Ubunthu

This great African philosophy which places people above all else is under threat of becoming obsolete.

Ubunthu

Most of the popular social media platforms are abound with stories of people being mugged,burned by our brothers in the Republic of South Africa, because they are perceived to be "foreign".The Covid-19 pandemic has brought into sharp focus the plight of the foreigners in the diaspora but of aparticular concern is the discourse coming out of South Africa.The amount of hate and intolerance is in sharp contrast to the ideals and the cooperation which existed beteween the founding fathers of the liberation struggles in the Sadc region as well as Africa in general.Iam sure the revered Nelson Mandela must be turning in his grave at the utter vetriol coming out of some misguided South Africans.

Zimbabweans,Nigertians and other foreigners living in South African are living in constant fear of reprisals and unjustified scapegoating.Although most of these "foreigners" have actually justified their positions in the firms which have hired them they are still accused of having stollen the jobs from deserving South Africans.Most of the people mourning and threatening unspecified actioins against these black brothers conviently forget that Africa is our home and the bounderies which exist now are as a result of the colonizers.Most of the bounderies actually force a lot of tribes,kith and kin apart,which renders them rediculous.

History books are full of tales of people who came from their countries of origin to settle and work in foreign lands and their adopted countries actual benefitted emensily from their contributions,so instead of complaining about people coming to take "their" jobs ,these blocks just need to wake up and compete for their place in the sun.PEACE

The Power Of Gratitude P4

The tail-end of 2019 will be remembered for the devastating pandemic that came out of Wuhan , China.

The Coronavirus

The predictions that most Third World countries would have people dead or dying in the streets and no one to help them.The fact that this has not come to pass and my country has escaped relatively unscathed is the reason for the gratitude and optimism.My country has been in the news for the wrong reasons of late;a runaway inflation that is fast approaching the 1000% and as a result a food basket that has become unreachable for most of the vulnerable members of society,a health sector that is in the intensive care unit ,very low moral and remuneration in the public sector ,food insecurity ,political instability.All the above make very depressing reading.But the country has largely been spared from the Covid-19 pandemic and for that we are most grateful.

By and large the biggest chunk of people who are testing positive to the virus thus far have been returnees from the diaspora with very few local infections and transmission. Maybe we are benefiting from the early lock-down

that was introduced by the government.Whatever the case might be, the situation bodes well for a country which does not have enough resources to buy essential drugs and keep staff interested in their jobs.

We keep hoping and praying that the good fortune that we have experienced continues and it spreads to other sectors of the economy.

Rukweza Growth Point's Scary Reputation

Nestled on the foot of the magestic Denzva mountain,Rukweza was also in the news last year for the marauding snakes which would roam the village in search of food scrapes from peoples rubbish dumps, has taken an even scarrier turn.

Rukweza Growth Point's Scary Reputation

Two murders in the space ot two months has most residents of Rukweza growth point as well as surrounding areas running scared.

For the the family of Alex ,the 25th of December will firever be a day associated with sadness and longing.Rumuor has it that on the fateful day,he had been celebrating the so called "birth of Jesus Christ" with his younger bother and some friends when some unruly individuals accosted him and stole four dollars from his pocket.We understand a fight broke out and when some good samaritans came to Alex's rescue the the thugs who had accosted him weere not happy.They waited for him when was making his way home,assaulted him with what people believe were screwdrivers 

and other blunt objects,killing him in the process.They dumped his body on the tarmac so that it would appear as if it was a hit and run accident.After his corpse was taken for a postmortem it was established that he was not the victim of a road accident.

After the mourning period ,his remains were buried in the village graveyard,what surprised all and sundry was the fact that a week later his cofin was exhumed and a further post-mortem examination was carried out.His remains were to be retaurned later and interred, But as I write, nobody has been 

arrested for his murder.

The other incident which has struck fear into the residents here is the fact that last Wednesday another youngman who was on his way to go and visit his ailing mother was also 

murdered and his remains placed on the tarmac ,similar to what had been done to the body

of Alex.

As a result of these incidents people in the area are very nervous and most imbibers of alcohol now make it a habit of leaving their watering holes early so as to ensure that they do not get waylayed as well.

Plucky Lady Starts High School At +50

It has been a week now since I met Mrs Jane Doe ,I haven't asked for her permission
to write about her so ,I will not mention her name.I have recently gone back to my old
profession- helping kids learn and master the English language.

A Plucky Lady Starts High School At +50

I was summoned by the lady in charge of the institution who informed me that was an old lady who wanted to speak with me.When I get into the office ,i saw this older lady ;dignified ,bespectacled and composed ,who informed that she wanted to English from the form one level and hopefully sit the ordinary level examination.The lady informed us that she had recently resigned from her job in the national army and now wanted to pursue the her passion and be able to communicate with her grand kids since they were at school going age and she would want to also help them with their homework.
I was really touched ,here was a lady who seemed to be comfortably well-off,she drives a pre-owned Harrier SUV which is in a very good condition.When we discuss further,i learnt that most ladies from her church always asked to be the secretary whenever they had discussions ,so this one of the other reason why she wanted to improve herself.Fortunately for her however, is the fact that she can express herself well in the language but what is lacking is the formal instruction.She confesses that she only studied until grade seven after which her guardians informed her there was no money to send her to high school.

Needless to say ,we quickly settled the tuition fees and Mrs Doe promised to come back for her first lesson on the following day.As I write we have spent a week learning and she has proven to be a very attentive student indeed.For anyone of you out there who have a passion to do something and have been putting it off because you believe you are too old ,GET UP AND DO SOMETHING!

Love Never Fails

By James E.Kudzala

A farmer went to the field day to cultivate.During the work,he glanced up at the mango tree and saw a big belleberry ripe mango which he picked.

Love Never Fails

He decided not to eat the mango but take it to his wife,whom he loved very much,even though he was starving.When he got home ,he called his wife and gave her the mango to show his affection.Very happy with the precious gift ,the woman though of her child who had gone to school.

She took the mango, thanked her husband sincerely and reassured him that she would eat it later.The woman hid the mango so that she would give the mango to her son as soon as he returned from school to show him her love.As soon as he returned ,the mother gave him the mango with joy in her heart. The child thanked his mother warmly for the precious gift and told her that he would eat to later.

He, too ,resolved to hide the mango and make a surprise gift to his father who paid his school fees ,believing that his Dad knew nothing of the mango.

In the evening while everyone was eating the evening meal,the child said to the his father,”one minute dad,I brought you a present because I love you so much”.He ran to his room and took the mango and gave it to his father.Surprised to see the same mango he had given to his beloved wife return to him,without any comment ,he asked for a knife and shared it equally among the family.All ate the mango with a lot of joy.That is how love works.

The secret of love –when you give love ,it comes back to you in another way,because love is the most extraordinary force that governs all the universe.Lets love genuinely.

These Are The Best Of Times

Charles Dickens in his book A TALE OF TWO CITIES WRITES ,”it was the best of times ,it was the worst of times..”In the Zimbabwean scenario this seems to be a very apt description.

First Tesla Ever To Be Imported Into Zimbabwe

It definitely seems like the best of times to the people who have access to external funds and possess the coveted US  dollar,they certainly are enjoying the deteriorating economic situation where thye surrogate Bond note has been in free fall against the Us dollar.By all accounts fortunes are being made on the parallel market where huge among are changing hands at the drop of a hat and the money changers are laughing all the way to their house safes. Since they crash of the bond note ,most of those with ready cash have been on spending sprees with reports that imports of vehicles have been on an all-time high. There are reports that one one even had the cash to buy and import a Tesla,which is probably the first of its kind in Zimbabwe.The shopselves have been stripped of all the basic essentials as peo[ple stock up fearful of a further crash of the bond note which will render it useless.In most of thye peoples minds this is a precursor of the crash of  2008,when Zimbabwe suffered from hyper inflection and most shops did not have anything to sell.

For most of the long suffering citizenry ,who suffer from unemployment which hovers in the 80% ,the times are the worst of a very bad situation.No sooner had the country gotten rid of the despot Mugabe and fresh hope wafted through the land than 7 of their fellowmen fell at the hands  of the security forces that were supposed to protect them.Now the crash of the bond note against the US dollar has triggered panic among the people as they watch in horror as cooking oil and sugar disappear overnight from supermarkets and the the bond note becomes almost useless since most of the businesses do not want to accept the note.Prices are pegged against the US dollar which is in very short supply and long winding queues of people waiting for a chance to buy bread or fuel become a permanent feature of the body politic in our beautiful land.For most motorists sleeping in the queue for a chance to buy some fuel is now the norm.The public transporters have also jumped on the band wagon and have hiked the fares.Noone  can really blame them as the prices of fuel have gone up twice in the past week alone.

Fortunately sanity seems to be returning as the government authorities have announced that imports on all the basic commodities which are in short supply have been lifted and companies and individuals with spare cash can import these immediately. Maybe the times will change for the better for both those who have the means as well as those who are not so well off.

Be Aware Of Whom You Are Dealing With

During 2015, I hooked up with some guys in a venture which I thought  was a surefire means of making money,the money gurus always advise that  we have multiple streams of income in order to create wealth.

Be Aware Of You Are Dealing With

We used to go and buy anytime gift cards from South Africa for resale in Zimbabwe.One of the guys who was involved in the venture was a former student of mine ,so in my mind I was thinking what could go wrong right ?. I  Used my contacts to put  together some cash so that I could buy into the business.We hard a fruitful two or three months in  which we really worked very hard and the returns were quite pleasing. I never took the time to really investigate my partners.

The first signs of trouble was when the guy who ha d all the contacts and knew where the gift cards were bought in the Republic of South Africa went to buy cards and he came back having misused some of the proceeds to pay for his own expenses .We just verbally reprimanded him and proceeded to sell the cards that he had brought  with him.About two  months later the younger brother of my former student  ,who works and lives in South Africa came home and since we were planning to send someone down there to buy some more stock we thought it prudent to ask him to go and buy the stock for us then he would put it on one of the buses that ply the Joburg,Harare route.He never did what we asked for and holding him to account proved to be difficult as he changed his contact number and it was like money thrown down the drain.

Then in January 2016 ,the former student  indicated that was accompanying a friend of his who had come to Zimbabwe on business and he asked me for the three thousand rands which I was keeping ,this was a fresh injection of funds from my sister who wanted to buy into the card selling business .I had been keeping this money waiting for an opportunity to send one of the guys to go and buy some more stock.Two days after going to South Africa ,he came back without the  cards instead he had bought some stuff for a client of his and a water bottle to display water which had been purified in their water purification  plant.He promised that as soon as money from the water purification plant started coming in he would reimburse me the three thousand rands.

After having been sent from the pillar to the post several times  and finding out that the money was not forthcoming,  I finally resolved to approach the small claims court at Makoni  Magistrates’ court .I was not really sure how the case would pan out but I was convinced that the judiciary officer would be able to cut through the bull and get to the truth.I knew that I did not have to be a drama queen but just present my case as  emotionless as possible and be factual. Fortunately for  me the defendant ended up tripping himself up because he admitted that I had indeed given him the money but he had not misused it ,the clinker was when he asked for continuance of the matter so that he could produce customs declaration forms from home ,this was duly granted for the following week on the 30 th of November.Truth be told it was difficult for me to sleep on the night of the 29^th as my earlier bravado seemed to dissipate. On the morning of the case I woke up bathed and dressed,when I got to court I got some reassurance that the defendant was rattled since he could not come and greet me like the first time and he could not look me in the eye.We appeared before the court sometime before lunch and the matter was postponed for later in the day.We were asked to continue our case well after three pm,  after all the other  cases had been dealt with .Fortunately for me the defendant did not have any prove of having brought back any cards and I was able to pock holes in his defense when given a chance to do so by the magistrate.At the end he told us to come back the following Monday the 4^th of December for the judgement.When I went to the clerk of court’s office on the day there was no judgement,I had to endure two more trips to the court before   I got the judgement on the 12 th of December ,when I learnt that the defendant had been told to pay back the money including the costs of serving him the court papers.

What I ultimately learnt was that in business you cannot trust anyone .one has to do the background checks and any agreements have to be put down on paper and signatures appended. Things need to be above board.Also one needs to take matters up with the relevant authorities in case there are disputes.

Follow Your Heart

I had a disturbing yet interesting chat with a friend of mine whom I normally use as a sound board for any ideas I might have .I had intimated to her that I was in the process of reinventing myself and was involved in the construction industry with a view to starting my own company and creating a legacy for my grandchildren. I was taken aback by what she said ,which summed up to the effect that I was too old and I was supposed to have had these ambitions when I was 25 years old .

Follow Your Heart

Here is a young college graduate who was telling me that my life at fifty odd years is over and I have to prepare for death. If there is anything I have discover of late ,it’s the fact that one cannot stop learning new skills and strive to be better than what they are .I used to be a voracious reader of novels but have since discovered the power of motivational books. One of my nephews, who is studying for his second degree at a university in South Africa, sent me a pdf of the book; THE SLIGHT EDGE by Jeff Olson.I have since learnt that the the tiny steps which one take if one sustains  them and is consistent in implementing them then one would be surprised by the giant steps that one can achieve, so it was in this vein that I was trying to make a few changes to my own situation by not sitting on my laurels and mourning and winging about the difficult economic situation that the country faces in particular the dearth of meaningful employment.

The chance meeting which thrust me into managing a building project for some gentlemen eight months ago, opened my eyes to the endless opportunities which are abound in the construction industry. I have always believed in making my own luck, if one makes an effort and put their profile out there then people are bound to see it ,chances are one or two will take a chance. The most important thing is the fact that one should never  limit themselves.The advance of the Internet has made it very  easy to acquire skills if one just has a few dollars to buy data bundles and the elbow grease to punch the keyboard of a computer .Most of the information that we require to improve ourselves is found on the world wide web.

There are a lot of people who have been inspirational in reaffirming my thinking ;one is the South African musical icon ;Sipho ‘Hotsticks’ Mabuse ,who sat for his matriculation certificate at sixty plus years of age.If my memory serves me well ,there was and old man in Kenya who went to grade one ,when he was 76 years old because he wanted to be able to read his bible.One Zimbabwean whose business exploits I have followed for quite sometime , the world beater Strive Masiyiwa.If his story does not tell one of the need to pursuit ones convictions to their logical conclusion then I don’t know what else can motivate a person.In one of his writings on his facebook page ,he talks about the fact that he started and failed in many business venture but that never deterred him.The fact that he went on to pioneer the mobile business in Zimbabwe is now common knowledge.

Legend has it that Colonel Sanders,the American founder of the multinatioinal  KFC,started the business when after retiring  and finding that his pension payout could not meet his requirements.The business he started from his kitchen is now known in all continents of the world.

So given the many people who have pursued their dreams and have achieved phenomenal success,then why should I not dream with my eyes open and follow my heart. 

Cry The Lost Generation

Monday, the 19 th of March  2018, was my first encounter with the effects of drug abuse.I had spent a leisurely three hours of the morning with a nephew of mine who had just completed his MSc,after he dropped me off at the main bus stop in Harare,I boarded a bus that was Chitungwiza bound

.

Cry The Lost Generation

The first part of the twenty kilometers of the journey was kind of eventless. Things turned at the first bus stop after the St Marys Police Station, the bus was supposed to let off passengers whilst others boarded. The conductor ,who was standing just inside the bus on the steps ,asked the Youngman (in his early twenties) to get further into the bus as he was afraid that he would fall off the bus .The young man flatly refused and started to berate the conductor at the top of his voice.Bus and mini-bus taxi conductors are well-known for being brash or outright rude to passengers once they are onboard but this one met his match in the irate young man who told him that he was not going to pay and there was nothing that the conductor could do about it.Try as he would ,the conductor was unable to force the young man off the bus.The young man ,who was wearing some really dark sun glasses proceeded to assault the conductor  whilst calling the conductor all sorts of names  and alluding to the fact that he was a person of loose morals. The conductor did not take kindly to the tirade and tried to punch the Youngman but he proved to be too powerful for him. Efforts by most of the elderly people on the bus to urge the conductor to ignore the irate young man fell on deaf ears.

At the first bus top in Zengeza, the argument nearly spilled over into the bus as the two antagonists continued to trade punches but the young man was winning the fight ,at this stage the conductor retrieved an iron bar used with the wheel spanner ,seeing this the young tyrant quickly jumped off the bus and sauntered away leaving the conductor fuming since the driver was restraining him.

I have heard stories of how the unemployed youths in the townships abuse substances like cough mixture and others in order to have a high and forget about their troubles for some hours but this was my closest  encounter with one who was intoxicated. One’s heart bleeds for this lost generation which cannot seem to shake off the despondence of unemployment and the need for personal fulfillment.

It Is Not Where You Start But How You End

Edgar Mangwende is the epitome of the cream that rises to the top of the milk. Born in a family of six, he is the fourth child. His father was a driver for the national airline; Air Zimbabwe , his mother was and still is a hustlepreneur according to the lingo of the youth.

It is Not Where You Start But Where You EndAdd caption

One can hardly describe his upbringing as one that was well-to-do, but certainly the prevailing  standards in the newly post colonial Zimbabwe,they did not starve. A story which I remember quite clearly was one where his father flatly refused to go and be humiliated at Edgar’s primary school during a parents meeting(consultation day).His reason was that Edgar and his younger brother were not the sharpest tools in the shed and would hover around the last group of learners in their respective classes. Presumably they had not fully grasped the concepts of studying  and applying themselves. The father would boycott these occasions.

He was however surprised when the “O” level examination results came out and found out that the erstwhile dullards had passed well enough for them to proceed to form five and six after which they dully qualified for university. After four years of study Edgar was able to attain a BSc(Hon) in Horticulture form the Midlands State University. He proceeded after a few years of strife ,in which he could not secure any meaningful employment .He ended up joining a Multi-Level Marketing company where he used to sell green tea and other herbal remedies to clients in and around Harare. Edgar’s never die attitude and acute sense of purposed however ,eventually led him to be accepted         to study for an MSc  at the University of Pretoria .According to him ,times were hard. He would go without meals at times until one of his lecturers challenged his students to excel at an assignment he had given and he promised that the the best student would be sent to Scotland for a month-all expenses paid.Edgar set out to look for part-time work to finance his meals and for the resources he needed in order to complete the assignment .He did this with flying  colours and was able to pay his own way for the study visit to Scotland .Soon after he came back and completed his studies upon which he commenced  to write his book ,The Cage Mentality-From the mind to the Mountain top, whilst completing his PhD in Plant Pathology.

Whether his book bombs or not ,the fact that he has been able to achieve all these from his humble beginnings attest to the strong will,never die attitude that marks him out as one whom will certainly make waves in both his chosen field and whatever community he will choose to live in.

What's In A Name

What’s in a name,that which we call a rose will smell just as sweet if called by another name,William Shakespear wrote.

A Rose By An Other Name

Traditionally ,our names are supposed to depict some happening in our parents lives,Reval,Sarudzai,Makandionei,Dambudzo to name just a few of the names that hang around some Zimbos like a tire-necklace ,for those of you who are not aware, this is a sadistic form of punishment devised by the South Africans where they pour petrol into a used tire ,put it around a person before setting it alight. The victim dies an agonizing death. Unfortunately, most of these people with these traditional names somehow actually suffer as in the case of one called Nhamo (Suffering).Many a time these children with the hard-luck inspired names change these names to “acceptable” ones once they get a chance or when they start going to secondary school because we know that teenagers can be cruel if you don’t have a cool name, one can end up being bullied mercilessly

.

This is the reason why some Zimbos end up with names like Kubi,an Anglicanized version of the name Kubvoruno,which was deemed uncool by its owner. Usually we are in the habit of having two names one given at birth which normally in the child’s mother tongue ,then another which is Christian inspired for the church baptism. These are the names that are normally adopted once one starts going to school or when they want to appear ‘cool’. Many a time these guys  with the ‘found names’ tend to ignore those who grew up with them should they accidentally meet and greet them using the hated “African” names.

A lot has been said about the need for our people to being conscious of where they come from by not many can withstand the need for them to appear cool in the eyes of their colleagues and peers.Peer pressure applies even too the aged.

The Power Of Gratitude Part 3

What goes around ,comes back around ;they say on the second of July 2017,I was reminded of this when a friend reminded me of a good deed that I carried out more than twenty odd years ago.

At the time a friend told me in confidence of the financial problems she was going through and asked whether I would be able to lend her some money for nephew’s school fees .I do not remember the exact amount involved any more .I had a bit of spare cash at the time and grudgingly gave it to her ,I was not really sure whether I would be able to get it back.To her credit she was able to pay it back and I promptly forgot about.

The Power Of Gratitude

Fast forward some twenty odd years later ,I am now the one in a fix and I require help in paying for some driving lessons ,during a conversation I happen to mention  that I am having problems ,imagine my surprise and delight when  my friend, out of the blue, inform in that I should go town and collect enough money for my lessons and a bit left over.I profusely thank my benefactor ,proceed to the point I was instructed and duly get the promised amount.A day later my reminds me of the helping hand I had extended all those years ago and informs me that the fellow I had helped in paying for his fees eventually completed school ,passed and now has a well paying job in The Republic Of South Africa.

Imagine, if I had refused to help out when I did what would have happened.What was a small gesture at the time resulted in me getting a leg up.Often people act without consciously thinking out their actions not realizing that they have a bearing on what happens in the future.Should one be in a position to help,they should just do it ,they never know that kind deed may lead to their getting a helping hand in their hour of need.

One Of Zimbabwe’s Top Schools In Modern Day Slavery Allegations

The school which constantly produces some pupils who feature in the top ten best achievers in the primary school leavers examinations is accused of modern day slavery.

One Of Zimbabwe’s Top Schools In Modern Day Slavery Allegations

A friend’s wife, who used to be an employee at the renown school tells of harrowing tales of harassment,intimidation and down right slavery practised by the  wife of the owner of the school.Among the various grievences are;members of staff being denied permission to leave the school campus during the weekend as they are required to supervise pupils’ homework.Married women are denied a chance to go home during the weekends to be with their spouses and children which results in strained relationships.A lot of pressure is also exerted on the staff members for them to maintain the high educational standards in order to justify the three thousand dollars a term schools fees charged by the school institution.

The worst cases of labour malpractise was reported last year when the owner of the school decided to build a high school a short distance away from the present primary school campus,one of the builders who were responsible for the construction of the school talks about the fact that they would work in shifts ,twenty four hours a day,seven days a week .This was because the owner wanted the school to be ready for opening on the first day of the 2017 school year.Bricks were moulded on site and after being allowed a few hours to dry they were immediately moved to the building site were used for the construction.Workers went for months without being paid for their labours .One disgruntled worker ended up going to the Employment Council Of The Construction Industry ,not much came out of it however since the school was already ninety percent complete.As I write this article former employees are still being owned thousands of dollars in unpaid salaries.

Those in the know claim that the owner of the school was advanced twenty million dollars for the construction of the school by one  of the local commercial banks,the question on most peoples’ lips is where all the money went to if at this late date former employees are still wallowing in poverty after having worked for nothing.

                                                 

Selflessness Among Zimbos

It is an open secret that Zimbabwe is going through tough economic times, if one gives at a time like this then that only shows their selfless nature.

Selflessness Among Zimbos

I have had to go back to ‘school’ albeit for a short technical course which required in excess of $250.A fortune for someone who is not gainfully employed like I. The fact that two people stood by me and funded me speaks volumes of the giving nature of Zimbabweans.

Nyati was the one who suggested the short course and he generously funded it to the tune of $400 to cover all expenses from start to finish. I will forever be indebted to this Gentleman, and I use the term unreservedly because only a gentleman behaves the way he does. After two weeks of daily lessons ,I finally went and took the test, only to fail at the first hurdle. Imagine my disappointment and frustration at the feeling that I had let my benefactor down. Immediately ,I  booked another day with the examiner only to fail again at the first hurdle .Friends and family commiserated with me ,after a week I informed my benefactor who generously made some money available for me to resit the test.

It is my honest opinion that through these selfless acts;Nyati and Dziva have demonstrated the extend to which Zimbabweans care and look out for each other despite the tough economic times we are experiencing. 

How I Got To Love Caps United Football Club

In the year 1977,I was fortunate to move  to the capital city ,Harare, in search of better educational facilities .The rural area where I had grown up to that stage did not have a secondary school combined with the fact that the liberation war was at its fiercest.

How I Got To Love Caps United FC

I was fortunate that I had a cousin brother who was much older than me who was already working and living in the city, naturally he took me under his wing but he was very reluctant to have me accompany me to go and watch him play at football games ,I had by chance learnt that he played for Caps Rovers ,the football team for the company he worked for at the time called Caps Pharmaceuticals. At the time the team campaigned in the first division ,which was one tier below than the premier league in the land .One can just imagine my excitement when he invited me to go watch football matches as his guest. What used to surprise me in the first weeks following the invitation was the fact that almost every time I when to his lodgings in-order to accompany him to his matches ,I would find the place vacant. In subsequent weeks  I would wake up very early and prepare before going to his place where I would wait patiently whilst he prepared. I was later to find out that the reason why he would leave me behind was because of the fact that he had several girlfriends he constantly took to these matches.

Like any boy my age I had developed a keen interest in football and had horned my skill in the village’s dusty football pitch, I was awe-struck when I had the opportunity to sit with these ‘Legends’ at the stadium whilst waiting for the B team to complete their fixtures,then they would come on to warm up to the roar of approval from the expectant crowd. My excitement was palpable since I had the fortune of seeing my elder brother parading in the team regalia, I believe I was the first one from my family to have witnessed him exhibiting his skills at such a level, very few people back home actually knew that he played football semi-professionally.

The following season the team was promoted to the premier division in the land, my brother and I were inseparable at the home games, the only games which I did not attend were those that were placed out of the Capital city because of my school commitments. This was also the year the team changed its name to Caps United Football Club so one would say I was there at the inception of the great club that has gone to became known as ‘Cup Kings’ the country’s cup specialists as they rarely lost in the many cup finals that they took part in.

Later the club was to acquire the services of the late Joel ‘Jubblie’ Shambo also known by his many followers as ‘The Headmaster’,the late Stanley ‘Sinyo’ Ndunduma ,Stanford ‘Stix’ Mtizwa and the indisputable ‘Mr Goals’ Shakeman Tauro.This was the core of the team which lead them to sweep all before them and propel the team to campaign in Africa against teams from Nigeria and elsewhere on the continent. One hapless team from Mauritius was hammered  seven nil, those were the heady years when the team was at its very best.

Men Get Drenched For Poking Fun At A Mountain

During the Easter holidays I accompanied a good friend of mine to his rural home in Mutasa District near Mutare in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe.He wanted to use his vacation to dig the foundation of his home at the Mutasa Growth Point.

Men Get Drenched For Poking Fun At Mountain

Growth points are designated areas in Rural areas which have been ear-marked for development into to service centers ,where most pof the services people require for example Courts and Registration offices for Births and Dates.Inevitably these have to have residential stands for the people who work in the various government offices as well as people from the surrounding areas who can afford the cost of the stands.

My friend had a couple of guys from the community whom he hired to do the excavation work on the building foundation.Whilst we worked,we are the types to put hands in our pockets whilst other men work,a lot of tales and general buntering ensured.One such tale was told by one of the guys who related how they were sent to fetch a heifer that had to be slaughtered at one funeral in the area.

The guys proceeded to a mountain where the cattle where being herded,being young men ,they were buntering along the way.We were told that one of the guys who was a motor-mouth started to laugh at the shape of the mountain alluding to the fact that it looked like someone’s  bold-head.The youngmen in the group burst out laughing,one who was familiar with the local taboos and customs cautioned them against such behavior but they did not pay heed.Next they saw a baboon and started laughing at it upon which a deluge of rains started falling around them.When the people who had remained behind saw thus happening they immediately knew that someone had talked out of turn.They guys spent a miserable afternoon going round in circles.One of the saner guys finally knelt down and talked to the ancestors for forgiveness,soon after the rains stopped and the guys were able to go back home.

One would assume that these things are just jest but in most places where there mountains or thick forests there are some areas where you just have to watch what you say or do,transgressing leads to people either losing their way of worse disappearing for good.Such tales are abound and for most people who live in towns like me they sound like tall-tales but they are real.

Water Woes Bedevil Chitungwiza

It is a fact that Water is life and its absence results in a lot of anguish and heartache especially among the women and children in our patriarchal society.

Water Woes Bedevil Chitungwiza

Our society dictates that women and girls are solely responsible for the upkeep of the family kitchens and the chores which go with the maintenance of the same.Recent events which have seen erratic and intermittent supply of the precious liquid which is responsible for the smooth running of our bodies,homes and gardens to mention just to mention a few important aspects.Nowadays, the few boreholes that were sunk by some well meaning donor organisations have become a hive of activities as most mothers and girls try to get a few buckects of the precious liquid for their families.So dire is the need that one such borehole close to my residence is always packed full of human beings; some standing others sitting on buckets ,patiently waiting for their turn at the heavy metal handle,  so that they can drew their buckets full.Gone are the days where people could sleep peacefully in their homes ,quite a few actually spend nights at the boreholes.

The act of sleeping at boreholes have in-turn spawned some unwelcome social ills such as rapes and sexual favours demanded in exchange for a chance to jump the queue and draw water.Tales are going around of gangs of young males who are terrorizing the women and girls at these boreholes as they unlawfully monopolise these for their own benefit which involve the demand for sexual favours in exchange for water. Other unscrupulous young thugs are known to propose love to innocent young girls and they indecently assault them by grabbing their breasts or butts. They are doing all this with impunity since most men are not involved in the fetching of water.

Apart from these social ills, there is also the ever present danger of water-borne diseases since some people cannot stomach the thought of spending endless hours in queues in order to get a few days worth of water supplies. A lot of shallow unprotected water bodies have been dug and a lot of people are resorting to these for their daily supplies of water. One shudders to think of the consequence of an outbreak of cholera of dysentery. Already health facilities are struggling to cope with the demand for services now, in the event of an epidemic, there could be a disaster of epic proportions.

Sports Betting And The Unemployed Urban Zimbo Male

In a country where it is reported that there is a ninety percent unemployment rate , the scarcity of jobs has led to most urban males flocking to sports betting  houses to try their luck.

Sports Betting And The Unemployed Zimbo Male

They wait patiently outside the locked doors of the sports betting lounges for the doors to open and   rush to grab choice seats at the vantage positions to be able to best watch the repeat of games played the previous day.Whilst some will be busy scratching their heads and placing bets on teams scheduled to play later in the day,for the rest of the mostly male viewers it is a safe environment ; with clean free ablution facilities and entertainment galore.For a few hours they can forget the fact that they unemployed and don’t have any lunch money.The few with a few cents to spare diligently study,discuss and place bets  on teams of their choice hoping for an elusive payday with stakes placed heavily in favour of the betting house, a very few come away with any payouts.Desparation has left many clutching at straws in the hope of scoring a few dollars for their daily sustaince.

The only women found in the packed sports betting lounges are the cashiers behind the counters and the others on cleaning and sweeping duties throughout the day.This is a male dominated society after all.

The queues of people waiting to place their bets are endless throughout the day save only for the days when there are live matches,then the tension is palpable as supporters of the different clubs try to out-shout each other as they egg their different teams to victory.In the pace of ninety odd minutes, money is made and lost and the person who benefits the most is the owner of the betting house,who stand to rake in thousands of dollars every single day of the week.

The sports betting phenomena is so popular that even those who are employed spare a few minutes during lunch break to come and place bets or catch repeats of matches played earlier.

With the failed economy adding more and more numbers to the growing numbers of punters hoping to score big at sports betting ,this is a scourge that is here to stay.

Gratitude part 2

The late Mother Theresa, the world renowned humanitarian, said ‘We shall pass through this world, but once if, therefore, there be any kindness that we can show or any good thing that we can do, let us do it now. Let us not defer nor neglect it for once we leave the world, we will never pass this way again.

Wicknell Chivayo

I write the above quote to enlighten my fellow Zimbabwean, a certain  Wickell Chivayo.The fact that he has done wonders of The Warriors is there for all to see. Much of the hype was created by the same journalists that he is now bashing at every opportunity he gets. It is most unfortunate that the Youngman was so offended because a journalist had done his job and had got the scoop of the week by informing the nation of the fact that the beloved Warriors coach had gone for quite some time without being paid. Facts are stubborn; it is very difficult for a father who sees his families’ dreams go up in smoke, to expect him to be tactful and remain stoical whilst people hog the spotlight for his endeavors on the sports field but his family goes hungry. I believe Pasuwa had reached the end of his tether that is why he let the nation know of the shoddy way in which he was being treated. In my honest opinion, we need a lot more people like Pasuwa.

Wicknell has been very fortunate to be well endowed with cash, but The Good Lord, in his wisdom ensured that he isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. We are created with two ears and one mouth for a reason; that we talk less and listen more. The ‘selfless’ act of sponsoring The Warriors in this hostile economic environment certainly does not warrant the temper tantrums that the nation has had to bear witness to these past few days. It seems as if the nations being held to ransom by a tin can despot who wants everything to be down his own way

We are not ungrateful BUT if someone helps one out and brags about the act at every turn, is it not better to throw off the york and live an honest poverty-stricken life. Enough with these childish tantrums already, sport especially football is supposed to bring the country together not tears us apart.

Friendship

This past week has been emotionally taxing.I learnt of the passing on of two people I regarded very highly.

Friendship

The first person whose death I learnt about was Stanford,we went to school together and were joined by our common bond; the cruel teasing that we got from our colleagues  at high school.I was the tall ungainly boy from the rural Manicaland who did not know his way around town, whilst my friend was an Albino.Naturally we gravitated towards each other and found comfort in each others company.Most weekends ,if we did not have some chores to do at home we would visit and hung-out.All throughout high school the friendship grew and when we went our separate ways to pursue different careers,it survived.We were to meet later after we both married and were able to introduce our young families to each other,only to lose track again when I migrated.When I came back I looked for my friend without any success until last weekend when I went to his parents home where I met his brother's son who was very surprised that I was looking for his late uncle.The news floored me,never in my wildest dream did I envisage that my friend was late.

I knew Mrs Lebesa during my time in Lesotho and she was able to help me immensely on two different occassions, imagine my surprise then when I learnt that she had also passed on,this from the Whatsapp status of her granddaughter.To make matters worse was the fact that I had been thinking about calling her and had even cropped one photo in which she was celebrating her granddaughters graduation from college.

The lessons learnt therefore is that life is too short and one should communicate with their friends and relatives as often as possible lest one is left rowing the missed opportunity.