“As far back as 2001, Elizabeth Ohene insulted Jerry Rawlings as ‘Dzimakpla’” — Dzifa Gunu to NPP

Dzifa Gunu has urged the public to consider Ghana’s political history when discussing the growing use of insults in political discourse. He insists that the practice has been part of the country’s politics for many years and cannot be blamed solely on developments since 2020.

In a Facebook post, Gunu cited an alleged incident from 2001 involving journalist Elizabeth Ohene, who reportedly referred to former President Jerry John Rawlings as “Dzimakpla.” According to him, political insults have been common in Ghana for decades, and a review of the country’s political history would confirm this.

He turned his criticism towards the NPP, accusing the party of playing a role in promoting political insults while presenting itself as a victim. Gunu labelled its members “apostles of politics of insults” and urged the public to examine newspaper publications from the early 2000s, especially reports about attacks on Rawlings and Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings.

The comments have sparked differing opinions. Some Ghanaians share his view that political insults existed before the emergence of social media, while others believe that revisiting past controversies does little to address the present situation.

Gunu acknowledged that social media has made political attacks more visible and widespread but maintained that the problem predates these platforms. He believes political leaders and their supporters should abandon personal attacks and engage in respectful, issue-focused discussions to improve the quality of public debate.

Source: Dzifa Gunu, Official Facebook Post.

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