Tendai Ruben Mbofana
Together with his chosen teaching profession, this was a powerful combination.
It was, therefore, not surprising that not only was our home filled with all manner of non-fiction educational literature, but he made every effort in passing his reading passion to me.
I was all too eager and glad to comply, since from a very young age, reading books was my favourite pastime.
In fact, during my early childhood years, many of my colleagues were puzzled as to why I enjoyed spending time in our library at primary school reading encyclopaedia more than participating in any other activities.
This blended quite well with my introverted nature, as I preferred spending my time in reading and deep thought than out and about.
I was never regarded a genius – far from it, as I was just an average learner – but I loved accumulating knowledge, especially that which was beyond the limitations of the school curricular.
One of the treasures in my father’s library was a book by Michael Gelfand entitled, ‘The Genuine Shona: survival values of African culture’.
I am not here to do a book review or analyse whether it accurately captured our culture and traditions.
However, this piece of literature immensely helped me as I was growing up in understanding what was expected of us (Zimbabweans) both individually and collectively.
From the onset, the book touched on very important topics as manners, good behaviour, ethics and morality, cardinal values of life, and bad qualities, amongst so many others.
Without going into unnecessary detail, all this could be summed up in one word, ‘ubuntu’.
This is where I learned that we needed to religiously adhere to exceptionally high standards of morality and love for one another.
It was frowned upon and fiercely despised to adopt such unacceptable qualities as lying, stealing, deceitfulness, covetousness, violence and abusiveness, hatred, and the list goes on and on.
This morning, this book by Michael Gelfand came back to memory.
This was after coming across a report on attempts by some crooked people, working in cahoots with corrupt officials from the Deeds Office, to fraudulently sell a house belonging to Zimbabwe’s first post-independence education minister Dzingai Mutumbuka using fake title deeds.
As if this was not appalling enough, this fraudulent sale of the US$600,000 house – allegedly for a paltry US$140,000 – had been legitimized by a high court judge, who ruled that the transaction was authentic.
Can a country stoop any lower than this?
Mutumbuka, who has been domiciled in the USA since the late 1980s – after leaving the Zimbabwe government – was initially unaware of these devious shenanigans, until it was discovered by his relative looking after the property back in the country.
Fortunately, the shameless fraudsters were apprehended, together with their accomplices in the Deeds Office, and are scheduled to appear in court today, 29th November 2023.
Although the supposed buyer still insists the purchase was above board, the good news is that the original title deeds proving Mutumbuka as the rightful owner are still in existence at the Deeds Office.
Mutumbuka, having lodged an appeal against the questionable high court judgement, has every right to be optimistic.
As he so passionately stated in a video recording: if this can happen to a recognized personality as him (who can always rely on this powerful networks for redress), what will become of the poor, voiceless, and defenceless?
I can only imagine how many ordinary Zimbabweans are losing their properties at the hands of such heartless criminals.
This can be in the form of forged or fake title deeds as occurred to Mutumbuka, or falling victims to corrupt officials, particularly at the death of a loved – which is the case commonly experienced by widows.
As it turns out, a few days ago, I was approached by a widow in my small town of Redcliff enquiring how I could assist her reclaim her house.
She alleges the immovable property she and her late husband had bought was fraudulently awarded to another woman by the local authority.
She also says that some documents – proving the transaction and their legitimate ownership of the house – mysteriously disappeared from Redcliff town council offices.
Her husband died in 2013, and since then, there have been relentless efforts by some seemingly corrupt officials to dispossess her of her house, in preference to the other lady.
In spite of some crucial documents having apparently vanished from council offices, she nonetheless is still in possession of court records and the deed of sale proving that she owns the property.
Yet, on account of her being a powerless unknown entity, she is still facing tremendous obstacles in re-acquiring her property.
These are the people to whom Mutumbuka was referring who desperately needed our help in bringing justice.
I will work tirelessly in ensuring she gets her house back and any corrupt individuals involved in this crookedness brought to book – and I plead for any assistance from those with the knowledge, influence, and expertise in these cases.
As we closely follow the unfolding Mutumbuka story and endeavour to bring justice to the less privileged being prejudiced – I can not help wondering whatever happened to the ‘ubuntu’ I learnt from a tender age.
Are we not supposed to be a people who seriously, with a passion, detest and abhor any forms of covetousness, stealing, deceit, and lying?
Is that not what we are supposed to be as Africans in general and Zimbabweans in particular?
At least, this is what I was raised to believe!
How did we end up with a country of thieves and crooks – who have absolutely no shame stealing even from the poor?
In fact, is this not why we are suffering and poor in the first place – as a result of disgraceful rampant corruption?
Is that not why half the population is living in extreme poverty – unable to afford the most basics that make life liveable?
Is this not on account of the powerful abusing their offices and statuses to bully the weaker in society, as they enrich themselves through ill-gotten wealth?
Where are we going as a nation?
So, how did we get here?
How did a people who prided themselves for their high morality end up in such a disgusting and shameless place?
We may not be able to ever reach an accurate science-based conclusion – but that can never stop us from formulating sound hypotheses.
There is a very popular saying: a fish rots from its head.
In other words, when a nation loses its moral compass, this is likely due to a leadership gone rogue.
As with any family setup: the children copy and follow the example set by their parents.
In so doing, when those in authority set a good example, the nation follows suit.
It then goes without saying that the opposite is also equally true.
If those in power are corrupt and criminal, the people they lead will also become corrupt and criminal.
Indeed, that is exactly what we witness in Zimbabwe – with a ruling elite living in obscene insulting opulence through known and suspected looting of our national resources.
In all this, millions of Zimbabweans are abandoned with nothing to scrounge for a living out of pathetic poverty.
As a result, this crookedness and deceitfulness is festering throughout the nation as some highly toxic infection.
This needs to be stopped and stopped forthwith!
This is not who we are as a people.
We need to revert to our principles and values, which made even a whiteman, Michael Gelfand, write a book on our emulable culture.
Nevertheless, I have one final question that is gnawing at me.
If we were never like that as a nation, and the fish rots from the head – how did the head start rotting in the first place?
I do not have the answer, and so I will leave it at that!
- Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. Please feel free to WhatsApp or Call: +263715667700 | +263782283975, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com, or visit website: http://mbofanatendairuben.news.blog/