turned 49 last Sunday which is a mean feat in a country whose life expectancy has plummeted to around 35 if not worse. I look forward to clocking half a century next June by which time I hope things would have been straightened out. Forgive me for being optimistic. As Zimbabweans we have no choice but go up, because we have scrapped the bottom. I

1. Looking back into the future
The Last Straw by Lenox Mhlanga
I turned49 lastSundaywhichisa meanfeatina countrywhose life expectancyhasplummetedto
around35 if notworse.I lookforwardto clockinghalf acenturynextJune bywhichtime I hope things
wouldhave beenstraightenedout.Forgiveme forbeingoptimistic.AsZimbabweanswe have nochoice
but go up,because we have scrappedthe bottom.
I was bornin a yearwhenthe countryexperiencedrecordlowsthistime intemperatures,notthe
economy.Thiswinterissomewhere nearthere andbeingaJune babyIhave more or lessbeenable to
handle the cold.Butthiswinterisparticularlybitterinmore waysthanone.Before Iget there letme
justpicka numberof milestonesinmyveryactive lifetime.
WhenI came intothe worldwe were partof whatwas knownas the federation.Thiscountryhadthe
lion’sshare of developmentwhencomparedtothe thenNorthernRhodesiaandNyasaland.Thiswas
mainlybecause of the large white population.Thisledtomassive labourmigrationsfromournorthern
cousinswhoevenatthat time were takenassecondclasscitizens.
In mychildhoodIhavingbeingbornwitha silverspoondanglingfrommymouth,Iwas terrorizedbya
childof what wasknownthenas MunyasarandiorMunyasa forshort.ButI wasobliviousof the political
upheavalsof the time whichtousmanifestedinthe formof occasional riotsandpatrolsby burlywhite
policemenwe called amajoni.
My father,havinggrownupandeducatedinSouthAfricathrew himself headlongintothe nationalist
politicsof the day.He hada lotto gainand to lose too.He had juststarteda familyandhad a well
payingjobas a furniture salesman.Thiswasata time whenanythingtodowithbusinesswasthe white
man’sdomain.Infact he had beenappointedmanagerof the shophisJewishemployershadopenedin
Bulawayobutwas notallowedtotake upthis plumpositionbecause,youguessedit,he wasblack.
However,hisemployers,realizinganiche marketforfurniture among the growingblackmiddle classof
nursesandteachersopenedanotherbranchalongLobengulaStreetwheremyfatherwasdesignated
‘saleman’eventhoughhiswasactuallymanagerof bothbranches.Itwasat thisbranch of Mackays
furniture shopthatthe likesof the late JoshuaNkomo,SidneyMalunga,JosephMsika,JohnNkomo,
Lazarus Dlakama,and otherswouldmeetandstrategize asitwhere.
It was the late Malungawho wasto tell me yearslaterthat itwas my fatherwhosoldhimhisfirstbed.
The late Vice PresidentNkomowastoconfirmthisfora fact. My father’scontributiondidnotendin
supplyingbeds,radiosandtelevisionstoamodernizedclientelewhowere latertobe the who’swhoof
Zimbabweanpolitics.He pioneeredwhattodayismisnamedindigenization.He wasamongthe firstcrop
of blacksto start theirownbusinesses,
Thismightsoundlike the storyof the life of myfather,butsomewhere inbetweenthose pagesthat
made thiscountry’shistorywasa bemusedme takinglife aseasyasany middle classkidof the time.

2. Obliviousof the dangerthatmyfather’sinvolvementinnationalistpoliticswouldbringtothe familywe
enjoyedthe statusof abantwana bezipantsha literallythe childrenwhogrew upincomfort.
Unfortunately,little of myfather’sentrepreneurialspiritrubbedoff me atthe time.Instead,he
cultivatedinme a voraciousappetite forreadingmaterial.Ivividlyremembersharingthe newspaper
withhimeverymorningfromthe time Iwas inGrade One.Thoughtat that time myinterestwasin
cartoons andcomic stripsthat dominate the editorial page of the Chronicle of those years.Iledtomy
blossomingintoanartistof note at Masuku PrimarySchool inTshabalalaropedinmy teacherstodraw
illustrationsforthe radiolessonsconductedbythe immortal MsChilds.
My fatherwasto laterinvolve himself withfootballrightfromthe sixties,servingHighlandersFootball
clubin variouscapacitiesrightupto the honoraryPresidencyof the teamhe holdstoday.Forme this
meantthat I had the privilegetobradto my friendsnotonlyabouthavingwatchedTshilamoyadestroy
GweloUnited,butthatplayerssuchas BillySibanda,Lawrence ‘Lofty’Phiri,EdwardDzowa,Tommy
‘Squeezer’Masuku,IsaacMafaro,PeterZimutoactuallysleptatoutMhlahlandlelabungalow during
camp.
The familybusinessgrewunderthe JTembabrand and yetthe war tookits toll.The guerillaswould
benefitfromhisgenerosityinLowerGweruviathe bottle store atMaboleni.Yetironically,myfather
was to be detainedinpostindependentZimbabwe,the countryhe helpedliberate.Thiswouldbear
seedtothe bitternessaboutpoliticianshe hasharboredforall these yearsandhas rubbedof me
somehow.Nextweekwe continue the saga…
Ends…