Outspoken Zimbabwean journalist Hopewell Chin’ono has found a new way to speak out against corruption — through music.
Despite being arrested three times in just six months over his social media activity, Chin’ono remains undeterred in his activism.
His latest protest has taken the form of a viral reggae dancehall track titled Dem Loot (“They Loot”), which calls out rampant state corruption in Zimbabwe.
In the self-recorded video, Chin’ono appears seated in his study, singing in a blend of pidgin English and Shona, one of Zimbabwe’s official languages.
The lyrics are direct and hard-hitting: “Lord have mercy, mercy, mercy; hospitals no medication, dem loot; ghetto youths no jobs, dem loot; no water to drink in townships, dem loot.”
The song, recorded just three days after Chin’ono’s release from a maximum-security prison, has resonated widely online.
It quickly inspired the #DemLootChallenge on Twitter, with Zimbabweans and others around the world posting their own renditions.
Versions have emerged in different musical styles, including jazz, acapella, and performances using the mbira, a traditional Zimbabwean instrument.
Chin’ono explained that the track was a spontaneous creation. “I was in my study, just playing music, and then I started singing about this because it was on my mind,” he said, referencing the shortage of protective gear in Zimbabwe’s hospitals.
“I just compressed what I was thinking about during the day into a song and posted it on Twitter — and it went viral.”
He admitted that he never expected such a reaction, describing the post as “a Sunday joke.” But the message of Dem Loot — one he says he repeats daily on Twitter and Facebook — struck a chord with audiences frustrated by corruption and mismanagement.
Chin’ono’s confrontations with the authorities began last July, when he was arrested for tweeting about alleged plans by an opposition party to hold nationwide protests against President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government. In November, he was arrested again for allegedly pre-empting a judicial decision before it was officially handed down.
His most recent arrest came on January 8, when he shared a video that he claimed showed a police officer fatally assaulting a baby. After nearly three weeks in pre-trial detention, he was granted bail but placed under strict conditions, including a ban on using Twitter to post any material deemed likely to incite public unrest.
Chin’ono’s repeated arrests have drawn widespread attention to press freedom and human rights issues in Zimbabwe. International observers and rights groups have criticized the government’s treatment of journalists, describing it as an attempt to stifle dissent.
For Chin’ono, however, the experience has only fueled his determination to speak out — whether through journalism, social media, or now, music. Dem Loot has given him another platform to express the frustrations of ordinary Zimbabweans living under economic hardship, healthcare shortages, and unemployment.
As the song continues to spread, it has become more than just a protest tune — it’s a rallying cry. In transforming his message into music, Chin’ono has tapped into a form of activism that resonates across borders and languages, amplifying his cause while staying true to his unflinching commitment to call out corruption.
