The Sunday Mail
By Andrew Moyo
CAN anything good ever come out of beer drinking?
With the bad things that are said about all kinds of alcohol from being a danger to one’s health, lack of concentration, overspending, etcetera, surely alcohol is bad, right?
Not if you are Clever Chasara, the man whose love for beer saw him wake up one day as the owner of a brand new $15 000 vehicle. And as if that was not enough luck, he also recently walked away $5 500 richer after another grand draw.
Lady luck seems to be watching over Chasara, a 43-year-old vendor who stays in the high-density suburb of Mbare, as he just can’t stop walking away with prizes from Delta Beverages’ promotions, thanks to his love for Castle lager and Pilsener.
The final draw of last year’s Castle Lager World Cup Big Cheer Soccer Carnival promotion saw the beer-guzzling Chasara winning big, as he drove home in a brand new Nissan NP200.
Two weeks ago, at the Castle Summer Fiesta draw held at Zebra Village in Mbare, the same individual left the drinking hole smiling all the way to the bank after scooping a US$5 500 cash prize on the day in two different categories. Prior to that, Chasara pocketed US$40 and got a T-shirt after winning four times during one of the weekly draws in the same promotion.
A great number of people are still wondering why this guy has become a regular winner in competitions that have proven difficult for some to win even once.
Out of curiosity, The Sunday Mail Leisure tracked down the lucky feller in a bid to find out the trick behind the winning streak as well as the impact the “mana from heaven” has had on his life.
Most people at the draw claimed that Chasara could be using some sort of juju or could be conniving with some Delta employees, but the dedicated guzzler rubbished such talk, saying it was just luck.
“I don’t even go to church, but my wife is the one who goes to Johanne Masowe, so probably she is the one who prayed for me,” he said displaying a smile with missing front row teeth.
Although he never counted the number of forms he filled in when he won the car, this time around he did.
“I don’t remember how many forms I submitted in last year’s competition, but this year I threw in 40. I was counting because I wanted to gauge how many forms it took for me to win, if I was to win.
“Winning the car came as a shock to him since he was not even at the final draw which was held in Bulawayo. I was on my way to the bar when I received a phone call from a guy who asked me to confirm my name, ID number and if I had entered the Castle competition, which I did.
“Thereafter I was informed that I had won a Nissan NP200 which actually shocked me because never in my life had I imagined myself driving a car, I’m just a vendor,” he said.
Chasara went on to sell the car and bought a residential stand in Stoneridge and a cheaper second-had vehicle.
“I sold the NP200 and bought a Toyota Vitz and a stand in Stoneridge, which I am in the process of developing.” It seems like the winds of good fortune are forever blowing in Chasara’s direction and he has had an unusual run in the just-ended Castle Summer Fiesta promotion, winning six times on two different occasions.
“I never even thought I was going to win on the final draw especially after seeing that the forms up for selection had filled a haulage truck trailer to the brim.
And considering that I had already won four times at one of the weekly draws, I just figured my luck had run out.
“I was actually surprised when my name was called out during the US$500 draw, but I couldn’t believe it when I was called out again for the US$5 000 prize,” Chasara said.
The Hurungwe-born and bred father of one was in a jubilant mood and pointed out that winning the car had changed his life significantly as he was now a proud home owner.
“I am now a property owner thanks to Delta and I will soon be moving to my house as soon as I have put in the final touches,” said Chasara.
Although he is yet to receive his prize money, he has vowed to put it to good use as soon as it is in his pocket.
“We have not made any plans yet since I am yet to receive the money, but I think it would significantly contribute to finishing up my house.”
Chasara stated that he is now going to try his luck with the Mashonaland Turf Club Genuine Lotto whose takings currently stand at close to $300 000.
Efforts to find out from Delta whether there were any other “lucky” fellas like Chasara were fruitless as the company’s marketing and communications manager had not responded to our questions by the time of going to print.
