today released a one paragraph press statement bowing to public pressure to deny the Kora Award winner the chance to make money in Zambia.

"Following the recent unfortunate incidence in Kenya concerning Koffi Olomide, the Agricultural and Commercial Society of Zambia has decided to cancel his perfomances during this year's Show," stated Ben Shoko, the Show Society President.

Nchimunya Ngandu of Comet Radio

Kofi is not new to controversy in Zambia.

On New Year's Eve in 2013, he allegedly kicked photojournalist Jean Mandela during his performance at Lusaka's Taj Pamodzi Hotel.

Despite the case being reported to the Police, it did not go anywhere and the musician safely flew back to Congo.

A year later, he returned to the country to perform and the case was resuscitated but Kofi again performed freely.

Then Zambia Police spokesperson Charity Munganga-Chanda said the Kofi case had been closed and the musician was free to perform in the country.

Kunda Kunda of Joy FM

However, his departure from the country at the time remains a mystery as no one knows how he left the country.

To this day, Mandela still cries for justice in his case which was witnessed by journalists who were covering the event.

Small as it may look, the successful Twitter campaign to cancel Kofi’s shows in Zambia should send a strong signal to people who assault women that Zambia is not a place for Gender Based Violence (GBV). 

I hope that the Kofi Olomide advert for that product which is airing on Zambian TV will also be dropped because the musician is now a symbol of GBV.