The Sunday Mail
“GROWING old is mandatory, growing up is optional.”
Chili Davis, a former baseball player who is now a coach seems to have had Zifa presidential aspirant Philip “PC” Chiyangwa in mind when he coined the above statement.
It seems Chiyangwa aka Phidza, the one to never steer clear of controversy, does not want to grow up.
For someone who is 56 years old, a former provincial chairman of a political party, a business executive with international interests, who also claims to be a millionaire – a more serious poster is expected.
But not this PC. The self-styled “King of Selfies” has been shooting self-glorifying videos that have gone viral on social media and have generated both stick and a lick.
One of the latest videos features two of his daughters enjoying themselves in a posh car with their father seated at the back, childishly dancing to a Simon Chimbetu ‘90s classic “Ndaremerwa”. In the minute long clip, PC’s two daughters can be heard singing, “Bhora kuna Phidza, bhora, bhora . . .” as the businessman responds to the praises with some gestures mainly popular with America’s hip-hop youth.
The “Bhora kuna Phidza” line, prominent in most of the businessman’s selfies, has become Chiyangwa’s payoff line in his campaign to become the next Zifa president.
In another one PC is seen wearing an Arabian head gear and says, “This is Sheik Philippe, here in Dubai . . . the big man himself, more money, in Dubai,” before inviting the viewers to send him their addresses so that he can send them money.
Thanks to these videos, Chiyangwa has been labelled childish, while some have questioned his credentials to lead a gigantic organisation like Zifa, or worse still represent the country’s football needs at such international soccer gatherings like the Fifa Congress.
Last week, The Sunday Mail Leisure sought Chiyangwa to understand his reasons for shooting these videos.
PC, whose showy style and love for the media is public knowledge, initially looked uncomfortable at the line of questioning before launching into his usual dismissive responses.
“I thought you brought a better story to talk about, ah ah, I thought you were here for a football story, people should find something else to concentrate on and not criticise my selfies,” said Chiyangwa.
“How have the videos affected you? I have not forced anybody to watch them. Everybody does such videos including you but the problem is nobody is watching your videos because you are not popular like me.
“It’s just my way of relaxing, there is nothing much to it. I am a busy man and almost always busy with business, so I send those videos out to my kids and they end up in the wrong hands like yours because I am popular,” he said. When asked if the videos are not a result of substance abuse, he retorted, “I don’t drink beer!
In fact I don’t even know the feeling of being drunk and have never smoked anything in my life.
“Style yangu, ndiyo inodhaka vanhu vasina zvekuita vobva vafunga kuti ndakadhakwa ivo vari ivo vadhakwa,” he said.
Asked if his grown up children are not ashamed to have a father who shoots such videos, Chiyangwa said responding to such a question would dilute his children’s happiness and referred this reporter to watch one of the videos to see how happy his daughters were.
“Ashamed of what? Just look how elated they are in the video, they are actually proud of their father.
“You do not grow old because someone has told you that you are old, this goes with style and the conditions of living. I have got the money,” said Chiyangwa. It will be up to the Zifa councillors to decide whether this is style or something else.”
