WATCH: Mnatuona nyani tu! Tanzanian musician Sifa Bujune arrested for ‘inciteful’ song
Authorities in Tanzania have reportedly arrested a gospel artist on accusations of promoting an inciteful song.
Sifa Bujune, 25, was nabbed on September 13, 2023, in Mbeya town.
The arrest came in connection with his Tanzania inaeleka wapi (where is Tanzania heading to) song.
Authorities say the song which was uploaded on social media was likely to cause arrest.
The composed song is said to have defied the theme and values of both the East African country and President Samia Suluhu’s government at large.
With a catchy phrase of ‘mnatuona nyani’ (you perceive us to be monkeys) the song’s lyrics question why Tanzanians are arrested when they demand answers from the government.
“Our cries are not being heard, the cost of living is skyrocketing, taxes are stifling us, life has become unbearable,” the artist sings while indicating the reason there is no intervention is because the leaders are viewing ordinary citizens as monkeys.
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Bujune who was by September 17, 2023, still in custody is reportedly under interrogation by the police officers who are aiming to piece together why the crooner composed such a song and under whose authority.
“They are also investigating whether he is a Tanzanian and if not which country he belongs to. Alternatively, if he is a Tanzanian, he will be arraigned in court for promoting violence,” said Mbeya’s Police Commander Benjamin Kuzaga.
Ms Bujune is not the only artist to get at a crossroads with the government over her entertainment career.
In 2018, Tanzania Communication Authority (TCA) banned popular musician Diamond Platnumz videos of his two songs titled “Waka Waka” and Halleluhya which featured other artists namely Rick Ross and Halleluyah and Morgan Heritage.
TCA, the body tasked to regulate the music Industry in Tanzania, said the songs ‘did not have the required moral threshold for public consumption’.
The body further listed a total of 15 songs that were to be blacklisted for airplay on any media station in Tanzania.
Other artists affected by the ban were Nay wa Mitego, Snura, Madee, Gigy Money, Barnaba classic, among others.
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