Tanzania’s president John Pombe Magufuli has ordered for the arrest of Emmanuel Elibariki, a popular rapper.
The order came after it emerged that Mr Elibariki has criticized Magufuli in a song.
“It is true I am under arrest. Right now I am being taken to the police station,” the artist Emmanuel Elibariki, known by his stage name Nay wa Mitego, wrote on his Instagram account.
Elibariki,popularly known as Nay Wa Mitego,was arrested at a hotel in Morogoro, some 190 kilometres (120 miles) from Dar Es Salaam and taken to a police cell.
His crime was to use words that malign the government.
The song lyrics, in parts:
Who are you now? Don’t you want to listen to advice? Don’t you want criticism?”
He is addressing someone he calls “a doctor specialising in lancing boils”.
This phrase “lancing boils” has been used repeatedly by Magufuli as he threatens to fire anyone who does not adhere to his policies or orders but who is increasing seen as authoritarian and unwilling to accept any dissent.
The artiste now becomes a statistic, he is among dozens of bloggers, musicians and other professionals who have been arrested by the no nonsense president.
