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Soldiers rioting against Mugabe used to be unthinkable writes Basildon Peta
06 January 2009
By Showbiz Reporter
TOP South African DJ and music producer, Cleo Monyepeao, better known as DJ Cleo was barred entering Zimbabwe on Christmas Eve because he "uttered bad things" about President Robert Mugabe.
Immigration officials at the Harare International Airport argued that the Johannesburg based star was not allowed to enter the country and produced a letter from the National Arts Council stating he was ‘persona non grata’
DJ Cleo was due to perform at Club Monaco in Harare and ended up taking the next flight back to South Africa on the same day. The club was forced instead to bring Zimbabwean born DJ Oscar Mdlongwa, known as Oskido, who is based in South Africa.
In 2005 DJ Cleo was barred from entering Zimbabwe after he blasted Mugabe at a concert in Bulawayo. He was to follow up on that criticism with another verbal volley during a television appearance in which he slammed the government.
As part of a campaign to silence criticism the national arts council last year in January wrote to the chief immigration officer saying;
‘The National Arts Council of Zimbabwe would like to withdraw its recommendation made in earlier communication to allow DJ Cleo into the country. Information that reached us after recommending him has necessitated the need to ask the immigration department to withdraw the temporal permit it had already issued to the DJ.’
DJ Cleo shot to prominence as the award-winning producer for kwaito kingpin, Mzekezeke. He produced his triple-platinum selling albums, Sguqa Ngamadolo and Istorotoro. He has now set up his own production company called Will of Steel Productions who boast artists like Brickz of the Sweety My Baby fame.
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