By Patience Gondo
ZIMDANCEHALL artist Hulengende and socialite Malloti Rose have come under fire after Zvimba South MP Taurai Malinganiso raised concerns over their social media behaviour, accusing them of promoting drug use and normalising offensive language.
Malinganiso addressed Parliament on Tuesday March 17 , saying the couple’s actions are contributing to moral decay and undermining national efforts to safeguard young people from substance abuse.
He said Zimbabwe has national programs, awareness campaigns, and law enforcement measures aimed at reducing drug use, while some public figures are publicly undermining these efforts.
“We are seeing an alarming trend where influencers and artists with large followings are openly using and promoting drugs online,” Malinganiso said.
“Hulengende and Malloti Rose go live on platforms like TikTok and Facebook, showing themselves smoking and even buying marijuana. This behaviour sends the wrong message to our youth.”
The MP also condemned the use of offensive and vulgar language in their online content.
“Even more concerning is that they use vulgar Shona in front of a newborn child. Cultural norms are not peripheral; they are central to who we are,” he said.
Malinganiso said there is need for stricter regulation and monitoring of social media content.
“Influencers and content creators should be held accountable for everything they say and do online. Social media should be a tool for nation-building, not a weapon for social distraction,” he said.
The MP warned that unchecked online behaviour by public figures could reverse national progress.
“When these actions go unchallenged, they encourage lawlessness, indiscipline, and a culture of moral decay among the youth,” Malinganiso said.
He called for collaboration between government authorities, social media platforms and communities to curb harmful content and promote responsible digital citizenship.
“Our nation must be deliberate about the image we project and the values we instill in our people. Influence must be used to build the nation, not destroy it,” he said .
Hulengende and Malloti Rose, who have significant online followings, now face heightened scrutiny over their digital influence.
The controversy has sparked public debate, with some social media users warning that such behaviour risks normalising harmful practices among young Zimbabweans.
These two unfortunately do influence masses of youths and they post buying mutoriro etc it’s a grave issue at hand,” Farie Suegar commented on Facebook.