Ibotso MuDzimba Dzemabwe: Winky D and the Quest for Human Flourishing in Zimbabwe

This chapter locates Winky D’s two songs, namely, “Ibotso” and “Dzimba Dzemabwe” from his 2023 album, Eureka Eureka, in the discourse on Zimbabwe’s national myth of a heroic struggle that culminates in the prosperity of all citizens. It maintains that Winky D destabilises this narrative by deploying the concept of botso, deriving from indigenous spirituality. The chapter summarises the key ideas relating to botso, describing it as an indigenous institution designed to protect women/mothers and requiring an errant child to undergo a humiliating cleansing ritual if he or she would have gravely offended his or her mother. It argues that by deploying this concept to characterise the suffering of most Zimbabweans, Winky D seeks to lay bare the spiritual, socioeconomic and political crisis. The chapter also reflects on some of the factors that might have led to the overreaction to Winky D’s music by the authorities and their acolytes. It maintains that Zimdancehall is an integral part of Zimbabwean culture and is not a subculture.