I
first saw Robert Mugabe in person in the mid 80s in Kwekwe at a rally. When you
are coming from Amaveni Township going to Kwekwe City center, on the right you
pass Fitchlea medium density surbub which was originally built for Coloureds
during days of segregation and before you get to Sebakwe Hotel and Kwekwe
Central Police station there is an open ground on the right and it was the same
place that the Luna Park would come yearly.
When we moved to Marondera in 1990 we were staying at Dombotombo Police
Camp and Mugabe would come next door to Rudhaka Stadium for rallies and I saw
him again. When I was in high school Mugabe was becoming unpopular with
educated young people, however we would listen to his speeches on radio as we
all aspired to speak good English the way he spoke it.
In the 1995 and 1996 elections, I
didn’t vote and that time the economy was still ok. In 1997 I started working
in Harare CBD and in my first month of working there was that ZCTU
demonstration led by Morgan Tsvangirai and Gibson Sibanda. After awarding war
veterans those unbudgeted gratuities that sank the Zim dollar Robert Mugabe now
wanted to tax workers more. After the demo, Mugabe shelved the idea.
I learnt to avoid going nearer
Mugabe’s office due to the brutality of the police. When I started driving, I
quickly learnt that every motorist had to go off the road and park whilst
Mugabe’s massive motorcade rolled past, indeed death is an equalizer Mugabe is
coming back to Africa as cargo. My wife worked in Borrowdale and also my
biggest client Aon Zimbabwe was also in Borrowdale. I avoided driving past
State House by going either via Newlands or Second Street.
In 2005 my company car stalled on
the robot next to Prince Edward High School, I then called for the breakdown
and waited. Unknown to me Robert Mugabe’s motorcade was going to pass by on the
way to Zanu-PF headquarters. The first vehicle of CIO officers stopped and
ordered me to move the vehicle, I couldn’t move the Mazda double cab on my own
as if was very heavy. A few minutes later another CIO car stopped again, I was
scared that I could be seriously assaulted or even shot. They helped me to push
the car in the direction of Milton Park and luckily they did not hit me.
Beginning of August 2007, we were
staying in Bulawayo and MaNyonj and I went to Harare and we booked into Holiday
Inn. We went for dinner in First Street. On the way back it was dark I
suggested that we use Samora Machel Avenue because it would be safer from any
muggings due to armed police at Mugabe’s offices. As we passed the armed police
guard he asked my wife, “Ambuya chii chamakanda?”, (Lady what did you throw?), I
answered that it was the cord on my jacket that had accidentally knocked on the
metal pole as we were walking and made a noise.
The next moment I was lying on my
stomach on the pavement and he was busy assaulting me. My wife was standing
next to me helpless. I really thought he was going to shoot me that moment. He
then ordered me to stand up and go and we walked to the hotel. I got my work permit
weeks later. There was nothing to stay in Zimbabwe for as our retail business
had lost a lot of money during the price control blitz ordered by Robert Mugabe
around June 2007. I did blog about this when Mugabe resigned in November
2017. http://kanyokad.blogspot.com/2017/11/?m=0
I have read that Mugabe died an old
bitter man because he was not happy with his comrades for removing him from
power. At least he was lucky he died in a foreign state of the art hospital
overseas unlike his victims millions of Zimbabweans most are living in abject poverty, tens
of thousands died without dignity, millions are toiling in foreign countries
where they are not welcome.
My hope is that Robert Mugabe does
not Rest In Peace. Hopefully the new rulers learn before it is too late.
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