K.O Comments On General Mkhwanazi’s Crime Syndicate Claims. As the country reels from General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s bold revelation that a criminal syndicate is influencing government, one of South Africa’s most revered rappers, K.O, offered a deeply spiritual and thought-provoking take on the moment, through the lens of his new album Phara City.
In a recent interview, K.O was asked about how Phara City seems to mirror the very crisis Mkhwanazi described, though from a cultural, ground-level perspective. The interviewer pointed out that the album lands at a time when South Africans are being forced to confront corruption, exploitation, and the failure of leadership.
K.O’s response was powerful. “The thing is, music is an anointment,” he said. “A lot of times, as artists, we downplay our voices and our gifts. Because in essence, you are a conduit—a vessel or a portal through which certain things can be transmitted.”
Rather than position himself as a political commentator, K.O leaned into the idea that music often speaks truth unconsciously, almost spiritually. While Mkhwanazi articulates institutional rot in plain terms, Phara City captures the lived experience of those who suffer under it—an echo of truth that doesn’t need a press conference.
“And depriving your own greatness, and depriving the ears that receive your music of those things—why? Solely because you want to be one-dimensional and make people dance?” he questioned. “That’s a disservice to what our society is supposed to be.”
For K.O, the timing of Phara City is not just relevant, it’s divinely aligned. He believes artists must tap into the emotional and psychological reality of their communities, especially in times of turmoil.
“Currently, people are dealing with a lot… bills, kids, bonds they can’t pay. They need to be motivated. They need something therapeutic for their personal journeys.”
His words challenge the modern music industry’s obsession with trends, virality, and escapism. To him, reducing music to dance challenges and TikTok algorithms is ignoring the very reason why people turn to music in the first place.
“If we’re going to be tone-deaf, not reading the room, and not catering to different mental states and realities, we’re stifling the development of the community at large.”
As the nation processes Mkhwanazi’s disturbing claims, Phara City becomes more than an album; it becomes a spiritual intervention, speaking to the pain, confusion, and resilience of a people caught in the crossfire of corruption.
