TANZANIA RAPPER ELIBARIKI ALIA NEY WA MITEGO FREED FROM JAIL
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Tanzania controversial Rapper Ney Wa Mitego. Photo courtesy. |
Tanzania's government ordered the release of a
popular rapper on Monday, jailed over his song lyrics, insisting that
President John Magufuli loves his music but advising him to include
verses on tax fraud and drug use.
Emmanuel
Elibariki, better known as Ney wa Mitego, was arrested Sunday over a
song allegedly insulting the president, who is showing growing signs of
authoritarianism.
But on Monday police said Elibariki had been freed on government orders.
"Yes, he is free on bail," Dar es Salaam police chief Simon Sirro told the local Mwananchi newspaper.
"Thanks to all those who have stood up, to support me, to support rights," the rapper said after his release.
Elibariki is known for his political lyrics and his videos garner hundreds of thousands of YouTube views.
In
a song released last week, he raps in Swahili: "Who are you now? Don't
you want to listen to advice? Don't you want criticism?"
The
song is widely seen as being aimed at Magufuli who swept to power as a
no-nonsense, corruption-busting man of the people, but has since shown
little patience for dissent or criticism.
Newly-installed
information minister Harrison Mwakyembe said Magufuli had ordered the
rapper's release and was in fact a fan of the song.
"This
song, the president likes it very much and he asks that Nay wa Mitego
be released and continue his activities," Mwakyembe said.
"But there is a need to improve the song by adding those guilty of tax fraud and drug users," the minister advised.
Magufuli also ordered the lifting of a radio and television ban on the song, imposed ahead of the rapper's arrest on Sunday.
Since
his October 2015 election Magufuli has shut down newspapers, banned
opposition rallies, switched off live broadcasts of parliamentary
sessions and used a draconian "cybercrimes" law to jail critics.
Last
week he issued his latest warning to the media after disapproving of
the coverage of an incident involving one of his political allies.
"I want to tell media owners to be careful and watch it. If you think you have freedom... not to that extent," he said......................
This is the Government of Tanzania which acts the same way Kenya used to in the year 1992....Bado tuko far..............
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