“2020 A Handful Year And A Death Of A Brother”
17 November 2020
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By Josiah Mucharowana in Pretoria- Annus horribilis is a Latin term that translates to ‘ horrible year’ in simple English grammar. This year, 2020 is thus.

So many things happened, a little good and more bad, terrible tragedies beyond human understanding.

I lost a brother, an in-law, Kizito Marume. Him and I married into the same family. We married sisters, look-alikes. Mine younger and a lot more daring and adventurous.

He was a Rusape boy based in Harare working for one big trucking company. I learnt a lot about shipping, freight and forwarding from him. 

We would sit around his lounge sipping on beverages around family and telly. Kids mattered to him, the future he would say. Or still, we would drive out for a family braai at one of the pleasure joints around the capital. 

Even more, we would visit in-laws at the plaas after Norton, almost Chegutu our women and kids in tow of course. Always, they enjoyed our companionship there, vakwasha dearly loved. 

We would have live chickens, sour milk, peanut butter, green mealies and grain for pap. The trips usually were a trek down memory lane, reminiscing about childhoods in the rural areas, ‘ reserves’ rather.  

The custom of running after a live chicken to slaughter for visitors was always an event for our kids- an activity always looked forward to on every next trip. Chickens would scatter on rooftops, in the field and amusing  talk afterwards would sound like a Peter Drury English League football commentary. It was always a pleasure being there to witness it all. I am glad I still can tell it to the world.

Marume’s death at home in the capital from respiratory concerns, was sudden and unforseen leaving a family bewildered. An autopsy dismissed coronavirus even though it was midway through the lockdown.

I have never been gutted in my life.  My spirit failed me. I cried in Pretoria, hundreds of kilometers away. But why? I recoiled. He was a good man. He loved his two daughters and twin boys.

Fate! We all die.I contended.

Marume’s mother mother followed in less than two months. Another tragedy! Elsewhere on the planet, 2020 dished out setbacks and challenges. 

From the vortex of Chinese City of Wuhan came coronavirus. Whence it originated is a mystery. Some say from snakes. Others allege a human hand in the laboratory. Whichever, the world was dealt a massive blow below the belt.

People died and are still dying across the universe. Italy became ghostly. The deaths of thousands  so surreal and bad that authorities struggled to keep up with the pace of decently burying the dead. 

America in denial at first was buffeted with thousands dead. Coronavirus even sneaked up on former boisterous and unbelieving President Trump. In hospital, then he knew the world faced a catastrophe. 

Coronavirus even described by incoming UN Special Advisor On Africa Cristina Duarte as both an ’emergency’ and a ‘tradgedy’ wrought irreparable damage on economies such that many will take decades if not lifetimes to recover. 

Inevitably, there were retrenchments everywhere you look. Industries shut shop and many are on shoestring budgets.

In the thick of it all came ‘tenderprenures’ cashing in on the world demise. In most African governments, millions were looted in the name of Covid- 19 relief.  

The politically connected are pushing bulging pot- bellies grown forth from looted funds.
Former health Minister Obediah Moyo and the President’s son Collins were heavily fingered in a US$ 60 million tender scandal involving Drax International, a United Arab Emirates registered briefcase company that was meant to facilitate PPEs to the government.
I am just sick to the stomach that greed and heartlessness is ruining innocent lives and a beautiful country’ s future.

Not even the devil with horns can be as corrupt as Zanu-PF functionaries.

Churches were conspicuous by their silence. During lockdown, some pastors truly revealed their true nature as wolves in sheepskins by flighting in the press bank details for their followers to deposit tithes. It’s the ‘Gospel’ of money to most. 

Those that could heal the sick in Jesus- like miracles previously retreated and cowered into their backyards as coronavirus took its toll. Followers are having Damascene moments realising most men of God are in it for money.

2020 even shook the church with RSA-based, Malawian born Pastor Bushiri even admiting ‘ twenty twenty not a glet year’. It was the Malawian tonne over English that catapulted him to infamy this year. 

More so together with his wife and an aide are facing a raft of charges in the courts of RSA including money laundering over 100 million rand- a whopping figure drawing the ire of authorities also considering the church does not pay tax. We saw a muzzling of the press in the country with the repeated arrest of firebrand and anti-graft campaigner Journalist Hopewell Chin’ ono and opposition figure Jacob Ngarivhume. 

There was the abduction of female opposition figures Netsai Marova, Celia Chimbiri and Joanna Mamombe with tales of torture too grotesque for womenfolk. Allegedly, they were forced by state goons to eat their human waste, drink urine  as well as having gun barrels shoved up their behinds before being dumped out of town in the middle of the night. The case is pending before the courts.

Noted too have been deaths of several opposition figures. The health sector has degenerated to unbelievable lows with deaths amongst women giving birth a daily occurrence. 

Schools despite physically having open gates, have no meaningful teaching business happening as teacher’s strike for better salaries run into weeks. 

And parents still have to fork out fees in the melee. There was the infamous ANC- Zanu- PF meeting in Harare meant to address the country’s challenges especially in the wake of human rights abuses by government. 

Days beforehand , there was promises of fireworks by the ANC- delegation prior to coming to Harare. Underfire ANC- Secretary General Ace Magashule and a coterie of other political men from the South were expected to shoot from the hip telling their counterparts Zimbabwe had gone bananas.

It was not to be, the people’s adreline rush was a waste. Instead politicians came out taking selfies, lovey- doveying, patting one another on the back in camaraderie.

Another chance to rejuvenate hopes for Zimbabweans came to naught. A sad year.
In addition, we saw Thokozani Khupe formerly an MDC-T supping with the devil. She is back in Parliament through the backdoor at the expense of genuine opposition supporters sick and tired of the maladministration and corruption happening in the country. It is just horrible! 

Nonetheless came the suspension of High Court Judge Erica Ndewere from the bench on grounds she was unfit to hold office. Apparently she had excercised her autonomy in dealing with court cases to the chagrin of Chief Justice Luke Malaba. 

A three-year member tribunal is to cosmetically look into her work and track record yet the conclusion is foregone. She is a goner for shrugging off political directives from her bosess. The whole affair is sordid and sad for the justice system in the country.

Not to be outdone was Mining Federation boss Henrietta Rushwaya, the Cinderella of alibis and criminal defense. She was caught with hands in the cookie jar at R.G.Mugabe International airport ready to whisk away to Dubai 6kgs of gold loot covered in lingerie in her travelling bag.

She claims she took the wrong bag upon leaving home and was unaware she had gold bars.
Worryingly, it is apparent that if Zanu-PF continues surviving elections in 2023, Zimbabwe won’t.

There won’t be anything left to resuscitate going forward. The level of corruption is so blatantly obscene and the corruption net is even wider with lots of blessings from top government hawks.

In the 80’s, Malawian dictator Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda once said Africa is doomed because it’s leaders are corrupt. Very true. Contemporary leaders trip over each other literally to prove him a prophet. Everyhwere one looks reeks of corruption, a stench stinking to the high heavens.

Even South Africa has witnessed its fair share. The Vreda dairy farm scandal, Gupta family shenanigans thenceforth known as State Capture, Steinhoff, VBS amongst other human malfeaseances.

It is sad and horrible for peasants who cannot access corruption feeding troughs. 
As the final weeks of 2020 drips in, I can only hope for good fortunes ahead. Marume happened giving me pain so monumental. Death has a sting so excoriating. I feel cheated. 

Josiah Mucharowana is a media graduate living in Pretoria.

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