Pricilla Mukokobi

Namibian popular musician and arguably one of the most travelled artists in the country Elemotho has added his voice in condemning the ongoing wave of human rights abuses in Zimbabwe.
 Elemotho becomes the second high-profile musician in Namibia to publicly air their views on the purported human rights abuses in that country after Gazza took to micro blogging site Twitter to air his dissatisfaction with the situation in Zimbabwe under the popular hashtag #ZimbabweanLivesMatter. 

Elemotho also followed in the footsteps of other international celebrities, including South Africa’s AKA, Hollywood star Thandi Newton who also has Zimbabwean roots and popular actor-producer and musician Ice Cube. 
Unlike the flurry of other celebrities who went on Twitter to vent their anger, Elemotho expressed his emotion through a song in solidarity with those oppressed in Zimbabwe. 

Titled ‘Dark black’, the song resonates with the pain that some of the oppressed including journalists and activists who are being arrested for speaking out against corruption by the ruling elite in that country go through. 
Elemotho also brings the pain of black Americans like George Floyd who died at the hands of police brutality closer to home. He said this is also his way if speaking out in the #Blacklivesmatter movement which has become a worldwide symbol of resistance against racism and oppression of the black community in the USA. 

Elemotho said Dark black was composed with sadness, heartbreak and gives the world the pain of the oppressed and also called for the those being abused in Zimbabwe to be given a chance to experience their rights. Not only does the song touch on the Zimbabwe and USA situation but also speaks out against the past pockets of police brutality in Namibia as well. 
“These are changing times and with the rise of BLM we forget that the biggest black majority is in Namibia,” he said.

He added that “It is happening today in Zimbabwe and tomorrow it might happen in Namibia. People are in fear; hence, the song is about who we are and where we come from. Are we kings, queens or slaves? Let’s build our empire as blacks.” 
Popular for his Africentric touch Elemotho said music is his own way of expressing his emotions and calling for a just society. “Those were the thoughts behind my mind as I wrote Dark Child… a mix of anger and sadness but above all tired of more than 400 years of the same old ...and we allow ourselves to call ourselves lazy and ugly. Hence, there is a lot of work to be done to bring pride, wealth and dignity to the Dark Child. “I hope through music I can do my part in singing these Freedom Songs for my skin, my kind, my ancestors and my land,” he said.