Standard Style 8 June 2014

The Standard 

StyleISSUE JUNE 8 TO 14, 2014 

6 

Star Profile 

Kudzai Sevenzo 

Artist 

Inside 

Jesse-Priestly 

style@standard.co.zw

2 THE STANDARD STYLE / CONTENTS 

JUNE 8 TO 14 2014 

P07 P09 P15 P17 

The Standard 

Style 

Contents 

Woman & Man 

Home & Garden 

Food & Drink 

Family 

Arts 

3 Woman Profile 

Kudzai Sevenzo 

9 Home of the Week 

Enter our competition 

14 Eating Out 

Amanzi 

19 Family of the Week 

Chapfunga family 

25 Breaking New Ground 

Mazoe children 

5 Women Motivation 

Experiencing my Passion 

10 Trends 

Bathroom Trends 

15 Food Fest 

Diplomatic reception 

23 Mobile banking 

CBZ 

27 Bookworm 

The Smaller House 

7 Man Profile 

Jesse Priestly 

12 Gardening 

Low maintenance plants 

18 Drink 

KVW 

24 Family Getaway 

Imire 

28 World Cup 

Hyundai

June 8 to 14 2014 THE STANDARD STYLE / WOMAN / PROFILE 3 

Star Profile 

Kudzai 

Sevenzo 

Kudzai Sevenzo was plunged into the limelight after she 

auditioned for Mnet’s reality TV show, Project Fame 

in which she was chosen as the sole representative 

for Zimbabwe. She made it to the penultimate round 

and shortly after, released her debut album, On a day like this. 

The debut album earned her a ZIMA nomination (Zimbabwe Music 

Awards). She received the “Best New Artist” award at the Celebration Music 

Awards as well as Nescafe’s “Most Inspiring Female of the year” award that 

year. 

Kudzai once again found herself on the world stage when she was chosen to be 

Zimbabwe’s anchor for Mnet’s TV magazine programme Studio 53. She had a 

chance to travel and report on the beautiful cuisine, art and culture of Africa. 

Her latest album which received rave reviews, is entitled, Child of Afrika. It has 12 

tracks. Kudzai also hosted a radio show for Zimbabwe’s first privately-owned radio 

station Zi-FM. The exciting breakfast show called “Get Lifted” was a favourite on Sunday 

mornings. 

An outstanding performer and artist Kudzai runs a top jazz band. She has performed at 

festivals and private functions in Southern Africa and Europe. Her passion is music and film. 

“I love music and film. People, life experiences - both good and not so good, my highs and lows 

with my relationship with God, that all inspires my creativity and passion.” 

One of her memorable experiences was having breakfast with the first female president of Africa, Ellen 

Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia during her stint on Studio 53. She got to “watch” Sirleaf on a normal day, 

interviewed her and followed her on the job. 

One of the highlights of her career includes an AMAA nomination (African Movie Academy Awards) for 

her lead role in Zimbabwe’s first chick flick, Playing Warriors. She was recently appointed as Proudly 

Zimbabwean Foundation’s Brand Ambassador. The foundation held the BIN-IT campaign, which has 

been successful in eliminating litter in Zimbabwe cities’ central business districts. She 

also speaks at various youth groups and press conferences on the danger of 

litter build-up in communities. 

Kudzai was also a spokesperson for Zim Cares for Life, an organisation 

that shelters teen pregnant girls that are destitute. 

An ambassador for KidzCan, Kudzai is involved with the 

trust that helps kids with cancer. 

Her music is a fusion of jazz and soul with a powerful influence 

of African rhythms. Her sultry voice and thoughtprovoking 

lyrics draw you in at every performance. Ella 

Fitzgerald is one of Kudzai’s all-time favourite jazz musicians. 

She has also worked with some of Africa’s finest 

artists including Oliver Mtukudzi, Judith Sephuma and 

Ringo Madlingozi. Currently Kudzai is working on a new 

film that will be produced this year. 

If she had not been a musician, Kudzai believes she would 

have been an interpreter or a translator, “I loved learning 

new languages,” she says.

4 THE STANDARD STYLE / WOMAN / FASHION 

June 8 to 14 2014

June 8 to 14 2014 

THE STANDARD STYLE / WOMAN / INSPIRATION 5 

EXPERIENCING 

my 

PASSION 

CONTINUED PART 4 

EVENT Management is definitely not for the faint 

hearted. The characteristics that come to mind when 

I think about my line of work are: passionate; organised; 

patient; tolerant; understanding; enthusiastic; 

flexible – to mention just a few. An event manager needs 

to be cool, calm and collected. You have to have good people 

and communication skills in order to be effective. Time 

management is essential. The ability to think on your feet 

and manage a crisis without going into panic mode is critical. 

Events are all about creativity and attention to detail, 

and normally it’s the seemingly small but extremely significant 

details that are forgotten. I have also learnt, however, 

that no matter how long and detailed your checklist may 

be, there will always be situations you will find yourself in, 

that are neither on that checklist, nor are they found in any 

of your “Wedding Planning 101” books. 

There are so many details that I would never have considered, 

until I was faced with a situation that revealed a gap 

in my plans. Imagine a wedding ceremony procession. The 

groom and groomsmen walk down the aisle to the altar, followed 

by the bridesmaids and the flower girls. At that moment 

when the bride’s song starts playing she turns to me 

and says “Rufaro, where is my brother? He is supposed to 

be giving me away!” 

All eyes are on the bride, the groom is watching his bride 

standing at the back of the church, wondering why she is 

not walking down the aisle. And I had no idea where her 

brother was. I finally got hold of him on the phone, and he 

was 22kms away from the venue. So, I managed the crisis, 

but learnt that this is a significant detail that I needed to 

add to my checklist. 

My role as an event manager is to plan, advise, recommend, 

organise, coordinate, mediate, manage and control 

an event. I wear the bride and the groom’s hats – and very 

often, these are different hats. I also wear the family hat, 

because it is my personal belief that a wedding is a family 

event and they should not be side-lined, but final decisions 

should be made by the bride and the groom. When it comes 

to family, communication and mediation skills need to be at 

their best. An event manager has to see things from everyone’s 

perspective and have the ability to communicate well 

at all levels. 

Every event is a project. I research on “what’s hot, and 

what’s not” in order to create a unique event for my clients. 

One of the most challenging parts of event management is 

finding the right event vendors. The service providers that 

you choose to work with can either make you or break you. 

Every event manager needs to be well connected, and have 

an extensive network of reliable, professional event service 

providers. You also need to insist to your client that you only 

work with vendors who are tried and trusted. Many clients 

fail to understand why this is so important to an event manager. 

It takes one unprofessional service provider to destroy 

your good reputation. With a corporate event, you may get 

lucky and be given another chance to redeem yourself at 

their next event, but with a wedding – it’s a once in a lifetime 

event that cannot be re-done. 

Now, if you’ve been following my story, you will know that 

I have learnt many lessons from past experience. It’s one of 

the best and most stressful ways to learn how to be efficient. 

So when it comes to event vendors and their services, I will 

insist that my clients make their decisions within my recommendations. 

I insist on this before they hire me. I will give 

them at least 4 options to choose from, and each of these options 

are tried and trusted. 

If they refuse to work with my recommendations, I will not 

take them on as clients. This may sound unreasonable, but in 

this business, all eyes are on you at the event manager. Even 

if I did not endorse the company that is making the wedding 

cake, when that cake collapses on the wedding day, all 

eyes are on me. If I did not recommend the DJ, and he 

suddenly announces 5 minutes before the ceremony, that 

he doesn’t have the bride’s processional song, that bride 

will probably be upset with me for a very long time after 

her wedding even though she chose the DJ herself 

– and people tend to share their bad experiences much 

more than the good ones. Yes I have had to deal with a 

cake collapsing at a wedding. I have had an unpleasant 

experience with an MC who needed copious amounts of 

“Dutch” courage in order to direct an event. He kept taking 

short breaks, and we eventually realised that he was 

inebriated when he started to insult some of the guests, 

and even invited one of the waiters to give a speech. 

Then there was a new caterer I decided to try out – this 

company came highly recommended from a friend. So I 

set up a tasting dinner with the caterer and my client. 

The caterer arrived for the tasting dinner 2 hours late 

and forgot to bring some of the dishes he had prepared. 

The tasting dinner was at the bride’s home, her parents 

and the groom’s parents were in attendance. The food 

was a disaster. When my clients voiced their concerns, 

his excuse was that his mother normally does the cooking 

and she was currently on holiday. So I was guilty by 

association. If I had been the client I would have lost 

confidence in the event manager. 

As an event manager, you always have your clients’ 

best interests and desires at heart, but this should not be 

at the expense of your business. You have to have your 

professional boundaries, because your image is important. 

If a client is not willing to work with your terms 

and conditions, sometimes it is better to walk away if 

you feel that your image will be compromised. 

Most of an event manager’s business comes through 

referrals, so you would rather turn down a client to save 

your reputation. I am only as good as my last event. 

Rufaro Mushonga

6 THE STANDARD STYLE / MAN / FASHION 


June 8 to 14 2014 THE STANDARD STYLE / MAN / PROFILE 7 

Star 

Profile: 

Jesse-Priestly Nengere 

Born Pride-Priestly Nengere in Harare on the 19th of April 1983, began singing at the age of four, and had written 

his first song by the time he was eight. His first public appearance was at age eleven when he started leading 

worship in ZAOGA FIF at a Glen View 7 Assembly which was attended in a garage. 

Jesse, whose albums include “I Can Hear Your Voice” (2003), “Be Encouraged” (2009), and “Totally Free” (2013), 

is an exceptional worship leader and artist who grew up in Glen View 7. The singer, songwriter, producer, and arranger 

all rolled into one has worked with legendary musical groups such as New Life Covenant Praise, Israel Houghton, 

Zimpraise and Call To Worship Africa. He has shared the stage with gospel greats such as Donnie Mcclurkin, Pastor 

Marvin.L. Winans, Lionel Peterson, and Kirk Franklin. 

Currently he is a Worship Leader at Jabula New Life Covenant Church Zimbabwe under Bishop Tudor Bismark, and 

a member of the Multi Grammy Award Winning Artist & Group Israel Houghton and New Breed [New Breed Africa]. 

The Standard Style caught up with him to get to know the talented young man a little more: 

1. Who is Jesse Priestly? Give us a brief background about yourself. 

I am a 31 year old young man who loves God. 

2. Please describe your passion? What inspires your passion? 

Music & Ministry. I love reaching out to people and affect lives with a good message, God’s word. 

3. What do you enjoy the most about what you do? Why gospel music? 

Being creative and expressing my gift for God’s glory, Gospel or Christian music because 

Jesus Christ loved me first. 

4. What is your most memorable show? 

Lagos, Nigeria The Experience 2012 

5. Any childhood memories that are close to your heart? 

Growing up in Glen View 7 with Mum & Dad, my brothers and sisters was fun, especially 

when the Ice Cream Man came Saturday’s & Sunday’s 1989. We had fun. 

6. Has the negative publicity about Zimbabwe affected your career? 

No it has not, It has made it better and much more appreciated. People who 

stand out in a time of turmoil become a beacon of hope of the nation and to 

the nations. 

7. You also sing with Israel Houghton? Tell us more about that. If you had not 

been a musician, what career would you have pursued? 

I am a member of Israel Houghton & New Breed Africa an extension of 

New Breed USA. I would be a Chef. 

8. What are some of the perceptions about the music industry that are not 

true? 

That you make it overnight and that you will last in the lime light 

forever. People are constantly looking for something new but it’s the 

relationships you establish on your way up and in your time of influence 

that will sustain you. 

9. Who in your opinion exemplifies excellence in the gospel music industry? 

Israel Houghton and I am not biased. 

10 Are you married? 

No I am not married but bells are ringing and it’s strictly by invite. 

11. Any professional or personal regrets? 

No regrets. There are certain things I have done that felt right at 

the time but they didn’t work. I got valuable lessons along the 

way both professional and personal. 

12. I’m informed that you have a new album coming out. What should 

your fans expect from the new album? 

Fireworks BOOOOM BOOOOOOM. #Totallyfree 

13. Do you sing any other music that is not gospel? 

Professionally big “NO.” Got a few personal favorites I sing for 

my love. 

14. Where would you like to see Zimbabwe in the next 5 years? 

Established, Facing forward & a 100% Godly nation.

ZOC 12023 

8 THE STANDARD STYLE / MAN / WHEELS 

Volkswagen Amarok 


A stylish workhorse 

Fact Jeke 

VW has up its game by introducing 

a new light commercial 

vehicle which came onto 

the market in 2010. Many of 

you have probably seen the pick up 

truck on the streets of Harare. 

It’s stylish and fit for the rough 

work too which is why I would really 

want to meet its designer Walter de 

Silva just to ask him how he managed 

that. 

I’ve driven trucks which have 

made me loose my lunch….why…because 

the handling and suspension 

on a truck is always so messed up 

that I shake half the drive…but not 

with the Amarok. The name sounds 

sexy too and I can assure you it 

drives well. I tell you this is no ordinary 

truck. The Amarok range consists 

of single cab and double cab, 

combined with either rear-wheel 

drive or 4motion four-wheel drive, 

and is powered by Turbocharged Direct 

Injection (TDI) diesel engines. 

VWCV considers the Toyota Hilux, 

Nissan Navara and Mitsubishi Triton 

to be Amarok competitors. 

Following its Launch in Argentina, 

the Amarok was a key support 

vehicle in the 2010 Dakar Rally with 

45 vehicles participating. German 

rocker, founder of the Scorpions, 

guitarist Rudolf Schenker, is a supporter 

of the Amarok and himself 

drove one during the 2010 Dakar 

Rally. So you see it’s a celebrity endosed 

vehicle. 

The Amarok is powered by a 

range of Turbocharged Direct Injec- 

tion (TDI) common rail diesel engines, 

and Fuel Stratified Injection 

(FSI) petrol engine. 

The engine range consists of two 

2.0L Turbocharged Direct Injection 

(TDI) common rail diesel engines 

which is taken from the Volkswagen_Transporter_(T5), 

it has been 

tuned for more torque but less power; 

the entry-level version produces 

90 kW which develops a maximum 

torque of 340 Nm from 2000 rpm. 

The top of the line bi-turbo version 

produces 120 kW which develops a 

maximum torque of 400 Nm from 

1500 rpm. 

Fuel consumption in a combined 

cycle format is as low as 7.6 L/100 

km on the rear wheel drive variant 

to 8.1 L/100 km on the 4Motion theoretically 

giving the Amarok a 1,000 

km range before filling up for fuel. 

The Amarok has three drive concepts: 

rear wheel drive, Shiftable 

4Motion and Permanent 4Motion. 

The Shiftable all wheel drive system 

can shift drive between the axles 

whereas the Permanent full time 

all wheel drive system distributes 

power through a Torque Sensing 

(Torsen) differential with a 40:60 ratio 

between the front and rear axles. 

It’s available in base version, 

Trendline and Highline. The base 

version comes equipped with 16- 

inch steel wheels, height-adjustable 

front seats, variable folding rear 

bench seats, locking glove box, cargo 

platform lighting, antenna integrated 

within wing mirrors, manual 

window regulators, manual door 

locking and manual wing mirror 

adjustment. The front bumper, wing 

mirrors and door handles come in 

black. 

The Trendline grade has over the 

base version electrically operated 

door locking, electric windows and 

wing mirror adjustment as well as 

a radio with a CD player, climate 

control (Climatic), multi-functional 

display, cruise control, front fog 

lights, 17-inch aluminium wheels. 

Also painted in the body colour are 

the front bumper, door handles and 

wing mirrors. 

The Highline grade has over 

the Trendline part chrome mirror 

housings, chrome strips on radiator 

grille and around the fog lights, 

chrome rear bumper bar 18-inch aluminium 

wheels, automatic climate 

control (Climatronic), leatherette/ 

leather fabric on the interior. 

The pickup’s active and passive 

safety systems and convenience features 

all match up to passenger car 

levels. Yet the Amarok is extremely 

rugged. In both concept and style, 

the Volkswagen Amarok is clearly 

influenced by the new Volkswagen 

Design DNA. This is reflected in its 

typical emphasis of horizontal lines, 

in the well-defined interplay of body 

surfaces and high precision of its 

workmanship. Specifically, one of its 

most prominent identifying features 

is the visual unit formed by the horizontal 

headlights and radiator grille 

and decorative trim accents. Extending 

back from the vehicle’s front 

face is a surface that develops over 

the fender contour to the side windows 

and encloses them in an arch. 

The cleanly sculpted curvatures of 

the pickup’s side body panels and 

engine hood give the Amarok the 

typical rugged look of a pickup. At 

the rear, the prominent Volkswagen 

logo catches the eye on the tailgate 

whose smooth surface still embodies 

a high level of excitement. It is 

framed by the pickup’s taillights 

whose distinctive signature is their 

characteristic night design. 

The truck’s exceptional interior 

dimensions make it the most spacious 

in its class. The vehicle’s 

finely tuned ergonomics are typical 

of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles 

and the Amarok. Easy entry, a 

generous seating layout and lots of 

headroom characterize the workspace 

behind the wheel. Ample legroom 

on the rear bench also makes 

the Amarok a full-fledged five-seater. 

When only two persons are aboard, 

the rear seat folds to increase interior 

cargo space. 

When pulling a trailer, the pickup 

can handle up to 2.8 metric tons of 

trailer load. 

What more can you ask for… 

starting from under $50 000.00, this 

could be yours. 

Till next week…be safe. God bless 

you. 

Contact me via email on missjeke@gmail.com 

or on facebook 

torquewith fact jeke 

Two good to be true 

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Permanent 4 x 4 + new dual exhaust 

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WARRANTY – 36 MONTHS OR 60 000 KM’S 

CLUB CHAMBERS SHOWROOM: 

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Tel No’s: (04) 882 560, 882 310

THE STANDARD STYLE 

HOME & GARDEN 

COMPETITION 

Send us a picture of your Home and enter “ZIMBABWE’S MOST BEAUTIFUL 

HOME” competition and stand a chance to win a self catering holiday for 

two couples in the picturesque Eastern Highlands 

style@standard.co.zw 

Specification: JPEG minimum size 

2MB picture quality 300dpi 

This week’s code: 

STDSTYHM05

10 THE STANDARD STYLE / HOME & GARDEN / TRENDS 

Bathroom 


interior 

2014 

design 

trends 

Geometric 

patterns 

Dark wood 

bathroom 

flooring 

Marble 

Shack style 

Lounging 

comfort 

Patterned bathroom floor tiles are 

all the rage for 2014. Look for fashionable 

geometric designs that have 

a retro flavour. Mix these new patterns 

with old-school elements for 

a super-stylish scheme: Choose an 

old-fashioned claw foot bath tub, 

vintage-style tongue-and-groove 

wall cladding and traditional accessories. 

This is a key 2014 trend for both 

bathrooms and kitchens - chic 

wood-effect porcelain tiles that 

give you all the warmth of wood, 

with the practical features of ceramic. 

Choose a realistic patterned 

design for your bathroom scheme 

and look for on-trend, large, rectangular 

tiles. For a really modern 

result, use the same tiles on your 

floor and walls, which gives a fluid, 

cladding-effect that’s practical as 

well as chic. 

It’s 2014’s hottest natural material, 

but real marble can be pricey, so 

shop for realistic digitally-printed 

marble tiles instead. The latest 

trend is for 1980s-style wall-to-wall 

marble, so more is more; Tile walls, 

floors and even your bath panel with 

chic marble-effect tiles. By using the 

same size and type of tiles on all 

surfaces, you can make a space feel 

much bigger, too, so this is a great 

trend to embrace if your bathroom 

is on the small side. 

Most of us don’t live in a beach hut 

or a surf shack, but it’s easy to bring 

this 2014 take on ‘coastal’ to your 

bathroom with a few clever decorating 

decisions. Clad walls with whitewashed 

wooden boards or tongueand-groove 

paneling and paint your 

floorboards white. Complete the 

look with white-painted shabbychic 

storage units and simple, white 

wicker accessories. A striped bath 

mat finishes this updated seaside 

theme. 

This 2014 bathroom trend is all 

about rounded corners and sleek, 

curvaceous details. Shop for a 

curved bath tub, a curved or circular 

mirror and include curved 

decorative details wherever possible. 

Bathroom basin cabinets 

are traditionally boxy, but 2014’s 

new curved designs not only look 

gorgeous - they’re practical, too, 

freeing up precious floor space. 

This is particularly useful if you 

have twin basins, as each user 

will have more elbow space when 

washing. 

Our bathrooms are evolving - 

they’re not just spaces where we 

wash - they’re also spa-like places 

to relax and unwind in. This 2014 

bathroom trend incorporates décor, 

furniture and accessories we 

might usually associate with living 

rooms or bedrooms and blends it 

with the bathroom for a really comfortable 

room that’s a pleasure to 

spend time in. Forget cold, clinical 

wash rooms - this look is all about 

colour and comfort. Incorporate an 

armchair, cushions, vases, books, 

moody (bathroom safe) lighting 

and fluffy rugs to create ‘hang out’ 

lounge bathroom. Avoid white and, 

instead, choose coloured cabinets 

for a strong decorating scheme - just 

as you would in any other room of 

the home. 

Curves 

and corned 

edges 

Monochrome glamour 

Bathrooms can be just as elegant as any other room in your home, with this 

stunning 2014 trend. Stick to the key colour combination: black and white, 

and add decorative details for a striking, glamorous effect - think, ornate, 

patterned wallpaper (suitable for bathrooms) and a glittering chandelier 

light fitting. Continue the high-end, chic look with smart shutters at the 

window and a statement feature wall in velvety black paint. - UKTV


THE STANDARD STYLE / HOME & GARDEN / INSPIRATION 11 

Winter warmer: Chocolate, 

Coffee and Cream 

Treat your home this season by giving it a cosy warm winter interior. 

Don’t be afraid to use your imagination and make each room reflect 

your personality and preferences. Whilst keeping it practical. This 

week our colour scheme is inspired by our delectable winter indulgences 

- chocolate, coffee and cream. 

The finish you choose for your walls is probably one 

of the biggest decisions you have to make when you’re 

designing as they are the biggest most prominent 

feature in the room. 

Creamy hot chocolate is a great feature wall colour 

for making a statement in a living room. You can set 

off your living room furniture against this decadent 

colour making them stand out. 

If your lounge suite is brown don’t panic. Accessories 

are your lifeline. Keep things simple and bring interest 

to the space with highlights of colour through your 

accessories and art. 

Rich, tactile textures such as leather, sheepskin, suede 

and velvet, can be used to build up layers of warmth 

and character. 

Remember, the idea is to use the colours mixed 

and not matched. For a less dramatic but equally 

same effect, choose a wall to make a focal point 

in your living room. Go ahead and rescue those 

old family photos and get them up the wall so you 

can enjoy them. Visit a professional frame shop 

to help select out the right frame for each piece. 

Once framed group them together for impact on 

your wall. A great tip is to keep these prints black 

and white. When you photograph people in colour, 

you photograph their outfits. But black and white 

captures the essence of a natural setting and goes 

past the exterior to photograph the soul. 

Add mellow mood to your dining room by choosing 

your favourite glass vase, set a collection of cream 

candles into it and fill the base with coffee beans. 

Then select other items in a similar colour from 

table runners to flowers. Don’t be afraid to go for 

texture in fabrics. But avoid lots of pattern as these 

tend to always distract from the simplicity of the 

look. 

There’s nothing quite like snuggling up to a warm cup 

of coffee with a spew of sweet cream to cozy up those 

cold days. 

Bring this same indulgence into the way you accessorize 

your space. Filled, empty, individual or grouped, vases 

offer the perfect finishing touch for any room. 

Winter is all around you, so don’t neglect your bedroom as well. Use banding on cushions, pull 

out the throws, add a fluffy bean bag for a wintry, cosy feel. 

Enjoy snuggling into your home this week. 

Email: tracy@spacework.co.zw 

Cell: +263 772 277397

12 THE STANDARD STYLE / HOME & GARDEN / GARDENING 


Last week we discussed tips for creating a low 

maintenance garden. It was pointed out that if 

you have ever gardened at all, you know there is 

no such thing as a maintenance free garden. In 

this issue we discuss how to choose the actual low 

maintenance plants. Even fake flowers need to be dusted. 

Many people enjoy the work that goes into creating 

and maintaining a garden. However, if you are someone 

who prefers to cut back on some of the gardening 

chores, there are perennial plants that can definitely 

be considered low maintenance. Here are some tips for 

how to find them. 

How to 

choose low 

maintenance 

plants 

1. Is it suitable for your growing conditions? 

There are plenty of lists touting themselves as the easiest 

plants to grow, but the topic is more subjective than 

it might appear. Plant needs vary greatly and if your 

garden can’t provide for those needs, it will quickly 

become a high maintenance plant. So the first step to 

finding lower maintenance plants is to take inventory 

of the growing conditions in your yard. 

Sun exposure: The number of hours of sunlight is 

crucial information. Most plants are labelled as full 

sun, partial sun/shade or shade. A plant that needs 

full sun will not flower well and will be prone to weak 

growth and disease if it is planted in the shade. Shade 

loving plants will dry out and/or burn, if planted in 

full sun. 

To complicate matters a bit more, afternoon sun is 

stronger and hotter than morning sun. In areas that 

are prone to extreme heat or dryness, full sun plants 

often do better with a little afternoon shade. And 

the amount of sun exposure will change as the days 

lengthen and shorten, so a spring blooming plant that 

needs full sun will be fine planted under a deciduous 

tree that won’t leaf out until that spring bloomer has 

finished blooming. 

Drainage: The root system is a plants foundation 

and it is directly affected by the amount of water held 

in the soil. Water will collect in poorly draining sites 

and in heavy clay soil. Some plants like being a little 

soggy. Other plants will develop root rot, in standing 

water. Conversely, plants that need a lot of moisture, 

like ligularia and cardinal flower, will struggle to stay 

alive in dry, sandy soil. 

2. Is the plant itself low maintenance? 

Life Span: Plants only have to be expected to live three 

years, to be considered perennial. No plant will live 

forever, but for a lower maintenance garden, you will 

want to look for plants that live at least five years and 

preferably longer. Peonies and bleeding heart will be 

happy to grow for decades, while rose campion and 

many coreopsis varieties will start to disappear a little 

more each year. 

Actual Maintenance Required: All plants need 

some pruning and grooming to remain looking their 

best, but some need constant attention. Here are some 

features to check before selecting a prima dona for 

your garden: 

Deadheading - Many repeat blooming flowers will 

only rebloom if the faded flowers are removed, or 

deadheaded. If you can steel yourself to shear back 

your veronica and roses, you will get more blooms. 

Otherwise you would be better off looking for plants 

that shed their own flowers, like the newer daylilies, or 

plants that bloom once but for a long time, like astilbe. 

On a similar note, the leaves of some plants start to 

look tattered by mid-summer and need to be cleaned 

up. This is especially true of spring flowers, like lungwort 

and brunnera, but also applies to re-peat bloomers 

that need reinvigorating, like daylilies. 

Dividing - Most perennials will need division at 

some point in time, but there’s a big difference in the 

effort required to keep an ornamental grass divided 

every other year and dividing catmint every 8 - 10 

years. Plants with long tap roots do not like being disturbed, 

so if digging and dividing is something you 

dread, look for tap rooted plants like butterfly weed, 

bugbane and baptisia. 

Staking - If you have enough plants in your garden, 

they can effectively stake or support each other. 

But some plants really like to flop and look best with 

some type of staking. Tall plants, like dahlias and delphinium, 

can easily get knocked down with a strong 

wind or downpour. Putting the stakes in isn’t hard to 

do, but then you need to train and tie those plants to 

the stakes, as they grow taller. 

Problem prone - Avoiding plants that are known to 

be prone to disease or are bug magnets should be a no 

brainer, but we always think we’ll be able to stay ahead 

of the problem. How else to explain why so many people 

grow roses, even though black spot is a given? You 

don’t have to limit yourself to only plants that have 

been bred with disease resistance, but you should 

avoid plants that are known to do poorly in your area. 

Hot, humid summers mean that delphiniums will die a 

slow, lingering death before the season’s end. 

Behaviour problems - This is a nice way of saying 

invasive or aggressive grower. Unless you love a 

plant so much that you can never have enough of it, 

avoid plants that grow by underground runners, like 

New England asters, and plants that tend to self-seed 

thickly, like columbine. For some gardeners, this is a 

welcome feature. However it does not make for lower 

maintenance. 

Evaluating plants by these criteria will help lower 

the amount of work required to keep your garden looking 

great. --About.com


FOOD & DRINK 

1 

In this issue 

of Food & Drink 

(1,2) Amanzi 

(3) Italian National Day 

(4) KWV wines 

2 

3 4

14 THE STANDARD STYLE / EATING OUT / AMANZI 


Amanzi Restaurant at Highlands 

Dusty Miller 

Five-spice calamari with wasabi mayonnaise 

HARARE Restaurant Week ended yesterday! 

June 8 (today) Inter-schools golf competition, Country Club, Newlands 

Polo competition Carnival Cup, Thorn Pk, Mazowe Rd. 

Lunch: Alo, Alo, Arundel; Theo’s, 167, Enterprise Road; Adrienne’s, Belgravia; 

Da Eros, Fishmonger and Great Wall, East Road; Sitar, Newlands; Palms, 

Bronte Hotel; Willow Bean Cafe, Rolf Valley, English roast/pudding US$15. 

(BYOB, no corkage.) Paula’s Place; Wild Geese, Teviotdale buffet/live music; 

City Bowling Club, Harare Gardens (roast pork, apple sauce); Italian Club, 

Strathaven, Mukuvisi Woodlands Coffee Shop; Centurion Pub & Grill, Harare 

Sports Club, Arti’s, New Section, Borrowdale Village; Hellenics, Eastlea 

June 9 Keep fit, Zumba Dancing, City Bowling Club, Harare Gardens. And every 

working night except Fridays. 5:30pm-6:30pm. 

June 10 7pm Line dancing City Bowling Club 

June 11 Farmers’ market, Maasdorp Avenue, Belgravia (next to Bottom Drawer) 

June 11-15 

June 12 

June 13-14 



Vic Falls Mountain Bike Challenge 

(and every Thursday) Tapas night and music by Evicted, 

Amanzi Restaurant, Chisipite 

(and every other Thursday) fun pub quiz at blue@2 Private Wine Bar, 2, 

Aberdeen Rd, Avondale. Booking essential, Tel 0772 856 371 

Needlecraft exhibition, Greencroft Presbyterian Church Hall. 9-4pm 

Birdlife walk, Monovale Vlei, 7am. 

Book launch: “A Hippo Love Affair” Mukuvisi Woodlands 2:30-4:30 

Fathers’ Day (book a restaurant table NOW!) 

Spar family fun run 8am Old Georgians 

Royal Society of St George Battle of Waterloo lunch, Chapman Golf Club. 

Details djclarke@zol.co.zw 

June 17 (and every other Tuesday) Fun pub quiz, Theo’s, 167, Enterprise Rd 6:30 for 7 

Birdlife talk: Waterfowl Count (David Rockingham-Gill and Gonarezhou 

(Andy Fussell) Avondale Sports Club 5:30 





July 4 

July 5 

Dusty’s “What’s on Diary” 

Contributions are welcome, to arrive in good time, bearing in mind 

events in which readers of this page are interested. 

SMS 0733 401 347 or 0776 903 161; (e-mail dustym @zimind.co.zw) 

CUT OUT, KEEP, WATCH FOR NEXT UPDATE 

Karaoke night with Dave and Debbie, City Bowling Club, Harare Gardens 

from 6:30pm. Supper available 

Candlelit bowls, Borrowdale Country Club, soup served. 

Art for Hope exhibition Queen of Hearts restaurant, 1, Hurworth Rd 

Highlands from 2pm 

Fun pub quiz REPS Bar 11:15 sharp 

Greendale Good Food & Wine Appreciation Society monthly lunch Alo, Alo, 

Arundel Village. Twelve-thirsty for 1pm! 

Fun pub quiz Borrowdale Country Club 6:30 

Christmas in July dinner, Borrowdale Country Club. 

Wedding Wow! 39, Argyle Rd, Avondale. 

Car boot sale, Borrowdale Country Club 

It wasn’t exactly the culinary event 

of the year, with little publicity 

other than posters outside the various 

eateries involved and a few annoying 

flyers lashed to lampposts, but 

I hear some restaurants picked up substantial 

extra volumes. 

I received invitation vouchers well into 

the week, but one was for a restaurant 

at which I had lunched the previous 

week and reviewed here last Sunday. 

Restaurateurs were supposed to knock 

together special two or three course 

menus for lunch and/or supper at 

US$10, US$15, US$20 or US$25, including 

drink. 

One of my invites was from beautiful 

Amanzi Restaurant at Highlands and 

as the last time I visited there was June 

6, 2013, it was well overdue for checking. 

I think Amanzi bent the rules, as there 

were no special two or three course 

meals available, instead they “pushed” 

their attractive, always tasty tapas 

menu. 

That’s what the new restaurant manager: 

blonde, bubbly Tessa Bristow, ex-Beit 

Bridge, she’s returned from running 

lodges on the Mozambique islands, 

said. That was in the absence 

of owner Andrew Mama. Andy 

played Rugby Union for Nigeria; 

his two sons play the professional 

13-man Rugby League code in the 

UK. He was on Mud Island cheering 

them on. 

Tessa was running the place and 

acting head chef was the likeable 

Jealous Marubva, from Nyamapanda, 

who has worked all his career 

at Amanzi. 

Tapas (“tapa” is the singular) 

are small platters (sometimes 

saucers) of tasty nibbles: ham, 

cheese, seafood, pickles, great 

breads, etc, originally served in 

Spanish bodegas and bars. An early 

Zimbabwean application of this 

fine gastronomic tradition comprised 

serving quarters of deepfried 

chicken and chips at nearby 

Chisipite! 

Amanzi’s on the right track, serving 

any combination of three tapas 

during The Week, but for what 

initially sounded a fairly eye-watering 

US$25 with a dop. 

But bearing in mind that my selection 

from the simple tapas menu 

was smoked salmon and fresh 

horseradish en croute, (three) 

grilled king prawns with a garlic 

and chili dip and loads of scrumptious 

five-spice calamari with wasabi 

(Japanese) mayonnaise and a 

generously filled glass of chilled 

Nederburg Lyric I don’t suppose 

Nigerian-born restaurateur Andy Mama and schoolgirl 

daughter Yasmin. 

that’s too harsh a price, these 

days, especially at somewhere as 

larney as Amanzi. 

Other canapés available on this 

perm-any-three-from-12 deal were 

a trio of dips: hummus, olive tapenade 

and guacamole, which, sadly, 

a friend described as “dreary” 

and a sushi platter with wasabi 

and pickled ginger, which would 

presumably fully open sinuses! 

Then there was a three soup taster: 

courgettes, Chiang Mai and 

chili pepper; carrot-and-peanut 

spring rolls with cucumber tzatsiki 

(this is definitely fusion food!); 

char-grilled chili beef tsire (from 

Northern Nigeria) skewers and 

Jamaican jerk chicken wings. 

A second prawn dish was tempura 

in a light soy sauce; there was 

spinach, coriander and feta samoosas 

with plum sauce for vegetarians 

and Lake Harvest (one of 

the sponsors) tilapia goujons with 

sticky ginger dressing. 

It was wonderful, sitting on the 

sunny stoep of this venerable 

Colonial-style former dwelling 

in the midst of rolling verdant 

lawns, huge trees, the eponymous 

tinkling water features (“Amanzi” 

means water in Ndebele), eating 

delicious morsels and sipping 

great wine. 

I did hear one or two of the unconverted 

around me quite loudly 

bemoaning a lack of chips, rice 

or sadza with their chosen trios 

and I admit to asking for a roll to 

go with the superbly flavoured, 

superbly cooked calamari, which 

I ate last, splattered in squeezed 

lemon juice. 

The Restaurant Week special 

menu allowed a choice of three 

tapas and a cocktail (Pina Colada 

etc) or a glass of imported wine 

for US$25. My voucher was worth 

US$20, but, thirsty, I relished a second 

glass of US$3 white wine with 

seafood, following it with cardamom 

crème brulee with fruit compote 

(US$7 from the a la carte pudding 

list: all sweets US$7-US$10) 

and filter coffee (US$2) leaving me 

a US$17 shortfall, which I thought 

good value for money at such a 

memorably great operation as 

Amanzi. 

Dusty Miller rating for Amanzi 

(based on a la carte fusion menu) 

Four-and-a-half-stars 

Amanzi Restaurant, 158, 

Enterprise Rd, Highlands. 

Tel: 497768/480883/0772 336 224. 

Child and handicapped friendly, 

but not the sort of place I’d take 

a lightie! Fully licensed, nice bar, 

great garden setting, live music 

some evenings, fun pub quizzes 

each Wednesday night. Plenty of 

safe parking. Booking advised. 

Opens lunch and supper Mondayto-Saturday. 

Grilled king prawns with a chili and garlic dip 

(Neither StandardPlus nor Dusty Miller take responsibility for inaccuracies, 

postponements, cancellations. No charge for entry. 

Deadline 10am Tues prior to publication day.) 

Cardamom crème brulee with fruit compote 

Smoked salmon and fresh horseradish

June 8 to 14 2014 THE STANDARD STYLE /DIPLOMATIC RECEPTION 15 

Italian 

National Day 

at Greendale 

Dusty Miller 

Mrs Roberto Abodi, deputy head of mission at the Italian Embassy, made the welcoming speech on Monday as Enrico De Agostini 

(far right) hadn’t, then, presented his credentials. He did so 

FEW places in the world will have had a nicer 

afternoon to celebrate the Italian National Day 

(Festa della Repubblica) on Monday than that 

experienced at the Italian Embassy in Greendale, 

Harare. (Other than perhaps in Rome itself !) 

The day was pleasantly warm with golden sun in a 

cloudless cornflower blue sky; men were smart, women 

sleek and sophisticated; conversation stimulating; 

there was the lovely aroma of expensive cosmetic fragrances 

in the air, competing with the perfume of the 

Embassy’s well-maintained colourful gardens. 

Other scents included those from a whole juicy roasted 

suckling pig, fresh off the spit and Italian cheeses, 

hams salads and pastas. For the first time in many 

years Italian wine (rather than South Africa) was 

served at this annual glittering reception, a “must attend” 

event among the cognoscenti. 

We toasted the 68th anniversary of the founding of 

the Italian Republic, soon after the end of World War 

II and the defeat of Fascism. By democratic vote the 

Italian people narrowly chose to depose the Royal 

Family (House of Savoy) and become a constitutional 

republic. 

We toasted that historic (sad for many) day with elegant 

flutes of Fantinel Prosecco Spumante (what 

used to be often called Italian champagne) and crisp 

elegant extra dry Minini Soave white wine. The red 

wine was a robust Minini Casa Vinicola Bardolino. 

Zest Hospitality Training and Event staff did the 

magnificent catering and ran the well-stocked bars 

(info@zesttraining co.zw) and there was a splendid 

sufficiency of efficient, polite waitrous in the marquee 

and throughout the landscaped grounds. 

As my new friend Enrico De Agostini was still the 

Ambassador-designate of Italy (having not then presented 

his credentials to President Mugabe), protocol 

dictated that the deputy head of mission, Mrs Roberto 

Abodi hosted the event. At the playing of the Italian 

and Zimbabwean national anthems she was on 

the podium flanked by an officer of the Carabinieri 

(para-military police) taking the salute in the unit’s 

distinctive full dress uniform dating back to the 18th 

century. Enrico stood close by, his wife Mrs Susie 

Russell De Agostini was in the audience. 

The New Ambassador is a fun-loving foodie and wine 

connoisseur and recently cooked a Venetian-themed 

dinner enjoyed by gourmets at Meikles Hotel’s la 

Fontaine Restaurant. In late June this will be followed 

by a dinner celebrating the cuisine of Rome at 

the same venue. 

dustym@zimind.co.zw dustymiller46@gmail.com 

Diplomatic receptions bring together a cross section of the community. Here Former Harare 

Mayor, Much Masunda is flanked by economist John Robertson (left of the picture) and George 

Thomson, who owns Cape Wines (Pvt) Ltd in Msasa. 

The Italian defence attaché is an officer in the para-military police regiment, the Carabinieri, 

but the Embassy declined to give his name or rank for “security reasons”. The unit’s full dress 

uniform dates back to the 18th century, but they also wear modern camouflage and boast a 

parachute and airborne division

16 THE STANDARD STYLE / FOOD AND DRINK 



THE STANDARD STYLE / FOOD AND DRINK 17

18 THE STANDARD STYLE / FOOD & DRINK / WINE 


Raise a glass… 

With KWV red wines! 

Story and pictures by Dusty Miller 

IN discussing KWV’s sauvignonblanc 

range of wines last week, 

I didn’t mean to imply they can 

ONLY be enjoyed with white 

meats, fish, and salad or as a spritzer 

cocktail. 

Nowadays you drink what you 

like, paired with whichever food is 

on the table. So when we get down 

to serving suggestions with this 

week’s KWV cabernet-sauvignon 

(red wines), you can certainly add 

fish, salads, or white meats to the 

list, if that suits your palate; only 

last night (Tuesday) I came across 

friends thoroughly enjoying shiraz 

mixed with Stoney ginger beer as a 

spritzer. The Portuguese in Mozambique 

used to drink a 50:50 mixture 

of cheap (and rough) red wine and 

Coca-Cola, called Catemba; my late 

father-in-law liked it. 

Nothing rough about KWV’s range 

of Cape wines and spirits and we’ll 

look at cabernet-sauvignons and a 

rather larney blend. 

KWV’s entry level cab-sauv is the 

Classic Collection: the winter preceding 

2012’s vintage saw much lower 

than average rainfall in the Western 

Cape. That trend continued into 

the summer, leaving un-irrigated 

growing areas challenged, ultimately 

resulting in yield reductions of 

up to 50%. Irrigated vineyards fared 

better but also showed signs of lower 

soil moisture by way of reduced berry 

size and bunch mass. 

A cooler ripening season with 

even temperatures lead to steady, 

measured ripening of fruit; overall 

smaller berry size and lower yields 

promised great concentration, good 

quality and intense colour in 2012 

vintage wines, which are on the 

shelves here in Zimbabwe. 

KWV Classic Collection cab-sauv 

exudes rich aromas of cassis, dark 

berries and Christmas cake, along 

with nuances of dried herbs and 

cedar-y oak. The palate shows lovely 

structure, juiciness and flavours of 

red fruit and spices. The wine was 

oak matured for eight to 10 months. 

It can be enjoyed now or cellared 

about two-and-a-half years from vintage. 

Serving suggestions: ideal with 

grilled meats, casserole dishes, and 

barbeques or on its own. 

Wine analysis: 13,66 alcohol; pH: 

3,47; total acidity: 5,81 g/l; residual 

sugar 4,76 g/l. 

Expect to pay: recommended retail 

price according to Glen Lorne 

Cellars is US$12,70; between about 

US$20 and about US$33 in restaurants 

and hotels. 

The more prestigious KWV Reserve 

Collection KWV is made from 

fruit of vineyards throughout the 

Western Cape, mainly Stellenbosch 

(34%), Darling (18%) and Wellington 

(15%). 

After two days of cold maceration, 

enhancing colour and fruit flavours, 

the juice was inoculated with a combination 

of specially selected yeast 

strains; alcoholic fermentation lasted 

approximately a week. 

During thi s time, each tank was 

subjected to a meticulously calculated 

pump-over schedule. Only after 

numerous tastings by the winemaking 

team to ensure achievement 

of perfect balance and structure the 

wine was pressed off the skins, then 

racked to barrel where it underwent 

malolactic fermentation, then 

racked from the lees and returned to 

barrel for further maturation. 

This layered and complex cabsauv 

has hints of chocolate, dried 

herbs, dark berries and subtle cassis 

on the nose. Truly rich, it is concentrated 

and generous with a full bodied 

tannin structure and lingering 

finish. 

Wine spent 14-16 months in barrel. 

A 40% portion of the blend was aged 

in new barrels, the rest in secondand 

third-fill barrels. Wood used 

comprised 95% French and five percent 

American oak. 

It can be enjoyed on its own or 

paired with stews, braised ribs, 

grilled beef or ostrich steaks; also 

mild-flavoured cheese. Drink now 

or cellar for up to six or eight years 

from vintage. 

Wine analysis: alcohol 14,39%; pH 

3,55; total acidity 5,89 g/l; residual 

sugar 2,96 g/l. 

Expect to pay: Glen Lorne Cellars 

quotes US$25,30 as rrp; from about 

US$33 to US$75 at the restaurant table. 

Moving to the top-of-the-range 

KWV The Mentors Orchestra blend 

of 2011: it’s from the coastal region 

and comprises 42% cabernet-sauvignon, 

25% merlot, 16% petit verdot, 

13% cabernet-franc and 4% malbec 

grapes. 

The Western Cape’s 2011 harvest 

was warmer and dryer than normal, 

resulting in lower yields, smaller 

bunches and consequently riper flavours. 

Seasonal conditions produced 

sound, fully ripe, healthy grapes 

with resultant wines rich, soft and 

generous in flavour. 

Each selected vineyard was nurtured 

to perfection. Uneven, ripened 

grape bunches were removed and 

only the best bunches selected during 

harvest. The vineyards or parcels 

from blocks were chosen as each 

has some unique characteristic. Sixto-eight 

tonnes per hectare were harvested. 

Bunches were hand-picked 

and sorted in the small KWV 

The Mentors cellar, ensuring 

only the best of each varietal 

went into the blend. 

After fermentation, only 

the most promising 

wines of each varietal 

were chosen to 

mature further in 

barrel. After 12 

months of maturation, 

the best 

wines were chosen 

to mature for another 

period. 

This wine is about 

the selection of the 

best-of-the best. The wine 

was matured in barrel for 

about 18 months 

of which 70% was 

first-fill. Total production 

of this 

rather exclusive 

wine was only 15 

400 bottles; it was 

bottled in January 

2013. 

A classicallystyled 

Bordeaux 

blend, it has a 

touch of new world 

fruit flavours: 

layered savoury, 

eucalyptus, red 

berry and violet 

aromas. The palate 

is well-structured 

with sweet fruit 

flavours and a lingering, 

smooth finish. 

It can be enjoyed now on 

its own or with a variety 

of juicy and flavoursome 

red meat dishes or cellared 

for up to six 

years. 

Alcohol 14,4%; 

pH 3,39; total 

acidity 5,83 g/l; 

residual sugar 

2,7g/l. 

Expect to pay in 

Zimbabwe: around 

US$27,45 at bottle stores 

and supermarkets, probably 

from about US$35-US$85 

subject to the individual restaurant’s 

overheads and mark-up 

policy. 

Dusty Miller recently visited the 

Western Cape as a guest of KWV 

wines and spirits, flying through 

Johannesburg on BA operated by 

Comair. KWV and Bols agents in 

Zimbabwe are Cape Wine (Pvt) 

Ltd, 3, Borgward Road, Msasa. 

Tel 04-446946-7. 

Typical scenes in the rolling wine-lands of the Western Cape; the Manor House at 

Laborie, Paarl where I stayed for part of the tour (Laborie is owned and operated by 

KWV); architectural detail from KWV’s head office at La Concordia, Paarl; Hermann 

Kirschbaum, head winemaker at Buitenwerwachting Vineyards in Constantia, 

Cape Town at a blind tasting between his products and KWV’s.


FAMILY 

Chapfunga family 

Send us pictures of your family and a short caption of your values. Email your 

photos with the weekly code in the subject heading to style@standard.co.zw 

Specifications: JPEG minimum size 2MB Min. 300dpi 

There is no doubt that it is 

around the family and the 

home that all the greatest 

virtues, the most dominating 

virtues of humans, are created, 

strengthened and maintained. 

Sir Winston Churchill

20 THE STANDARD STYLE / FAMILY / TEEN ZONE 


Parenting teenagers 

SUMMARY & PRACTICAL TIPS 

SUMMARY & PRACTICAL TIPS 

PART 2 

A 

few week ago, I spoke of how raising 

teens is a trying time which challenges 

almost every parent, and the 

consequential need for you as parents 

to be well informed and advised as 

to how to handle this tricky phase in the 

growth of your children. 

Understanding adolescence and all it involves 

was emphasised as key to a strong 

relationship between you and your kids, 

Band tips on how to handle them was given. 

These included giving them responsibility 

over their lives, acknowledging the 

changes in their development, engaging 

with your teenager, nding the correct level 

they are at, making regular time together, 

maintaining your role as a parent and 

most importantly, communicating with 

your child. 

Give them responsibility over their lives: 

Teenagers have entered a potentially exciting 

time of their life – with many new horizons 

opening up and personal choices to make – but 

it can also be frightening and confusing and 

may make them feel insecure. Remember, they 

are becoming young adults and as such should 

expect to take responsibility for their actions. 

Being responsible for setting their own alarms 

and waking up on their own is one good example. 

Stop treating them like you would a baby. 

One of the most difficult things about parenting 

teenagers is knowing when to allow 

them to make their own mistakes and when 

it is necessary to step in to avoid disaster. Let 

them wake up late and be late for school one 

morning, and see if they will ever repeat the 

same mistake again. Chances are, they won’t. 

When setting rules and boundaries try to involve 

your teenager in recognising the consequences 

of overstepping them. 

Acknowledge and embrace the change 

and development 

Young people may be juggling many pressures 

and at the same time they will be experimenting 

with relationships, behaviour, tastes and 

lifestyles. Often this is a time of increasing 

pressures at school and college, when decisions 

need to be made about work, careers or 

training. All of this can make teenagers anxious 

and stressed. Your duty here as a parent 

is to understand the changes that are happening 

in your child’s body and mind. Also chip in 

to explain what is happening to them so that 

they get your perspective. During puberty 

many changes happen to a teenager’s body. 

It grows rapidly in height and weight, sexual 

organs develop and the body’s production of 

sexual hormones soars. These changes affect 

teenagers’ behaviour and attitude, and can 

lead to wild mood swings. While this is normal, 

it can be very confusing and sometimes 

even frightening for both you and your teenager, 

thus it is essential for you to be ready when 

the time comes. 

Engage with your teenager 

Adolescence is a time when many young people 

are idealistic. Because of this they often 

find themselves impatient and at odds with 

the adult world. They also tend to believe that 

they have all the answers while most adults 

have none. While this can be very irritating, 

it will work better if you join in the discussion 

and explore each other’s beliefs rather than ignore 

the teenager or put their ideas down. It’s 

all part of finding out who they are and what 

they believe. 

How are teenagers portrayed in our current 

society? The media and commercial world 

strongly influence all of us; many of us will 

in turn be influenced by common views of 

young people and youth culture which portray 

teenagers in a negative light. Young people on 

the other hand may feel that society judges 

all teenagers to be ‘trouble’ – a judgment that 

they often feel is unfair. As a parent you will 

have to take account of the wider social pressures 

that impact on your teenager and realise 

that these will influence all of your views. 

Remember the things that teenagers typically 

say they need; acceptance, responsibility, respect, 

privacy, not to be stereotyped, and most 

importantly, to be listened to. Be patient and 

listen to your teenager’s views – most of all be 

encouraging and show that you care unconditionally. 

Communication 

Like in any other relationship, communication 

with your teenager is vital for a successful 

relationship between the two of you to be 

maintained. This is not always an easy task. 

However, if you talk with and listen to teenagers, 

they will at least know that you are interested 

in them and in what they have to say, as 

opposed to using the top-down approach with 

them. 

This can be very important if they want 

to talk about something that is difficult for 

them, perhaps to ask for help with a health 

or relationship issue, or to tell you that they 

are being bullied. Don’t assume that your son 

or daughter knows how you are feeling – you 

need to explain your feelings to them. This is 

especially important given that in most previous 

generations, parenting in the Zimbabwean 

context was mainly through a top-down 

approach wherein instructions were given 

and obeyed. However, times have changed and 

the importance of mutual communication has 

been acknowledged and encouraged. 

Finding the right level 

There are a number of seemingly small things 

that as a parent you can do to make all the difference 

in your child’s life. You can try: 

• Talking to your child’s teacher about 

their reading and how you can improve it 

at home. They will have probably some 

great ideas and be keen to help. 

• Asking your local library whether they 

run workshops or if they lend our tapes 

and CDs so your child can enjoy learning 

using more modern trends 

• Talking to other parents about what 

books their children find useful and 

swap ideas about what they’ve found 

works for them 

Make a regular time together 

Creating a regular “special time” can help 

you and your teenager form a bond and consequently 

a stronger relationship with each other. 

Do not stick to your own ideas and routine 

as a paret, but try to incorporate their ideas as 

well on how to spend leisure time. Many teenagers 

complain that time with their families is 

boring as they are always forced to either like 

what their parents like, or what the youngest 

children in the family like. Do not sideline 

your teenager, he/she is your child too and deserves 

an opinion on how you spend time as a 

family. Go for the movie, for ice cream, swimming, 

play video game with them, get your 

hair done together and so on as opposed to 

family braais, church activities you like or the 

fun parks your youngest child likes. Fit your 

teenager in. 

Maintain your role 

Most importantly, don’t try to be ‘cool’ and 

your teen’s best friend – you’ll embarrass 

yourself and them. It’s OK to be a ‘fogey’; 

that’s what they see you as anyway – but do it 

with humour. Laugh at yourself. ” 

What makes a good parent? Some of the 

things teenagers say about what makes a 

‘good parent’ include: 

• “someone who listens” 

• “someone you can talk to” 

• “someone who can talk to young people 

and other parents about setting limits” 

• “patience” 

• “someone who can compromise with the 

child and give reasons for setting limits” 

Simply put, your children are saying 

all they need in order to understand 

you more is; 

COMMUNICATION, 

COMMUNICATION, 

COMMUNICATION

June 8 to14 2014 THE STANDARD STYLE / FAMILY / EDUCATION 21 

The vitality 

of Education 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GIVEN the ever changing 

and developing society 

we find ourselves 

in, the importance of 

equipping one with an education 

is inevitable. Education is the basis 

of knowing how to differentiate right 

from wrong, white from black, light 

from dark, hot from cold and generally the 

different aspects of life as a whole. 

And it goes without saying that without this knowledge, 

one runs the risk of being everybody else’s fool. 

It is a common occurrence that the classes of society 

who have not had the privilege of attaining a basic 

education are bullied into submission by the usually 

selfish educated, who have a tendency of using the 

naivety and illiteracy of the former in their favour. 

Time without number we hear of semi-literate 

widows getting a rude awakening upon their spouses’ 

deaths because unbeknown to them, their marriage 

was out of community of property. Farmers 

who sign wrong papers which approve of someone 

else benefitting or taking all their land or harvest, 

artists signing contracts that bind them to arrangements 

that shortchange them, and the list goes on. 

It is amazing how times have changed from eras 

wherein Grade Seven was the ultimate qualification 

everyone had to have, and then came ZJC, then Ordinary 

and Advanced Level Certificates, a basic degree 

and now we belong to a world where it seems only 

people with multiple degrees are worth mentioning. 

It seems that in the new world, one’s reputation and 

social image is more dependent on their educational 

qualifications than their creed, religion, or marital 

status. 

In times past within our country and beyond, a 

woman’s ultimate worth for instance, was measured 

by whether or not she was married and how many 

children she managed to “give” to her husband’s 

family. But there seems to be a paradigm shift now as 

people are becoming more enlightened and now generally 

care more about what they have achieved in as 

far as education is concerned. 

Whilst it is appreciated that some individuals may 

not possess academic abilities or passion for it, it is 

paramount for one to have at least basic education in 

order to understand how the country works on a certain 

curriculum; for instance banking procedures, 

how contracts work, common and international laws, 

day to day conversations, interaction in social gatherings 

as well as general etiquette. 

So whilst one may be a musician whose only care in 

the world is singing or playing the piano, ideally they 

still need a basic knowledge of the system they find 

themselves in as well as rights and duties expected of 

them. This has the consequent result of one being able 

to become a full member of society as they are then 

able to participate actively in all areas that directly 

concern 

them. 

Further 

to 

that, education 

almost 

always guarantees 

one a certain degree of 

inde- pendence as you are then able to 

rely on your own instincts, worldviews and mentality 

and therefore have a broader outlook towards life and 

your career as opposed to your husband’s parents or 

friends’ opinions. It is good to be at least basically 

knowledgeable, open minded, and updated; i.e have a 

rough idea of what is going on around you as you are 

able to participate better in general discussion. 

This will go a long way in your being able to identify 

what makes you a person, what makes you unique, 

what career path is best for you as you will then be 

able to weigh options, and generally what course 

your life should take. 

Conclusively, education plays such a fundamental 

role in our society that it has gradually become almost 

a crucial element for the civilization of human 

society worldwide. Fortunately most governments 

are putting concerted efforts in ensuring that basic 

education is accessible to everyone especially the 

poor and the disadvantaged. 

It has been realized that education does not only 

assist in developing healthy surroundings but it also 

generates an advance community as everything we 

create or do today is based on the knowledge that has 

been acquired through education. One just has to 

think of how basic cellphones, computers, cars and 

so on have become in order to understand that the 

more developed society is becoming, the more necessary 

education is for everyone all across the different 

classes. 

- Prudence Muganiwah

22 THE STANDARD STYLE / FAMILY / HEALTH 


Selina Zigomo 

Adults 

It used to be that, between diabetes and 

hypertension, you would hedge your bets 

against getting one. Suffering from one of 

these diseases seemed a sign of old age and 

was divided between sexes. More men would 

suffer from hypertension and the women would 

be diabetic. It was a post middle age trade-off 

for not succumbing to a premature death. 

Yet, over the last two decades, diabetes and 

high blood pressure conditions have been 

known to commonly occur together and the 

combination is more dangerous than either 

disease by itself. they are now referred to as 

the “deadly twins”. Both diseases have grave effects 

on organs and other parts of the body such 

as your eyes, kidneys, blood vessels and heart, 

which over time can be life-threatening. Furthermore, 

as instances are increasing among 

adults, so it is with our children and teens. 

Young adults are also falling prey due to unhealthy 

lifestyles or increased levels of stress. 

In May 2012, the United Nations released a 

report highlighting that the number of people 

diagnosed with hypertension and diabetes all 

over the world was increasing at an alarming 

rate. Director-General of the World Health Organisation 

(WHO), Margaret Chan was cited as 

saying, “In some African countries, as much as 

The Deadly Twins 

half the adult population has high blood 

pressure.” However, most of these remain 

undiagnosed, even though many of these 

cases could be treated with low-cost medications, 

which would significantly reduce 

the risk of death. 

the reasons why these conditions occur 

at the same time is because diabetes 

and hypertension share similar risk fac- 

tors. High cholesterol, salt, fat and sugar 

diets compounded by inactive lifestyles 

create a predisposition to both conditions. 

Similarly, as risk factors are shared so is 

the likelihood that if an individual suffers 

from one condition they will eventually 

develop the other if the two are not diagnosed 

at the same time. though the actual 

diseases have nothing in common, people 

who engage in lifestyles that predispose them to diabetes 

also tend to follow patterns that put them at risk 

for high blood pressure. 

Diabetes and hypertension are also self-reinforcing. 

the impact on your body from diabetic conditions 

can lead to high blood pressure itself. Consider 

that patients suffering from diabetes already have 

high sugar content in their bodies. One of the many 

consequences of high sugar content is that it causes 

damage to blood vessels, which puts a strain on the 

kidneys ultimately increasing blood pressure in the 

body. Elevated blood pressure can also affect the 

secretion of insulin in the body’s pancreas, resulting 

in higher sugar levels. In this way, the two reinforce 

each other, although the medical processes are 

far more complex in their descriptions. Adopting a 

healthy lifestyle is critical to preventing and treating 

high blood pressure, which in turn reduces your risk 

for heart disease, kidney disease and stroke. the five 

critical areas you should manage are weight, diet, 

salt intake, alcohol consumption and exercise. Not 

only can diet and exercise lower high blood pressure, 

but it can also make your blood pressure medications 

work better. 

Children 

Just as the risks of getting the deadly twins 

conditions are increasing, we must not forget our 

children and how their lifestyles are changing and 

can affect their susceptibility to the two. We can no 

longer afford to just treat hypertension and diabetes, 

but now we must aggressively prevent them. 

Often, the largest cause of childhood diabetes is 

related to genetics as children rarely suffer from diabetes 

due to their lifestyle’s risk factors. Moreover, 

much of the early discussion around childhood diabetes 

was focused on the lesser known type of diabetes 

linked to genetics in part. 

When we now consider hypertension in children, 

this disease has normally been associated with age 

and has not been common in children without preexisting 

medical problems. However, the number of 

children with high blood pressure continues to rise. 

this is largely a result of the explosion in childhood 

obesity, which directly increases the risk of high 

blood pressure and of other diseases, like diabetes. 

However, as more children reduce levels of activity 

in their lifestyles -- shorter break times at school, 

less emphasis on sports and highly sugar processed 

diets, they are at higher risk. Every parent therefore 

should be paying attention to two particular aspects 

regarding their child’s development and growth during 

their health check- ups. 

Firstly, parents should check their child’s body 

mass index when dramatic increases in weight gain 

occur. this helps to highlight any difficulties your 

child’s organs or body may be having in breaking 

down and processing sugars and fats. Secondly, you 

should be looking at what your child eats at school 

and home, especially when you are not around. As we 

already know with adults, a chief determinant of attracting 

hypertension is lifestyle, in particular diet 

and activity. 

However, high blood pressure in children is different 

from high blood pressure in adults. It follows different 

diagnosis guidelines, has different treatment 

options, and different measures of treatment success. 

And while teenagers are typically seen to have the 

same indications of high blood pressure as adults, 

they too are at risk in particular ways related to their 

hormones and lifestyles. the hormonal changes of 

adolescence change some of the dynamics that affect 

high blood pressure risk. Consult your family doctor 

for a more comprehensive understanding in cases of 

early puberty. However, the most common risks will 

be related to genetics or lifestyle. 

the idea is that children should outlive their parents. 

As our lifestyles change, we need to pay attention 

to how these changes affect our children’s health 

and therefore futures. Where we have diseases such 

as hypertension and diabetes that cause chronic conditions 

in our organs, the longevity of the next generation 

is severely under threat. Also as we get older it 

can be extremely difficult to make lifestyle changes, 

so why not start them young?

June 8 to 14 2014 THE STANDARD STYLE / FAMILY / INSURANCE 23 

Mobile banking applications: 

the way of the future 

Faced with increasing challenges, the banking industry 

has been under considerable pressure to 

improve customer experience and reduce operating 

costs. They have responded to the market challenge 

by moving to a client-centric model by introducing 

innovative technologies to cater to the customer ranging 

from ATMs to SMS Banking etc. 

With more and more smartphones coming in the market 

and applications having gained widespread acceptance, 

banks have quickly jumped on to the bandwagon and 

launched their own mobile banking applications. Today 

Zimbabwean banks are using mobile banking as a 

channel to carry out financial transactions such as fund 

transfer, balance inquiry and bill payment. By leveraging 

the power of mobile, they have succeeded in greatly 

enhancing user experience as well as reducing their operating 

costs. 

From the customer’s perspective, mobile banking has offered 

them efficient use of time, real-time tracking and 

control, convenience and ease of use. However, mobile 

banking as with any other technology has brought its 

own set of challenges to both banks and subscribers 

alike. With increasing security breaches, and information 

theft, banks may be mandated to use double authentication 

like one-time password and encryption algorithms 

to ensure that fraud is kept to a minimum. 

From the customers’ perspective too, it is doubly important 

that they are aware of the possibility of fraud and 

take adequate safeguards. Mobile banking is much more 

secure than internet banking due to reduced malware 

in mobile operating systems and lower risk of viruses. 

However, it is important for customers to know and safeguard 

the basics – not using public WiFi or non-secured 

connectivity, not opening phishing emails, being familiar 

with your own banks look and feel and of course ensuring 

that the phone is not stolen will ensure that there 

is minimal risk of fraud. 

In the times to come, banks will move away from using 

mobile banking as a tool to cut operational costs but try 

and leverage the social element of the mobile phone. Besides 

the basic services that exist today, banks will look 

to provide customised user experiences, shopping and 

additional value-added services. Consumers will use 

social networking features to accessing information on 

new products and share their opinions on a real time basis 

using chat or video. Retail banks will no longer adopt 

a one-size-fits-all approach but offer personalised VAS 

services such as shopping, bill payments, discounts, etc. 

These VAS services would be personalised based on data 

obtained from the mobile like location, nature of device 

used and customers’ online behavior. 

The mobile phone will be the primary touch point between 

the customer and financial institutions. By 

improving security and leveraging the consumer’s inherent 

trust in banks and other financial institutions, 

banks can now use the mobile to not just stay relevant to 

the customer but also forge a deeper and longer lasting 

relationship.

24 THE STANDARD STYLE / FAMILY /GETAWAY 


Imire – great 

place to take 

the family 

Rosie Mitchell 

IMIRE is two hours’ drive from Harare and caters 

for day visitors as well as offering pretty lodges 

and food at reasonable rates for those wishing to 

enjoy it longer. A wildlife conservancy providing 

sanctuary and release for many rescued wild 

animals, it is home to a range of wildlife species including 

rhino (very heavily protected, especially following 

the tragic poaching of some precious Imire 

rhino a few years ago), buffalo, elephant, kudu, zebra, 

giraffe, kudu, impala and many more. Imire runs a 

world renowned and very important black rhino 

breeding programme, in an effort to help this highly 

endangered species survive the ever-intensifying onslaught 

from poaching for horn believed erroneously 

in China and Vietnam to have medicinal value. In 

reality it has none! Imire lays on lots of activities 

for visitors and this is a great place to take the family 

for a long weekend, especially if you have visitors 

from overseas with limited time to see our wonderful 

wildlife. 

Feedback: rosie@wildimaginings.net


THE STANDARD STYLE /COMMUNITY/ BREAKING NEW GROUND 25 

Children in Mazoe take 

control of their destiny 

Patricia Mabviko-Musanhu 

THE Oxford dictionaries.com defines development 

as a “certified state of growth or advancement; 

a new and advanced product or idea or an event 

constituting a new stage in a changing situation”. 

Many a times when we talk development with reference 

to communities for example, we are usually referring to 

change which is to be brought about through ideas prescribed 

by a “learned” or “knowledgeable” individual 

or group of individuals. By virtue of their knowledge 

or learned status, the individual or individuals seem 

in most cases to display an unfair advantage to singlehandedly 

dictate or prescribe that change. Whereas it is 

necessary for one to be knowledgeable in order to effect 

meaningful change in any situation, it is equally important 

to involve and co opt ideas of the recipients of that 

change who are on the ground and are in many cases 

not learned. 

Mazoe district in Zimbabwe is a success story of how 

some development agents have teamed up with children, 

their targeted recipients of change, and are depending 

on the children’s meaningful involvement and participation 

to bring about change. This is because the development 

agents appreciate that there can be no effective 

programming for children that does not hear from the 

children themselves and involve them. Like many communities 

in Zimbabwe, Mazoe district is facing challenges 

of abuse and violation of children rights. Instead of 

waiting for adults to do something about it, children in 

Mazoe have decided to take action. They have taken up 

the responsibility of finding out what is happening to 

other children in their community and consequently 

feed this information to organizations which in turn 

take appropriate action based on this information. As 

a result, development agents have set up structured 

groupings of children in Mazoe who are working with 

formalized local government structures. 

One of these structured groupings is in the form of a 

Child Advisory Committee which is working in collaboration 

with community based organizations. It is led 

by chairperson Viola Maredza who is a 13 year old high 

school student. The board has 20 members consisting of 

both boys and girls between the ages of 11 and 15 years 

old. They alert the community based organizations on 

the various child abuse that they come across in the 

community. Because they bring first hand information 

of what is happening on the ground, they are also advising 

implementing organizations on the areas of focus 

as far as programming on children’s rights in Mazoe is 

concerned. 

One of the major successes of these structured 

children’s groupings in Mazoe has been a noticeable 

increase in the number of child centred gender based 

violence cases which are now being reported. 

Some examples include the story of a 13 year old 

girl who had suddenly dropped out of school. 

The committee members noticed this and visited 

her to find out why she had abandoned 

school. The girl consequently revealed 

to her peers that she had been sexually 

abused by her sister’s husband. The committee 

members reported this case which 

has since been taken up by an organization 

that protects children and will go 

through all due process until the child 

has been safe guarded and restored. In 

their day to day surveying in the community 

the committee members also 

came across another 13 year old girl 

who was living in a shack with a 1 

year old child. She had no means of 

sustaining neither herself nor the 

child. Upon further investigations, 

they found out that she had been 

impregnated by a 17 year old boy 

who had then run away. The child 

led committee has since taken up the 

case to relevant organizations and 

both the girl and the child are receiving 

health and psychosocial support. 

There is yet another case of early child 

marriage where a child who should have 

been proceeding to form 1 was married 

off to an old man for economic reasons. 

The committee has also taken up this issue 

with the relevant child protection organization. 

These are just three of many cases 

which have been reported. In all three cases 

the committee members are hopeful that once 

the matters have been dealt with adequately, 

their peers will be afforded an opportunity to continue 

with their schooling with assistance from the 

child protection organization they are working with. 

The Mazoe story is an example of how development 

agents can work with communities effectively to bring 

about meaningful change. The children who are involved 

in the programme are not only helping to bring 

positive change to their communities. They are also being 

empowered to know their rights and are benefiting 

from a leadership and skills training course that they 

receive before they launch out into the c ommunities. 

Viola Maredza Chairperson Child Advisory Committee Mazoe

26 THE STANDARD STYLE / FAMILY /ARTS 


Church plays 

mbira to heal 

Wellington Zimbowa 

WHEN gospel music sensation, 

Fungisai Zvakavapano- 

Mashavave started playing 

the traditional mbira instrument, 

tongues went wagging especially 

within the Christian community. 

How could she “contaminate” her 

appealing gospel message with a perceived 

“pagan instrument”, which is 

widely associated with traditional rites 

like mabira? 

But whoever thought the instrument 

highly associated with traditional beliefs 

of “kupira zvevadzimu” [communicating 

with the dead] could be adopted 

by a Christian church? 

An apostolic church -- Baba Vedu 

Varikudenga Apostolic Church, not 

only dishes out sweet melodies through 

strumming the traditional instrument, 

but they use it in healing sessions. 

“We use mbira as a therapy at our 

church services where we summon all 

the sick to the front and they sit down 

while we play the instrument. 

“After the first session, the sick then 

receive prayers and thereafter we then 

conduct another mbira healing session 

where those who are healed show by 

standing up, dancing and making their 

way out as a way of acknowledging the 

healing powers of the mbira instrument. 

“Ndedze kuderedza marwadzo then 

munhu ozonamatirwa (The mbira is for 

alleviating or lessening the pain before 

they receive prayers),” said the founder 

of the church, Archbishop Gladmore 

Konono who is a mbira player himself. 

But the church doctrine does not forbid 

its members from seeking medical 

assistance from health institutions like 

hospitals and clinics in extreme cases 

of illness, while small illnesses such as 

general body pain like headaches and 

stomach aches are treated their way. 

Traditionally mbira was used to 

channel communication with the ancestral 

spirits, but the church which 

wears white robes, views it as an instrument 

that also has its place in the Bible, 

where they argue that it was played by 

icons such as David to please God. 

The soft-spoken Konono said he only 

embraced Christian doctrines following 

a divine revelation he received in 

2006 to start his own church and also 

adopt the mbira as an integral instrument 

of worship. 

“There is nothing wrong with playing 

mbira. It is not identified by any 

tribal names as it is just God’s instrument 

and the scriptures rightly support 

our position,” said Konono. 

His church does not allow any polygamous 

relationships. 

The church is also heavily involved 

in singing where the unique apostolic 

church’s obsession with traditional instruments 

can never be missed. 

In 2009, they announced their arrival 

on the music scene with their debut 

album Mutumwa Wemasimba which 

had mbira instruments while the video 

came out in 2010. 

Toitamba Nani? was to follow in 2011 

while their latest offering, Moses Pagungwa 

is currently doing well on the 

airwaves. 

The five-track album is in the 

form of social commentary pleading 

for divine intervention in people’s 

day-to-day lives while also advocating 

for social harmony. 

Kumbirai Kuna Baba is an appeal 

to God to save Zimbabwe, 

while Fambai Zvakanaka calls for 

co-existence in society in this journey 

of life. 

The songs on the albums have 

various lead voices with Damson 

Jaricha who was once with the Vabati 

VaJehovha outfit and Godfrey 

Zvenyika featuring prominently. 

Another sure gem, Tichazoonana 

seeks to instill hope among 

Christians that after this life on 

earth, joy awaits them in Heaven. 

Interestingly, while Konono has 

not had any music training, he 

is the one who acts as a producer 

for all the music from his church 

group. 

Upon listening to the songs, 

before recording he advises on 

the tunes to take, including how 

instruments and audio are to be 

fused or whether it is mbira or marimba 

playing. 

The church which is predominantly 

found in rural areas, also 

performed at the Harare International 

Carnival recently after the 

Zimbabwe Tourism Authority was 

impressed by their unique fusion 

of gospel music with traditional 

instruments. 

Archbishop Gladmore Konono 

Masimba Edenga celebrate 

UMC’s long road to salvation 

Wellington Zimbowa 

MASIMBA Edenga 

-- a recognised music 

group within 

the United Method- 

Mist Church has released an album 

titled, 

Ebenezer, tracing the 

church’s history in Zimbabwe. 

The album comes ahead of 

a mega conference this August 

where 30 000 congregants are 

expected to converge for a threeday 

conference at the National 

Sports Stadium. 

Going with the Biblical mean- 

ing of Ebenezer [God has taken 

us this far], the 12-track album 

which starts by a universal call 

to the August conference while 

narrating UMC’s establishment 

in Zimbabwe, resonates well 

with all other Christians, as 

messages of hope, steadfastness 

in Christian work and need for 

peaceful co-existence take centre 

stage. 

“We are celebrating 117 years 

of missionary work in Zimbabwe 

where we have managed to 

make an impact in society. 

“Preaching the word of God 

and getting people to know God 

is in itself an achievement but 

we have gone beyond that, mak- 

ing a mark in education and 

health-care provision together 

with other social services delivery,” 

said Super Takodza, one of 

the band leaders. 

He also revealed that the 

album is set to be promoted 

around the country while the 

group will also tour South Africa 

and Botswana as their album 

is a vehicle to promote the 

upcoming conference. 

“We are happy that this is a 

great milestone for the church 

since it came to Zimbabwe from 

South Africa some 117 years ago. 

So with this album we are saying, 

this is the long road that 

God has taken us through and it 

is actually a celebration of this 

milestone. 

“We are going to use the same 

platform to market one of new 

albums, Jehovha Samasimba, 

said Misheck Mukumire. 

Delegates to the conference 

are expected from the two countries 

to be toured as well as Zambia 

and the United Kingdom. 

Sure favourites on the album 

– which is already receiving 

good airplay on most of the 

country’s leading radio stations 

-- are Mwari Baba Mune Nyasha, 

which gives glory to God for his 

abundant love for mankind. 

Fambai Majoni is a call to 

Christians not to wither in the 

face of hardships which, though 

inevitable, should not be distruction 

in a Christian’s call to 

spread the word of God. 

The motivational lyrics are 

richly-laced with a perfect blend 

of traditional instruments, including 

the drum. 

Led by Bishop Eben Nhiwatiwa, 

the UMC is one of the oldest 

churches in the country with 

its stronghold being in Mutare, 

home to renowned Africa University, 

which is its affiliate. 

The album Ebenezer came 

about after the church’s Zimbabwe 

Episcopal Area commissioned 

Masimba to record it 

ahead of the church conference. 

“It is our role as musicians 

to spread the word of God and 

we are urging all Zimbabweans 

to come and join in the celebrations 

from August 15 to 17,” said 

one the group leaders, Stanley 

Gombakomba. 

The group rose to fame in early 

2000 with their platinum albums, 

Mazambara Volume 1 and 

2, stealing the hearts of many. 

They have performed at numerous 

state functions including national 

galas.

JUNE 8 TO 14, 2014 

THE STANDARD STYLE / ARTS / BOOKWORM 27 

By Bookworm 

ONE of the success blogging stories 

in Zimbabwe has to be The Smaller- 

House. It’s a serialized fictional story 

of a young Small House written by an 

anonymous writer with the pen name Lynda. 

While the blog indulges the common Zimbabwean 

male fantasy that women enjoy being 

smallhouses, the series tries to add some heft 

by padding the story with the complications 

of Lynda’s double life. Lynda painstakingly 

explains the rules of her unique experience as 

she goes along. The Smaller House is not an 

exposé, and it doesn’t look very deeply into the 

small house phenomenon but its worth a read. 

Bookworm managed to do an email Q&A with 

the writer. 

Where did the inspiration to start this blog 

come from? 

The Smaller House is a peephole into some 

of the deeper issues around the Small House 

phenomenon from an angle, not mainly of a 

social account, but especially from the viewpoint 

of an individual. It’s the opportunity at 

this rare angle that inspires the story focused 

on compelling the audience to take a second 

look that inspired the blog. 

Is the choice of being “the other woman” a 

liberative act? 

In the story, Lynda walks into her situation 

innocently. Once in, she is imprisoned by emotions 

and especially, the need for ‘comfort’ 

that even after she finds out that she is bedding 

a married man, she stays in. By the time 

she gets to her second, her conscience is in 

the wrong place altogether. Many young girls 

seem to fall into the same trap. There is always 

a clear motivation behind entertaining a married 

man – be it a cry for intimacy or a ploy to 

get material favours. Sex is usually secondary. 

However, it graduates to attachment and this 

is the place where many cannot back out of. 

At the start, the narrator seems like an ambitious 

young woman from a good background 

The Small House in fiction 

and in a pursuit of a degree at a South African 

university with a good future laid out for her. 

What happened? 

Lynda’s focus is overridden by her misplaced 

priorities. Coming from an overprotective 

background, she desires to experience 

‘freedom’ for the very first time and in the college 

environment, she loses her footing. From 

there, it’s one bad turn after the other – either 

made for her, or influenced by someone else. 

In the story, Lynda speaks about the schooling 

in South Africa and how it separates her 

from her family and God. It’s a perspective 

consciously shared. 

Marriage as a social institution has lost its 

sanctity. Divorce rate is on the increase. There 

are a lot of dysfunctional families with at least 

one of the parents playing truant. Who is to 

blame – smallhouses, the cheating men or the 

wives at home? 

The complexity of trying to figure out who 

is to blame for the increase in divorce rates 

is one that leaves the question unanswered 

almost all the time. Sometimes it’s the husbands, 

sometimes it’s the wives, sometimes 

it’s the third parties. Justifiably, each case 

should be looked at in isolation. However, considering 

that at some point, there lies a point 

of decision, men find themselves choosing 

to get out of the matrimonial confines to bed 

other women and that’s condemnable. As the 

party who took a vow of fidelity, it’s inexcusable 

that they find themselves opting outside 

the marriage setup. 

Lynda describes her relationship with one 

of the men as ‘a surge of excitement backed 

by the thrill of adventure.’ Does this statement 

summarise the smallhouse experience? 

That statement summarizes just one of the 

dimensions of being a small house. Lynda 

comes from a well to do background and she 

has everything she needs. Money is not an object 

(as is the second pillar of the small house 

phenomenon); instead, she is out to find intimacy 

and companionship. So, for a girl in her 

situation, that is the case. It’s an adventure 

she finds great thrill and satisfaction in. For a 

girl out to make money, it’s perhaps bound to 

be something along the lines of ‘A lucrative affair 

with sensual fringe benefits). Lynda’s life 

challenges a very prevalent stereotype, which 

holds that women becomes small houses just 

to benefit materially. But in this case its a 

story of a rich girl who just wants someone to 

love her. 

techZim commends your use ‘of alternative 

media.’ Who is your target readership? And do 

you think you are glorifying the ‘smallhouse’ 

experience? 

The target readership for The Smaller 

House is pretty much anyone from the age of 

18; that reservation on age stemming from the 

fact that there are some graphic sex scenes in 

the story. When I started to write the story, one 

of the greatest fears I had was that I would 

somehow paint a positive light on the small 

house experience and even in a way glorify 

them. It remains my biggest hope that I did 

neither and in many ways, one of the strongest 

morals of the story is maintaining sexual 

purity, through the many consequences coming 

out of sexual immorality. 

Another reviewer says, ‘Smallhouse is using 

social media to challenge perceptions towards 

the other woman which mainstream media 

has never really tried to examine.’ What are 

these issues? 

Primarily, The Smaller House challenges 

the assumption that the girls who fall into 

situations similar to Lynda’s are wholly to 

blame for their circumstances. Mainstream 

media never explores the issues in detail; it’s 

generally hold opinions fingering that ‘small 

houses’ are never victims, and especially, that 

all they want is monetary gain – both notions 

which are outright false. Add to that, it sheds 

light to the alternative view I discussed earlier 

about this story challenging existing stereotypes. 

You mention on your Facebook page that a 

US filmmaker has since expressed interest in 

making a smallerhouse feature film. What is 

the state of these negotiations? 

The talks are in infancy because of the various 

issues which come under consideration 

when planning such a production. It’s not 

anything we are going to rush into, but there 

is great energy about telling the story. We are 

even exploring the practicality of making it a 

film or turning it into many parts as a series 

or web show, especially considering the complexity 

of the plot. 

Read blog: www.thesmallerhouse.com 

Feedback: bhukuworm@gmail.com

28 THE STANDARD STYLE / SUPPLEMENT/WORLDCUP 


Soccer Tourism in Bra- 

Hyundai Kicks Off 2014 FIFA World 

Cup Brazil by providing vehicles 

for ground transportation 

With just one week to go before the first kick off, 

Hyundai Motor Company, Official Partner of the 2014 

FIFA World Cup Brazil, delivered over one thousand 

vehicles for the ground transportation of the 

world’s biggest sporting event in Brazil. The branding 

decorations of the 32 buses that will transport the 

teams of the qualified nations were also unveiled. 

Hyundai held an official handover ceremony for the 

cars at Arena de Sao Paulo, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, to 

deliver the branded team buses and the 1,021 sedans 

and vans. The vehicles will ensure the smooth operation 

of the global event, transporting FIFA officials, 

national teams, members of the organizing committee, 

referees and media representatives throughout 

the tournament. 

William Lee, President of Hyundai Motor Brasil 

(HMB), commented: “We are proud to partner with 

FIFA for this exciting football event, while we believe 

that our football engagement has been playing a vital 

role in connecting global customers to our brand. In 

particular, we will do our best to make the 2014 FIFA 

World Cup Brazil one of the most spectacular FIFA 

World Cup’s in history.” 

“A flawless transport operation is critical to the success 

of the FIFA World Cup”, said FIFA’s Secretary 

General Jérôme Valcke. “We are delighted to have 

the support of our Partner, Hyundai, who’s provision 

of the fleet of vehicles ensures that all event 

participants and crucially, the teams, travel in style 

and comfort.” 

The 32 team buses are vibrantly decorated with national 

team colors, flags and the winning slogans of 

the ‘Be There With Hyundai’ competition, a unique 

global initiative run by Hyundai that encouraged 

participation from fans all around the world. Furthermore, 

each bus will be escorted by a speciallydecorated 

Grand Santa Fe, Hyundai’s leading SUV 

model, as part of the company’s exclusive sponsorship 

privileges. 

In addition to the delivery of cars, Hyundai will operate 

a complete Service Team at all World Cup Stadiums 

and FIFA facilities to ensure the best service 

support and assistance to drivers and fleet of cars 

during the entire event. Prior to the delivery, over 

1,000 drivers were trained to become familiar with 

each model, as well as learn about maintenance, safe 

driving techniques and routes. 

Since Hyundai Motor signed the agreement in 1999 to 

sponsor FIFA competitions including the 2002 FIFA 

World Cup Korea/Japan, the company has successfully 

served as the official partner of 2002, 2006, 2010 

FIFA World Cups as well as many other FIFA tournaments. 

In 2010, the company 

extended its strategic 

sponsorship agreement with 

FIFA to cover the 2018 and 2022 

FIFA World Cups. Through 

its successful sponsorship of 

international football, Hyundai 

Motor has significantly boosted 

brand awareness and brand image. 

Web:www.hyundaiglobalnews.com 

Hyundai’s official 2014 FIFA 

World Cup Brazil vehicle 

handover ceremony at the 

Arena de Sao Paulo, Sao 

Paulo, Brazil.


THE STANDARD STYLE / SUPPLEMENT/WORLDCUP 29 

Soccer-loving tourists in the marvelous city 

For the keen tourist who plans to holiday in 

2014, there is no doubt that Brazil is the place 

to be this year. Thanks to the FIFA World Cup, 

tourism is increasingly becoming a major industry 

in the country with the main natural 

draw-cards being the Amazon Jungle, the Amazon 

River, the various rainforests, extensive 

beaches and bays that line the coast, as well as 

the endless unique and fascinating plant and 

animal species found therein. 

Two of the most popular destinations in 

Brazil are Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, which 

offer tourists a peek into the complex heritage 

and natural spectacle of Brazil as the country 

boasts of a unique cultural integrity coupled 

with its absolute beauty. The former, nicknamed 

“the Marvelous City” is considered 

a main tourist destination and is renowned 

for its beaches, annual carnival celebration, 

landmarks such as the statue of Christ the Redeemer, 

historic and modern architecture and 

various museums. As a result of this, Brazil 

has become commended worldwide for its ever-increasing 

attention and emphasis on ecotourism. 

Needless to say, local service providers 

have become aware of the need to promote 

it as they directly benefit from tourists. 

Approximately 3,7 million people are expected 

to find their way to Brazil during the 

2014 FIFA World Cup, and it is estimated that 

the average tourist will attend at least four 

World Cup matches and thus spend a significant 

amount of money during their stay. Already 

shops and merchandisers have begun 

stocking up on World Cup memorabilia such 

as key chains, flags, caps, T-shirts, balls, 

drums, vuvuzelas, mugs and ties. Whilst 1,9 

million of the 3,7 million people expected to 

be in the country during the World Cup are 

those estimated to actually attend World Cup 

matches and FIFA Fan Fests, the other 1,8 million 

estimated visitors will most probably be 

there mainly to enjoy festivities linked to the 

event. 

However, inasmuch as it is presumed 

that the World Cup will do wonders for Brazil’s 

tourism sector, there remains some anger, 

widespread demonstrations and protests 

from Brazil locals against Federation Internationale 

de Football Association (FIFA) who 

feel too much public money is being spent on 

the World Cup while the majority of nationals 

live in squalor. There is a general feeling 

that the football body is taking money out of 

Brazil more than it is bringing in. Having sold 

over 3,3 million tickets -- the highest ever -- for 

FIFA, the tournament is already a financial 

success. 

One is inclined to wonder whether the 

2014 World Cup and the Rio Olympics -- events 

which are at face value a window of opportunity 

for promoting local tourism -- are events 

which actually have any positive effect at all 

for Brazil. This is because there are a number 

of deterring factors that have made it difficult 

for the average tourist to choose Brazil as a 

destination. These include the exorbitant expense 

of travelling to and within Brazil, the 

on-going perception that Brazil is a dangerous 

country with cases of killings for human 

body parts, as well as the general lack of accurate 

and easily available information online 

in English and other languages to travellers. 

This consequently leaves visitors unsure 

about places of interest, events, locations and 

directions thereto. 

Furthermore, it may be the case that most 

visitors will be on very expensive packages 

and won’t be doing much of anything else in 

between the matches except staying where 

they are. This is because while they may be 

keen on touring local culture, they may be put 

off by the apparent expense of flights and accommodation. 

Amid all the protests in Brazil over the 

misuse and misdirection of funds to the World 

Cup as opposed to real issues affecting the locals 

such as public health, there seems to be 

an immediate need to change the image and 

reputation of Brazil. They need to realign 

tourism efforts more towards the needs of the 

independent traveller so as to have a sustainable 

tourism industry throughout the whole 

country and not just for the duration of the 

major soccer event. 

- The Economic Times, Forbes.com

30 THE STANDARD STYLE / SUPPLEMENT/WORLDCUP 


Who 

holds hope 

for Africa? 

So it’s that time in the football 

world again; all across 

nations the 2014 FIFA World 

Cup which will commence 

on June 12, is all that is on football 

fans’ lips. The international men's 

football tournament which will take 

place in Brazil from June 12 to July 

13 2014, will see a total of 64 matches 

being played in 12 cities across the 

country. This is after the national 

teams of 31 countries went through 

qualification competitions that commenced 

in June 2011 to participate 

with the host nation Brazil in the final 

tournament. With the standardbearers 

for African football Ghana, 

the ever-competitive Cameroon, Nigeria, 

Ivory Coast and Algeria, the 

continent has a considerable number 

of reputable teams representing 

it. 

Various predictions are already 

doing the rounds as football fever 

grips nation after nation, but the 

million dollar question on Africa’s 

lips is; who holds the hope for Africa? 

Although The Black Stars, as 

the Ghana national football team is 

popularly known, failed to qualify 

for the senior FIFA World Cup until 

2006, they have scooped the title of 

FIFA Most Improved Team of the 

Year Award and won the Africa Cup 

of Nations four times. In the last 

Fifa World Cup in 2010 which was 

held in South Africa, they were only 

the third African team to reach the 

World Cup quarter-finals. Its main 

footballing rivalry is with the Super 

Eagles; the Nigerian national 

football team – both are generally 

regarded as the two most successful 

teams on the African continent. 

After the Super Eagles’ coach 

Stephen Keshi’s announcement of 

the final line-up which comprises of 

experienced names such as Vincent 

Enyeama, Austin Ejide, Joseph Yobo 

and Elderson Echiejile who were 

part of the squad to South Africa 

2010, it is no wonder then, that most 

fans will bet their last dollars on 

either of these two African giants. 

The Africa Cup of Nations champions 

will be making their fifth 

appearance at the world football's 

key showpiece and are in the same 

group with Argentina, Iran and Bosnia. 

Cameroon, which has qualified 

for the World Cup seven times before 

and boasts of four Africa Cup 

of Nations titles, is another strong 

contender in the world’s biggest soccer 

tournament, although in recent 

years they have failed to live up to 

the reputation of their predecessors 

such as Roger Milla. With coach 

Volker Finke and arguably its best 

player in Samuel Eto'o, Cameroon 

remain a competitive force although 

team captain Eto'o's best days are 

well behind him. 

Algeria, which played against 

Burkina Faso in the compulsory 

African section playoffs, had great 

chances of missing out on the 2014 

World Cup. For the Fennec Foxes, as 

they are commonly referred to as, 

this tournament will mark their second 

appearance at the World Cup. It 

is a good thing that the current lineup 

announced by their coach Vahid 

Hililhodzic, is a much improved one 

from the one that played in South Africa 

in 2010, owing to Hilihodzic’s inclusion 

of promising young players 

especially in attacking areas as well 

as the defensive positions. However, 

this team is still a work in progress 

and have little in terms of big game 

experience within their ranks, thus 

it may be apt to predict that they are 

likely to struggle in Brazil having 

had a poor showing at the African 

Nations Cup. 

Ivory Coast is yet another African 

team which will be battling for a 

title at the World Cup, with much of 

the world’s expectation lying on the 

shoulders of former Chelsea superstar 

Didier Drogba, being the country’s 

all-time record goal scorer, 

as well as talented players such as 

Manchester City’s Yaya Touré, and 

ex-Arsenal winger Gervinho. With 

its baggage of unfinished business 

at the FIFA World Cup having been 

dumped out at the group stage on 

the two occasions they have qualified, 

Ivory Coast also has on its back 

defeats to Argentina and Netherlands 

in their opening two fixtures, 

which subsequently spelled the end 

of their debut tournament. In 2010 

they were unfortunate to be drawn 

alongside two heavyweights; Brazil 

and Portugal. However, things 

should be significantly easier for 

the team this time around as they 

have been placed in the same group 

as Colombia, Greece and Japan, 

teams which pose a much less threat 

than their two previous World Cup 

group mates. 

It is most probable that these 

football legendary teams are working 

flat out in each of their countries 

to be as fit and ready as they 

can be, come June the 12th. With 

each one having its own strengths 

against a bunch of weaknesses and 

shortcomings, only time will tell 

who will bring back pride to the African 

continent. 

– The Economic Times 

10pm

June 8 to 14 2014 THE STANDARD STYLE / WORLDCUP 31 

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Standard Style 8 June 2014

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