Empowerment Fund Silencing Artists – Maiko Zulu

Musician and human rights activists Maiko Zulu is one of the latest to question the motives behind the disbursement of empowerment funds.  

Last month government launched a K30 million youth empowerment fund to help artists mitigate the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic under the Presidential Arts Development and Empowerment Scheme. 

According to Zulu the fund is putting many artists in the closet who are scared they will not be able to access the fund if they speak out on important issues. 

Zulu is quoted by The Mast as stating, “For me, it is not surprising that empowerment funds are suddenly coming out of the closet. I think the current government has been in power for some time and we have not seen any empowerment to artistes. So, you can already see that this is the direct reaction to the bush protest that we had.”  

“And it is also a way of silencing the voice of musicians, especially as we head to the 2021 general elections. If you noticed, since the announcement of the empowerment funds, a lot of artistes are in the closet. They fear to talk because they fear they may be denied empowerment funds. So, the strategy seems to be working on behalf of the government in power,” he continued. 

Zulu noted that some musicians were still speaking out on behalf of citizens, and youth in particular who have been neglected. 

Zulu claims to have received several offers in apparent attempts to buy his support or silence. 

“It’s quite challenging (maintaining the advocacy). I personally have offers right now of land from some people, just for me to lay back in terms of advocating in our human rights works. And these are offers that we know that they do not have goodwill and we have rejected these offers. My wife too has that offer, my daughter has that offer of 20 hectares of land and things like that,” said Zulu.  

“And I have told the people that have come to offer us this land that it is very difficult for a person like me to accept this offer at this time. And accepting that offer that is directing me to some extent to be mute in terms of national issues, I don’t think it’s fair. I have told them that I think there are more people and less privileged people who may need that land than I do. I have a piece of land that I have not developed up to now. So, I think it will be unfair for me to jump onto another piece of land instead of somebody who is more less privileged. As a citizen, I can apply for the land, land should not be used to silence people,” he continued. 

Other empowerment initiatives such as the Presidential Empowerment Fund Initiative (PEFI) have previously been attacked for their opacity, with some claiming they are used by the ruling party to try and buy the support of voters.