In the grand scheme of things, when what we are is hijacked, desperate populations hanging onto the empty promises of a largely misguided leadership - whether cultural, political, or spiritual - what is a glimpse of a vulva during a dance? We have real, actual problems.

I hail Zodwa Wabantu as a citizen and performer with a solid brand, doing her work to build a following by whatever means. But please, there are long lists of people who could be deported or jailed before we come for dancers for going commando

I use the pronoun "we" because while this was in Zambia, there is definitely a Continental wave that is using state power and machinery against (mainly women) who are visible and who perform, in the name of "national values". We have seen it in Egypt and Tanzania as well.

I won't even talk about women in media, women activists, who are not "womaning" appropriately, because that is an old story and we all know it.

We want to talk about abortion as against African values. But we block our ears to refuse social welfare structures for women and children, including access to contraception for family planning, or legal demands for paternal child support and parental labour.

We make up nonsense words like "gayism" to peddle the obvious lie that all Africans were heterosexual and colonial/Western gender conforming. Then we stand by as queer and trans people are marginalised, oppressed, harassed, violated and killed, and still want to shout "Ubuntu".

We are out here saying "African communities and societies are strong" with pride when we read about the deep loneliness in Western societies. But we ignore our own mental health issues - addiction, generational traumas, stigma around help for anxiety, depression etc.

Hey! "African cultures are strong." We sing and dance at traditional weddings as our families use our love and desire to build lives together to exploit one other for dowry. Then we wonder why so much wahala in our interfamily relations.

We have the descendants, accross the world, of folk who were STOLEN. STOLEN, FAM! From our shores. We still don't have radical government initiatives to reach out, to tell them this is still their home. Yet we are shouting Wakanda Forever". Hey! We better ask hard questions.

We are the only ones who can have real conversations around immigration, yet Western conversation takes up space due to superficial racist, classist hysteria. We've lived with immigrant populations for generations, and we know the nuances around race, class etc therein.

It is VERY problematic that we still consider domestic labour (mostly young, informal sector, transient female workers) largely affordable on this Continent, because our education systems and markets are failing to give people better opportunities. But let's shout "values".

We attack entertainers because it is easy to do so. We come for social media influencers and bloggers in the name of values but refuse to take down the cartels accross Africa who steal from public coffers why? Because shouting "values" is a distraction from our real problems.

Ehe. Let us count the number of underwears dancers on our already few stages wear, but ignore illegal logging turning formerly fertile agricultural food baskets into deserts ravaged by climate change, and the multicorps killing us to displacing us from mineral rich zones.

All of this is to say - the combined inherited and brand new systemic dysfunctions, immoralities and original sins of post-colonial Africa, spanning decades, are what "undermine national values". Leave Zodwa, her costume choices and her choreography ALONE. /Fin

PS.

@njokingumi lol I followed this "controversy"... Zodwa wabantu and most South Africans are very liberal compared to Zambians. I doubt Zodwa would be allowed to perform in a public concert in the States, and I've gone to many, many concerts. America is still a fairly conservative country.

@njokingumi @LaBabyScientist Are you encouranging a fellow woman to dance naked? African and Zambian culture do not allow people undressing in public. You should understand our culture before you blame the action taken against Zodwa

@njokingumi @denniskioko Just because there's ongoing theft doesn't mean all other rubbish should be permitted! She's not even a performer anyway.

@njokingumi Wow you almost spin the conversation away from an issue. Values are important and Zambia stands for theirs. A direction that Kenya too is embracing. Glad that Africa can see value in values.

@njokingumi @Rlobs It is easier to police national values on sex, and gender. Most African nations very religious and conservative. The actual things they should focus on, poverty, economic opportunity, corruption requires nuance, intelligent, and complicated solutions.