In July 2007, I resigned from my job as the Bulawayo
branch manager for Zimnat Lion Insurance company. In August 2007 we traveled to
Harare to follow up on my work permit application at the South African embassy.
My mother in law asked me, “Mhofu makatoshinga kusiya imba iya nemota?”( Are
you sure about leaving that company house and the company car?”. We had been
staying in a company house in Burnside and I was driving a 5 year old Toyota
double cab Bakkie.
As a branch manager my salary was always hovering around
R1 000 a month also with the cost of things in Zimbabwe, R1 000 is equivalent
to R500. A farm worker in SA earned more than me. I had been traveling to Botswana
and South Africa. I had seen waiters in Pretoria earning up to R4 000. I was
going to come to Pretoria and work as a waiter if I did not get a work permit.
I was blessed and I was granted a 5 year work visa. I collected my passport on
22 August and arrived in Pretoria the next day and started work with my current
employer on 1 September 2007.
Being a foreigner is tough, however when I look at my
kids, I know we did a good thing by leaving Zimbabwe. A few months before we
left Zimbabwe I had gone to Francistown to buy stock for my shops in Mutoko and
Macheke. I bought jean trousers and jean shirts for our two boys then. When I
got home in Bulawayo I realised that for Isheanesu then only 2 I had bought
clothes with flowers in error. He started crying demanding that we give him
those clothes and MaNyoni had to remove those flowers. I was working very hard
in Zimbabwe but it was always a struggle to make ends meet.
My thoughts are with the struggling families in Zimbabwe.
Tough economic environment are more difficult for children. It is heartbreaking
as a parent when you can’t provide for your children 😢
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