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My father was true to his word

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A STORY is told of a man who left his bride to be and went to join his fellow comrades in the fight to free Zimbabwe from colonial bondage. His love waiting for him at home, what kept him going was the desire to liberate the country in the hope of establishing a brighter future with his wife in a free country. Decades later and now settled with his family in Chitungwiza, he has become a role model to many in the community and a source of inspiration. This is the story of Zephania Mugovera, a war veteran and a man I am proud to call my father. Born seven years after Zimbabwe gained independence, I understand that my father met my mother before he went to war and returned to marry her soon after independence. In 1981, they were blessed with their first child. By 1993 they had six children and with time, he had managed to build an eight roomed house for his family. During the early 80s, streets were even named after the events of the Second Chimurenga. We currently reside in a street called ‘Magamba’, a name meaning war heroes. After Zimbabwe attained Independence, my father worked as a driver for some former Government officials. He was accustomed to it since he was a driver based in Mozambique during the liberation struggle. He told me that with the little education acquired, it was difficult for him to have a driver’s licence especially as a black man. The questions for the provisional driver’s licence were difficult for ‘natives’ like my father who only attended school up to Standard 4. After independence, my father became a driver in a big bus company and this led him to win awards like the ‘worker of the year’ while accumulating various safe driving certificates. My father has been a pillar of strength in the family. He is a person I can run to when in need and there is no day I slept without eating, thanks to him. In addition to doing different duties for the family, he also played a very important role in my life. He consistently paid our school fees throughout our studies. I am now educated, thanks to my father who was selfless, hardworking and devoted to his family. This is contrary to the perceptions or images that have been portrayed by other sections of the media and the Zimbabwean community who have denigrated and stigmatised veterans of the Second Chimurenga. My father told me that he failed to further his education because his parents could not afford the tuition fees. He, however, vowed to ensure that he would provide all his childrens’s educational needs. I did primary and secondary education in Chitungwiza before I went to Nyamatikiti High School in Rushinga and enrolled at Midlands State University for my first degree in English and Communication. I respect my father for sending me to school and I am his proud daughter who has achieved some of my goals in life. It is marvellous to note that my father never hesitated to provide for me as a girl child. Today, the man who used to narrate stories about how he fought bravely in the war does not want to be reminded about it, so much that he decided to take refuge in the church. There was so much bloodshed and he lost so many friends. Now at 23 years, when I contemplate about my father’s experiences, I realise that beneath the thin veneer that covers the mild-mannered man are scars that run deep in to the soul. His silence at times resonates in every household of everyone who went through the traumas of the Second Chimurenga. Whatever is said about war veterans, I thank my father for making me what I am today and giving me the name ‘Gracious’.

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