Zimfest UK and the Politics of Distraction: When a Nation Majors on the Minor

 

Zimfest UK and the Politics of Distraction: When a Nation Majors on the Minor

By Sipho N Banana

As Zimbabweans lit up social media this past weekend, you’d be forgiven for thinking something monumental had happened on the political front but perhaps a major corruption scandal exposed, a citizens’ victory in court, or a mass mobilization of the diaspora demanding change back home. But no. The firestorm was over outfits, artists, social snubs, and champagne tables at Zimfest UK 2025.

Once again, we witnessed what has become a troubling national pattern, the Zimbabwean tendency to major on minor issues.

It’s not that culture doesn’t matter. Music, fashion, celebration are vital expressions of identity and community. But when these take centre stage at the expense of deeper reflection on Zimbabwe’s ongoing collapse and when they become the only things we argue about it reveals something tragic. A people emotionally exhausted, politically repressed, and subconsciously distracting themselves from the pain of a broken nation.

Zimfest as a Mirror

Zimfest, in its ideal form, should be a space where the diaspora reconnects, networks, and shares not only joy but purpose. Instead, it has increasingly become a stage where classism, celebrity culture, and shallow rivalries take the spotlight and while real issues are ignored.

Few conversations trended about Zimbabwe’s:

91% youth unemployment,

Broken healthcare systems,

2023 rigged elections and a captured judiciary,

Civil servants earning starvation wages,

Ongoing abductions and silencing of dissent.

The irony? Many at Zimfest are directly impacted. They live abroad not just for opportunity, but because Zimbabwe pushed them out through bad governance, economic mismanagement, and state brutality. Yet faced with this reality, some in the diaspora have chosen to escape into performance, clout, and consumerism and safely far from the tear gas, but also far from the truth.

Why We Major on Minor Things

This isn’t unique to Zimfest. It’s a reflection of the broader Zimbabwean condition.

Survival mode has consumed our people for so long that long-term thinking and civic awareness have eroded.

The education system, hijacked by propaganda and patronage, has discouraged critical thinking and produced a generation more fluent in slogans than strategy.

Fear of repression at home and in the diaspora means people avoid hard conversations.

And now, with social media amplifying outrage over substance, many opt for viral distraction over civic engagement.

This isn’t a moral failure of individuals. It is a systemic failure of a nation betrayed. We’ve been taught to laugh so we don’t cry. To fight each other over nothing, rather than fight power over everything.

A Challenge to the Diaspora

The Zimbabwean diaspora is one of the most educated, talented, and resourceful communities in the world. But our impact is blunted when we fall into the same cycle of majoring on the minor.

What if Zimfest became more than just a party?

What if, alongside the music and dance, it created spaces for dialogue?

What if it hosted panels on youth unemployment, corruption, women's rights, land reform, or media freedom?

What if it raised funds not just for event production but for civil society, legal aid, education, or independent journalism?

What if we dressed well and thought deeper?

Conclusion: From Vibes to Vision

Zimfest UK could be a model for a conscious diaspora. One that celebrates our culture while confronting our crisis. One that uses joy not to escape but to energize.

Zimbabwe needs more than DJs and designers. It needs dreamers and doers. And until we, as Zimbabweans, stop majoring on the minor, we risk becoming entertainers at our own funeral.

We can do better. We must.