The Sunday Mail
Harmony Agere
Fortune hunters have spent most of their time trying to get into the good graces of “Lady Luck” with the fervent hope of striking gold.
ln 2009, James Rogers Jnr – a Singapore-based American author, businessman and financial analyst – purported to have figured out what luck entails.
Writing in his book “A Gift to My Children: A Father’s Lessons for Life and Investing”, he famously noted that “Lady Luck smiles for those who continue their efforts”.
The import of his remark was that luck doesn’t just happen, but is a product of hard work and dogged effort. Well, he seemed to have been on the money, literally. One would imagine that Mr Clemence Muhle, a serial winner in OK Grand Challenge, definitely has the keys to Lady Luck’s heart. This year, the 41-year-old won a $50 000 cash prize sponsored by Delta Beverages.
It “scandalously” adds to his swelling fortune of three cars won during last year’s edition of the same competition. And this was just the latest addition to an already hugely rewarding winning streak which started back in 2004.
Within this period, Mr Muhle has won three trucks, cash prizes, five smart-phones and numerous other small prizes.
Unbeliever
Yet, still, the Rusape-based physiotherapist believes that his winnings are purely of his own making. To him, promotional competitions are similar to any “investment venture”.
“I don’t really believe in luck, but to use the general language, I try my luck. I participate and buy as many goods as possible to try and increase my chances of winning,” says Mr Muhle.
“When I started back in 2004, I developed a principle that whenever you want to win, you have to plan. After you plan to win, then prepare to win. After you prepare to win, expect to win and if you try to uphold these three, somehow you will get the results.”
These principles, according to Mr Muhle, hinge on a meticulous plan that involves buying as many goods as possible from supermarkets running various promotional competitions.
“To me, it’s a case of simple mathematics, simple arithmetic and simple probability,” he says.
“By buying more and investing more, you increase your number of coupons. With more coupons, you increase your chances of winning and it is as simple as that.”
But for him to win money, he has to spend money.
Turning point
Ever since he won five smart-phones in an Econet Wireless Zimbabwe quiz competition, Mr Muhle has been sucked into a rewarding cycle of winning and re-investing the proceeds.
“So in that competition, I won five Huawei smart-phones. I sold them and used the money to open tuck shops,” he said.
The tuck shop business became a turning point for Mr Muhle as he used it as a conduit to stash more goods that he would have bought from various supermarkets in order to increase his chances of winning. But instead of buying his products from cheaper wholesalers, he chose supermarkets, which squeezed the margins he got from his business. It was, however, a winning strategy, as this enabled him to win three 1,5-tonne Toyota Dyna trucks in the Metro Peach super trader promotion. He then sold some of the trucks and used the money to buy goods in almost all the Pick n Pay branches in Manicaland, which were running various promotional competitions.
“As a result, I won a total of about $45 000 from most Pick n Pay branches in Manicaland,” says Mr Muhle.
Chipinge stereotype
Given that he was born and bred in Chipinge, an area infamously reputed for the dark arts, many have been tempted to associate his winning streak with juju. He, however, claims that he is a devout Christian under the End Time Message church.
“I’m not involved in black magic, I would say my juju is Jesus Christ,” says Mr Muhle.
“I live a simple life and I drive an ex-Japanese Nissan vehicle. My family now understands my strategy very well. Even if I were to die today, they will go on and still win.”
Mr Muhle is based in Rusape’s Chingaira area, where he lives with his wife and eight children. He is employed at Rusape Hospital as a physiotherapist.
Growing up in Charuma Village, under Chief Mutema, he had to fight against seemingly insurmountable odds stacked against him to get an education, which he did with flying colours. Having attended Goko Primary in Chipinge, Dangamvura High and later Sakubva Number 1, he enrolled for a physiotherapy degree at the University of Zimbabwe, where he graduated in 2004.
The serial winner says he sees himself participating in promotional competitions for several more years.
