Undercurrents
From a Kubatana subscriber:
Raphael’s weekend off
I took Raphael; our gardener of two decades, to his home situated some 30kms north of our scruffy city. I started by asking him if he wished to retire. “No I am only 52 and I have twins of four years”. I followed up by asking for his views on the talk of elections next year. “We do not want elections as “they” will just come back and beat us. There is no one to stop them!” This on the outskirts of the MDC stronghold.
We turned off the Domboshawa tar road at a “business centre” called Crossroads. I soon picked up a large, imposing man with a shaven head. On our right was a cemetery with freshly borders to each grave. I issued a compliment. He said, “This is our Heroes Acre where liberation fighters are buried. I am Petro the area co-ordinator.” Or, in other words, the local Zanu heavy. ” My area has 1,400 households each with a few families as the people in this place are polygamous.”
Raphael and Petro struck up a conversation. Soon I dropped this man Petro off – he had transformed immediately into a thug in my mind. Raphael seemed relieved that we were back to the two of us. “That is the man who, with his youths, will beat us when the elections start.” Such synchronicity.
We drove into Raphael’s home down a goat track to find his wife pounding maize, three goats (one very thin) in a pen awaiting their daily reprieve to forage the close shaven couple of hectares. His four kids ranging from 19 to 4 years of age, greeted their father smiling. He had returned with six bags of fertiliser.