Nando’s chicken ad enrages Mugabe militants
Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe has been angered by a satirical television advertisement by Nando’s chicken. Here Mugabe greets local chiefs at Zimplats mine, outside Harare, on October 13, 2011, where he launched a community ownership trust.
NAIROBI, Kenya — A television advertisement in which a lonely Robert Mugabe is seen sitting alone at a banquet table daydreaming about the good ol’ days with buddies Muammar Gaddafi, Saddam Hussein and others has upset one of his numerous blindly supportive and quick-to-anger youth groups.
Jimu Kunaka, head of militant group Chipangano, has called for a boycott of Nando’s quick-serve chicken restaurants in protest at the "Last Dictator Standing" advert produced by the South African franchise of the global restaurant chain.
The call to boycott is faulty on two counts. Firstly, Nando’s franchises are independent meaning the unfortunate owners of the Zimbabwe chain have no say over how the South African owners choose to advertise their wares. Kunaka needs to choose his enemies more carefully.
But secondly — and more fundamentally — it shows a total lack of humor.
In the end though it is Kunaka and his fellow Mugabe loyalists who will lose out: Nando’s peri-peri chicken is really tasty.
The article you just read is free because dedicated readers and listeners like you chose to support our nonprofit newsroom. Our team works tirelessly to ensure you hear the latest in international, human-centered reporting every weekday. But our work would not be possible without you. We need your help.
Make a gift today to help us reach our $25,000 goal and keep The World going strong. Every gift will get us one step closer.