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Destination Zimbabwe
By
Isaac
Nyambiya
AS I sat down
on bmi from George Best Belfast City Airport to Heathrow, I
quickly tucked into Norah Spie’s novel Parallel Lines
(see website) after promising
her I would read it on the plane home on January 4.
I wasn’t prepared for what I met on my connecting British Airways (BA) flight to Zimbabwe. What struck me first was the fashion sense of the majority of mainly the black guys queuing up for check-in.
To say the dress choice of some Zimbabwean brothers is a tsunami is an understatement.
Why would anyone dress in a dull and ugly greyish suit, complete with tie, and oversized red jacket (not over-coat) to top it? His destination is a blazing 30oC in summer. It’s also pretty warm in those departure lounges at Heathrow.
Anyone with short eyesight like me will tell you the latest fashion craze are plastic frames available in designer but quite affordable. I counted at least five males still donning the metal frames. Even rimless is so yester-year. Should have gone to Spec-Savers!
Sorry to the women-folk hitched to this lot for what they have to endure.
I also noticed there was a loud young white lad in his twenties chatting excitedly in English with an obviously heavy Shona accent. You could easily mistake him for a black Zimbabwean if you weren’t looking.
He would throw in a few Shona lingo like “sha”. I thought to myself, here is a white person who is obviously not ashamed of his African roots. Yet the world is filled up with the image of white versus black in Zimbabwe. Where did we go wrong?
His dress sense looked cool (except for the lip ring), knee length military pants, long sleeve jumper and sandals to match. An obvious improvement from the typical white farmers’ khaki short and shirt!
In-spite of the reputation that BA has, I have never been a fan of this airline. I have my reasons.
The first time I was on BA was at the end of January 2004. One thing that struck me was when a hostess served me a beef dish instead of the requested chicken. I only realised this when I had started eating and could not return it for politeness’ sake. I have just about had it now.
Come 2007, the Chicken Leek and Mushroom Casserole tasted like feet. Before I knew it, my stomach was churning. I was duly blessed with a running stomach for my troubles. Thanks, but no thanks to the dessert of Apple Pie with Vanilla Custard, one of the foods on my hate list.
A young girl sitting just behind me kept pounding my backside with her feet half the journey. Thanks to BA for their almost paper-thin seats. The white lady sitting next to me had her wine spilt all over her when the passenger in front tried moving around her sit. We could only laugh about it. As the journey progressed she became visibly upset at the movements in front of her.
Norah’s book kept me fixated for the better part of the journey. I finished it as we crossed the Darfur Mountains still 4:07 hours to land.
That scene between the maverick from Jo’burg and Kay, did you make that up Norah? Sounds like stuff from the movies. Who needs BA in-flight entertainment when you have Parallel Lines?
For the majority of Zimbabweans struggling to find themselves like me, Parallel Lines is a must read.
I then switched to the movie’s and radio channels. Of the 16 radio Channels not one of them played some African rhythms let alone Zimbabwean.
Yet Zimbabwe is replete with the likes of Oliver Mtukudzi, Mukanya, Leonard Dembo, Ex-Que etc, for anyone of any colour or creed taking the leap of faith to travel to that country. I also noticed half the passengers if not more were white.
Being a keen animal lover, my consolation was watching The Big Cat Diaries.
I asked the white lady sitting next to me (I learn she is going to a friend’s wedding) if she wasn’t afraid after what she had heard and seen. “But then London is just as dangerous, what with the terrorist bombings and all,” she said.
Towards the end of the journey I asked for a feedback form which BA had delightfully announced would be given to passengers. “No I can’t give you”, said the male steward, “We only give those seats randomly selected by the computer”. I insisted. And so did the steward. Stalemate!
The last time I flew Air Zimbabwe in 2003 was the best ever. One wishes Zimbabwe’s economy a speedy recovery.
Under normal circumstances,
Air Zimbabwe is the best airline between London and Harare. Most Zimbabweans
being who they are will most likely violently object.
.................................................................
I am not
so much into Sungura/Museve but word on the street says Alick
Macheso could be under serious threat from Zvishavane-based Gift “Case”
Amuli. He happens to be mixed race known in Zimbabwe as “coloured”.
There is a new breed of Sungura groups employing raunchy dancing girls giving Tongai Moyo and Alick Macheso a good run for their money. What seems unmistakable is how all of them have been influenced by none other than the late Leonard Dembo.
The only thing militating against true success for these Sungura Artists is probably poor management and marketing. Being based in another country I have seen how foreigners can easily take to music which is not their own. I was amazed how some Nigerian friends took a keen interest into my Admire Kasenga collection.
One Innocent Mujintu, rhythm guitarist to Macheso and also former Leonard Dembo is reported to have parted ways with Orchestra Mberikwazvo.
My twin tells me
he saw Alick Macheso slow motion Borrowdale dance being done in some
American movie. Who is making the long dollar out of this?
........................................................
I was fortunate
enough to make a tour of Zimbabwe on a filming project, from Mutarazi
Falls in Nyanga, through Great Zimbabwe up to Victoria Falls. It goes
without saying that life in Zimbabwe is becoming increasingly difficult.
Yet one thing which everyone seems agreed on is the beauty of the country
and the resilience of its citizens.
At Great Zimbabwe, I met up with one group of about ten tourists from Switzerland. Another group of mainly German academics based in Capetown was working on Computer Modelling of the Great Zimbabwe architecture. Victoria Falls was equally impressive with tourists from as far as Australia. The traffic seems to be improving. I personally pray to our Lord God to intervene.
Nyambiya writes from Belfast. He can be contacted on isaacuz@yahoo.com
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