Malawi bans Zodwa Wabantu for performing without ‘pants’

Authorities in the southern African country announced that Zodwa Wabantu was banned from entering or performing in the country because her revealing dance moves were out of sync with the nation’s moral standards.

Malawi has thus followed in the footsteps of Zambia and Zimbabwe where the entertainer has previously been banned from performing.

Waabantu has according to the BBC Africa LIVE page, has made a career from explicit dancing styles which include wearing revealing clothes and often going on stage without any underwear.

She was set to perform in the Malawian city of Blantyre on 11 June, but the show has been cancelled with the decision from Malawi’s censorship board.

Tourism and Culture Minister Micheal Usi told a local newspaper that he backed the decision and that he had received petitions against Wabantu’s coming.

“Imagine if she came to perform and undressed on stage, what will all those women think of me,” Mr Usi said.

Malawi is a secular state with a liberal constitution that guarantees freedom of expression. It however, remains culturally conservative with most citizens leaning towards Christian teachings, the BBC report noted further.