Beer Talk With Lloyd Takawira : The story of Njube Zeze

The weather was magnificent . A clear blue sunny day , with sharply etched white clouds in the sky . The perfect Zimbabwean summer . And so hot in that early morning . The heat made everything slow and sensual . And it was totally un- Hararian , as the sun scotchingly stamped its presence for the day .

On my way to the capital city Harare from my hood St Mary's, aboard a Zupco bound Trip Trans bus popular with its inscription  "Senior Actor"  above the bumper and the driver popular with passagers as "bus ra gunners solder" . 

As the bus whizzed lacadezically to town , the heat felt delicious  .

Opposite my seat sat a demunitive youngman fit as a fiddle . His head is bandaged , to which l suspect he might have been involved in accident . However ,as l relooked at him . He was a familiar face . I suddenly flicked my mind back .This is Zeze mumwe wevakomana . He is thief and probably lucky run out a few days ago and was beaten , l thought to myself.

"Eee makuruwani " , he said nodding at me in a clear sign that familiar faces have met . As usual l nodded back with a smile that l have been greated with respect from the boys in town  as he was familiar , however not for the good things.

If you want cheaper gadgets , and electricals , get in touch with Zeze , ndovakomana pataundi , as they  say it  in our dirty dusty ghetto streets .

This is Zeze l knew him from the hood , some popularly call him Njube , some Zeze and some call him Sundowns for his love of  South Africa's biggest football giant Memolady Sundowns. Moreso he usually wear the  famous  Sundowns yellow Jersey or the black and white striped Highlanders jersey .

Knowing him and his errands , l quickly blinked out  from the hands of maphus and alerted myself .

Watching him  trickingly with a sideview , Njube swang one leg easily over the other .He was holding a bobbed grey bottle drink which he sipped . "Makuruwani , take a sip " , he said handing the bottle drink to me . l profusely refused . " Thanks mukoma , its still early , toswera ta lock tikatadza kushanda " l said handing him back the bottle drink .

 Seating on the same seat to Njube are two middle aged young woman , beautiful , class and elegant .

 By my side is a fine woman , tall thin , blond , blue-eyed , with high cheek-bones .She whispered to me . " Do you know this guy in blue worksuit " l nodded in agreement. 

Just like the famous evesdropper  Mbuya Chekuche from my rural Buhera  she whispered again , " atora phone ya that lady ari paside pake " . Passively ,  l replied to her , " just pretend as if you have not seen it imbavha idzi unobaiwa nebanga ukataura" l said to  the lady whom from her expression , looked not happy and contend with how l had brushed aside her story.

As the bus reached the famous  road block from Chitungwiza , "Delpot Boarder Post" ,  nicknamed from the strickness and thorough scrutiny of  travel documents by security details manning the road block .

One of the ladies who was sharing the seat with Zeze , whom l discovered at that instance was a solder , was the first to stand up as she walk towards the door with rest of us going out for routine documentation check . 

" phone yangu , aaa handisikuona phone yangu ," she said to her colleague in a  high-toned voice . 

Suddenly commotion ensued in the bus . The bus driver, who also happened to be a solder , jumped from his driver's seat and said ," munhu wese kana phone isina kubuda mucharowa zvekuti hamusati mamboona . Everyone out of the bus , leave all your bags and purses inside , outside lie down all of you ." he said .

As we made our way out of the bus , a gigantic dark skinned solder  in a red barret spliffing his cigger , who happen to be part of the security details who were manning the Delpot road block said , " mukanyatsorohwa munoburitsa phone . You steal phone yemu solder " he said with a frightening hished voice.

Suddenly l knew that the beautiful young ladies and many of the passagers were actually security details . As we made our way out , Njube the class thief in front us did the unthinkable .

Infront of Njube was a tall thin fine looking gentleman well built in his 

late thirties l presume , who was donning a blue worksuit inscribed , "Delta". 

My seatmate , who had earlier told me about the phone whispered again to me for l had not seen anything , " your guy akanda phone mu side pocket ye that guy infront of him , did you notice ". 

 Shivering and preponderating on the impending thorough beating from the angry security details,   l could not utter back a word,  as we made our way out .

For  the class Njube , two young girls had been watching him . He  giggled and wrinkled his eyes ostensibly to silence the two beauties .Outside the bus , the security details searched everyone .

 Life is incredibly unfair at times . The guy whom Zeze classically flinged the mobile phone was beaten and punished . As he was made to roll up and down . One of the two ladies who  had seen how Zeze had trickly passed the phone unknowingly to the guy whom the phone was found with , stood up . 

"Officer , im sorry , the guy you are beating is innocent . As you ordered us out of the bus a certain guy trickly dropped this phone in his pocket". Suddenly it became clear that a sizeable number of passengers have seen how the classy Njube had classically done his job. 

"Ndeupi munhu wacho , " ordered the angry looking female solder whose phone had been stolen .As  the girl looked around to point Zeze . The classical Njube had DISAPPEARED .

Lloyd Takawira is Freelance Writer, Blogger, Research Consultant . He can be contacted on +263771923115 / tllyoyd@gmail.com 

Are We Drifting Towards One Party State

By Lloyd Takawira

The year 2020 has been more problematic in the history of Zimbabwe with widespread reports of systematic and escalating violations of human rights in Zimbabwe under the regime of President Emmarson Mnangagwa and his rulling , ZANU-PF party .

Human rights organisations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and plethora of international governments have voiced their concerns against the government of Zimbabwe which has become increasingly authoritarian under the cover of lockdown measures .

Rule By Statutes

The rule by statutes has seen violation on freedom of movement and residence, freedom of assembly and the protection of the law being constricted and trembled upon by the government.

For the past six months , there has been an onslaught on the media with journalists being wantonly beaten, arrested and detained on flimsy charges .The opposition, civil society activists, and human rights defenders have also been under siege .

Exstingishing Opposition

There is no doubt that , the government is moving towards disemboweling the opposition .

The visible government hand in the ongoing factional infighting pitting the various Movement for Democratic Change formations is clear testimony that , the government want a free race . A race in which the alternative voice is desembered

Banning By-Elections

Under sortorial scrutiny , the purported banning of all by-elections by Vice President Constantine Chiwenga who doubles as the Minister of Health (Chiwenga) through a Statutory Instrument is a clear testimony that the regime in Harare is working towards a clear path to a defacto "one party state".

Dear reader , there is no doubt that the banning of by-elections with the rulling Zanu PF party itself clearly on the ground contacting its restructuring exercise as well as contacting its primary elections in areas to which by-elections are due is a clear testimony to show that we are fast approaching a one party state.

The government celebrations on the recall of opposition members of parliament vindicates those who argues that , those who are involved in the chopping of members of parliament enjoys messianic blessings from the rulling Zanu PF party under the guise of constitutionalism.

The legality of the minister of health banning by-elections is questionable . One legal expert wrote that , the move by Vice President Constantine Chiwenga violates the Constitution of Zimbabwe

The Unpatriotic act.

The government in its bid to cover up rights abuses said it was going to consider the principal framework of a proposed law (patriotic act) that will criminalise and impose stiff penalties for campaigning against the country through private correspondence with foreign governments and harming national interests

However , it should be argued that the determination of ones patriotism is questionable . The actions of the involving itself in corruption , externalization of millions of dollars by the rulling elites is a complete disservice to the nation .

It can be argued that the rulling Zanu PF party has always been on an unpatriotic campaign to which they are accusing others .

Dear reader , the patriotic act will amongst other draconian statutes will pile more to the draconian laws that are already on the cards which are meant to constrict opposition and declaring the country a de facto one party state.

It should be postulated that the rule by statutes has been a culculated ploy to increasingly initiate an automatic autocratic regime under the guise of mantaining law and order.

Dear reader , my take succinctly posits that , the patriotic act and constitutional amendment no2 and the banning of by-elections and among many other statutes are all leading to a defacto one party state .

There is no doubt that , our government fear alternative voices. Its penchants in having an achaic one party state project which is delectably underway will in itself be a de-campaigning route in the face of the international community.

Lloyd Takawira is a Freelance Writer , Blogger, Research Consultant. Can be contacted on +263771923115 /

tllyoyd@gmail.com