"You Do Not Own Us, Shimza"

The whole country has been a bit more sensitive regarding mental health and cyber bullying since Riky Rick’s sudden death, which is why DJ Shimza thought a recent post by Minister Mthethwa was rather insensitive. But tweeps think otherwise, and Shimza has been slammed and called a hypocrite for attacking the minister.

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The Minister recently shared a tweet announcing that the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture was officially launching the Human Rights Month. The date was marked with a visit to the Kgosi Mampuru Gallows Museum in Tshwane, Gauteng. The museum is a marked national heritage site.

But the images he chose to accompany his message may not have been the best choice, given the timing of his post. The photo showed multiple nooses, and DJ Shimza immediately came at the minister for being insensitive enough to post nooses on the day when Riky was being sent off, because he was reported to have committed suicide by hanging. Shimza told the minister to read the room.

The timing 💔 Read the fucking room!!!!! https://t.co/P9KhP4ybMH

— SHIMZA (@Shimza01) March 1, 2022

Mzansi did not share Shimza’s point of view, though, and they were rather enraged by what they saw as an attempt to silence the minister.

“Riky was a good man I respect him too..but the country cnt pause just because he hanged himself..” one wrote. The other complaints were all along the same line – that Shimza has no right to police what people share on social media just because Riky died.

A country’s entire heritage program to be halted because a rapper was being buried…are you people for real?

— Disha (@DishaSpear) March 2, 2022

He wouldn’t even care.

— Wilson Gezani Maluleke II ® (@gezani_wilson) March 2, 2022

Others came at Shimza for making the post about Riky when it clearly isn’t. As the minister mentioned, the museum is a site of national heritage, so Shimza should have realised that some things are bigger than Riky, no matter how much the country loved him. Some went as far as to tell Shimza to pop open a book once in a while and learn some history, then maybe he would stop reacting emotionally to things that do not deserve an explosive reaction.

He doesn’t know history that’s why he just assumed that was an art installation 😂😂🤣😂

— Nhlanhla.E.Mbambo (@Vezuchy) March 1, 2022

Does he even know what the gallows are?

— Baba_Ka_Snoh (@AzaniaNHLX) March 2, 2022

He has also been reminded of his own insensitivity. Last year, fans pleaded with him not to perform in Eswatini because the country had some human rights struggles, as the king was accused of murdering hundreds of people.

Even with the social media uproar, he went ahead to perform at the gig, and he was almost cancelled by social media. It is no wonder that fans think he has no right to be on a moral high horse now, when he, too, ignored important issues for his own benefit.