A plough for 45 years of service

21 Dec, 2014 - 00:12 0 Views
A plough for 45 years of service Sungayi Mativemba receiving his plough for his 45 years of service recently

The Sunday Mail

Sungayi Mativemba receiving his plough for his 45 years of service recently

Sungayi Mativemba receiving his plough for his 45 years of service recently

Sungayi Mativemba’s life is one that at best can be described as “a numbers game” — tragic in nature but a true example of what one can achieve with a little humility, much hard work and a lot of perseverance.

At 64 years of age, Mativemba has worked for the Harare City Council for 45 years and is roughly two months shy of retirement.

He was one of 832 employees present at the Harare City Council’s recent Long Service Awards, walking away with just a plough as a token of appreciation for all those decades of loyal and unwavering service.

In his time, he worked on building many streets, and was part of the team that re-did Robert Mugabe Square, where the Zanu-PF sixth People Congress was held.

The square boasts of air conditioned marque tents, temporary Presidential offices, rest-rooms and a 3 000-bay parking lot. All this was constructed in four weeks.

Mativemba can tell you how he was part of the team that built roads like Blackwell (1969), Julius Nyrerere (1971) and Robson Manyika (1984).

For all that he gets a plough. But the man from Chirumhanzu is not bitter.

“I have benefited a lot, I have everything a man of my age can ever wish for and bear no grudge to my employers. I have worked for my family, I have seen my grandchildren and have a home so what more can I wish for?” he smiles.

Mativemba has only ever known one employer.

His father, he says, was a hard working subsistence farmer and perhaps that’s where he got his work ethic from.

Unfortunately, his father passed away in 1966 and even though his older brother tried to fill those shoes, they proved to be way too big for him and soon it was Mativemba’s turn to try fend for the family.

In 1969, two days after he turned 19, Mativemba decided to seek greener pastures in the then Salisbury.

As luck would have it, he soon found employment as a municipal general hand along with other migrants from the rural areas.

“The very same day that we found employment, we were given accommodation at Mbare hostels and I thought to myself that this was the happiest day of my life. I really felt comfortable.”

He, however, quickly learned that being a black general hand in colonial Rhodesia was no easy task.

“Lorries would come and pick us up every morning. Upon getting to our workplace, we would remain in the lorries regardless of the weather, until the white foreman came.

“Since I had attained Standard 6, I loved reading newspapers especially the ones writing about the liberation struggle. The bad thing about my hobby was that reading newspapers, while it improved my English, was banned.”

He goes on: “It was hard labour, for sure. You had to be seen working at all time, and if at any point you were seen standing even for a break, you were likely to be suspended.

“At one time a certain white man threatened to order a firing squad to shoot me and two other workmates after accusing us of being freedom fighters.

“However, knowing where I was coming from, I had to persevere. There were 22 of us when we got the jobs in August 1969, however by 18 April 1980, there were only 10 of us left. Most got fired, while others simply quit because of the working conditions.”

Mativemba had a family and decided he would stick it out.

“I got married in 1972 and after that quitting ceased being an option. I had to work for my family.”

Even though old age is catching up with the well-spoken Mativemba, he vividly remembers the roads he has constructed over the years.

“Since I have been with the City Council I helped construct Blackwell Road in 1969, Julius Nyrerere in 1971, Robson Manyika in 1984, Cripp in 1972, Simon Mazorodze in 1974, Caric Road 1981 and others,” he recalls.

After Independence, Mativemba says life at the City Council improved a lot even though he was a general labourer.

Mativemba managed to build a seven-roomed house for his wife and seven children.

“I got the stand in 1984. A lot of friends and workmates advised me to sell the stand, saying I would not be able to build a house with the salary I was getting.

“Some of these friends sold theirs, but I didn’t and today I have a roof over my head. As you can see, I haven’t done that badly,” he says with a gleam in his eye.

“I remember putting in extra hours at work, and could even work until 12 midnight at times. I built my house bit by bit.”

He beams with pride as he points to each of the rooms that have a different history on how they were built. The evidence is in their different colours and shapes, pointing to no single plan being used and the house growing almost haphazardly as money became available.

“It took me almost seven years to complete this house”, he says as he raises seven rough and chapped fingers that tell the story of 45 years of labour.

“However, I was not yet done. I wanted to show my children, my friends and my workmates the value of hard work. I built another seven-roomed house in Chirumanzu and as the years went by I managed to buy cattle.

“I watched my children grow, they all went to school up until O-Level. Unfortunately not all were academically gifted, but I was prepared to see them through to university,” he says a bit ruefully. “Some got married, they have children now, and I accepted it as it was”

As with all families, tragedy strikes.

In 2008, Mativemba’s first born, Otillia, passed away leaving three grandchildren in his care.

“After siring children, you expect them to see them grow old and eventually bury you, not the other way round” he says about the loss that every parent dreads.

“However, the tragedy did not end there as there was this disease called ‘red water’ that killed 18 cattle from my herd. I began to think that maybe someone was bewitching me,” he says with a laugh.

“Mind you that was the year when, Zimbabwe was going through economic hardships, the little money that I had was quickly eroded by inflation each time I was paid.

“Because of poverty, I became skinny, a pale shadow of myself. I was embarrassed to undress in the presence of my workmates. It was that bad. However I did not quit.”

Good times were to come. In 2009, Mativemba was promoted to department foreman.

“I have benefited a lot from my time here. I have everything a man of my age can ever wish for. I have worked for my family. I have seen my grandchildren. I have a home, what more can I wish for?” he asks rhetorically — maybe even defiantly — once more.

“Over the years I have done what many have not done. I have been in charge of interns from different universities and colleges. The first lesson they receive is on humility, hard work and perseverance,” he says emphatically.

“Even after one attains several degrees, it is important to be humble and to be disciplined, take time to listen to what other people tell you. That’s one thing most young people lack nowadays.

“Besides being a hard worker, I think these two attributes, humility and perseverance, have taken me this far.”

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