Comedian mocks Zimbabwe’s government, despite fear of reprisal
MACDONALD DZIRUTWE VICTOR Mpofu is using satire to shine a light on Zimbabwe's political problems, reaching a growing audience despite living in fear of retribution from President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government. Mpofu, aka Doc Vikela, has seen his followers on YouTube channel Simuka Comedy grow from less than 1,000 subscribers in January when he ventured into political satire to 23,000 now. The 34-year-old father of two is among a generation of online stand-up comedians critical of government excesses. Critics have accused Mnangagwa of reverting to the authoritarian tendencies of the Robert Mugabe era amid a worsening economic crisis. In his skits,…