Online Reporter
THERE comes a time when a society must look itself in the mirror and ask: “What have we become?”
The assault on H-Metro correspondent Maria Chiguvari by bouncers working for the self-styled Hulungende Movement at the recent Doek & Slay event is a symptom of a much deeper malady that has infected our cultural landscape.
Let us call a spade a spade.
This couple — Maloti and Hulungende — represent everything that has gone wrong with our entertainment industry.
Here is a duo that has openly admitted to struggling with drug abuse, yet we have elevated them to the status of stars.
They thrive on profane language, their lyrics are a cesspool of vulgarity and their entire brand is built more on controversy than talent.
And what do we do?
We make them famous.
We give them platforms.
We turn them into role models for impressionable youth who now believe that the path to success lies in being as loud, as crude and as controversial as possible.
The absurdity is staggering.
These are individuals who, in any sane society, would be seeking rehabilitation for their admitted substance abuse problems.
Instead, they are commanding stages, building movements and accumulating some wealth.
The Hulungende Movement, as they like to call it, is nothing but a pandemic that needs to be stopped in its tracks.
They do not just attack journalists, but fans as well. They allegedly fail to honour promises made to promoters.
Their bouncers operate like a private militia, terrorising anyone who dares to point a camera in their direction.
And what do we do?
We give them more shows. We make them trending topics.
This is the tragedy of our time.
Social media culture has no moral guardrails.
It rewards the loudest, the most controversial and the most outrageous.
It does not care about substance, character or talent.
Instead, it cares about clicks, shares and views.
And the Hulungendes of this world have mastered this game perfectly.
But at what cost?
At the cost of our dignity and values.
The authorities must act.
This cannot be allowed to continue.
The Hulungende Movement is not a movement.
It is a disease.
And like any disease, it must be diagnosed, treated and ultimately eradicated before it spreads further and infects the very soul of our nation.
If we do not act now, if we continue to indulge these unsavoury characters, if we keep giving them platforms while their bouncers run roughshod over everyone in their path, then we are all complicit.
This couple needs to be put on the straight and narrow before something bad happens. Not to them — but to someone else.
The time for hand-wringing is over.
The time for action is now.
Put them on the straight and narrow, Zimbabwe, before we all pay the price for our silence.
Ndikoko!
