Reward Joe Gumbo

Sub Saharan Africa, Environmental and Energy Policy, Sustainable Development

[Tazo @TheLifeZoomer]

Awkward story time.

When I was 6 years old, I accidentally discovered that my stepfather had a wife, 10 children, and a fully operational family, because his wife launched what felt like an Israel-Iran missile campaign but with no missiles defence system on our house.

Years later, that same man became one of the greatest father I ever knew.

The bus in the photo is symbolic of this story. My stepfather spent much of his life behind the wheel of company buses like this one.

Follow me. 👇

I grew up in what can only be described as a family refugee camp.

My mum, my brother, two younger siblings, Grandma, Grandpa, several relatives, and their children all lived under one roof.

To this day, I don’t know whether Grandma was running a household or a United Nations relief operation.

I was about six years old.

There was a man who occasionally visited us.

Adults called him my stepfather.

At that age, I didn’t ask many questions. I was more interested in playing Game 24 than investigating family structures.

What I didn’t know was that this man lived only a few blocks away,
with a wife and TEN children.

Almost whole football team😀😀

The day I discovered this is permanently etched into my memory.

One afternoon we were playing Game 24 in the street when we heard shouting in the distance.

Serious shouting.

The type that instantly tells children, “This matter is above your salary grade.”

As the voice got closer, I heard my mother’s name being mentioned repeatedly.

Not in prayer.

Not in praise.

The woman was conducting a public performance review of my mother.

Then objects started flying towards our house.

At six years old, I genuinely thought war had broken out.

The neighbourhood kids scattered.

I scattered too.

Then the commentators started:

“That’s your house!”

“That’s your mother!”

“Go and do something!”

Do what exactly?

Negotiate a peace treaty?

I did what any sensible six-year-old would do.

I ran.

I disappeared so completely that I only returned home late that night after what appeared to be a successful ceasefire agreement.

That was the day I learned that the man who had paid lobola for my mother already had a wife and children.

The embarrassment nearly finished me.

For weeks I avoided the neighbourhood kids………….Cont.

[Tazo @TheLifeZoomer]

Love in Zimbabwe used to require skills that today’s generation will never understand 😭😂

Dating was basically undercover police work.

You had to:
*Hide from relatives
*Avoid every elder over the age of 35
*Master side-road navigation
*Have escape routes in case an aunt spotted you

Because being seen holding hands with a girl was enough for some elder to conduct a full investigation:

“Ngokabani umntwana lo?” 😭( Whose child is this?)

School days were beautiful.

Not because of education.

Because there was a chance of seeing HER 😭

Our dates? Ah yes, premium romance.

A private rocky bush spot, one green apple and a packet of Chimombe fresh milk.

Till today I still want to sit down with my younger self and ask:

“Son, who convinced you this was luxury dating?” 😭😂
She enjoyed it though.

No KFC.
No chips.
No restaurant.

Just calcium and Vitamin C.

Everything had military precision because she had to sneak back home before somebody’s aunt became a CCTV camera.

Then life happened.

Marriage.
Children.
Work.
Bills.
Relatives.

And somehow our house slowly became a branch of Home Affairs.

Every weekend somebody was arriving.

No warning.

You wake up hearing:

“Sivakatshele nje” 😭

Finished.

There goes your Saturday.

Dates disappeared.

We became full-time marriage administrators and part-time husband and wife.

Recently I jokingly said:

“Maybe we should book a room at a 5-star hotel.”

I was joking. I had no money for that.

My wife heard:

“Emergency romantic operation activated.” 😭

She immediately started discussing clothes, plans and logistics.

At that point I realised this joke had entered the construction phase.

So I booked it.

Now here is the plot twist.

I’m behaving exactly like teenage me.

Counting down days.

Heart racing.

Sweet fantasies have taken over my mind.

Random smiling.

Checking hotel photos every 20 minutes.

Today on the phone I told her:

Me: “I’m getting the same excitement I had when we were dating.”

Her: “Me too. I was even showing off to our daughter on the way to church.”

Then she said:

“I’m even wondering if we should skip church and just enjoy ourselves.”

I almost dropped my phone 😭😂

I said:

“If we go, somebody will bring a problem, ask for advice or invite us somewhere.”

For once we need peace.

“We are going to do Sabbath school at the hotel room” I said.😀😀

Now we’re discussing outfits and places to explore.

And I’ve realised:

Somewhere between paying bills and solving everybody else’s problems……….

we forgot to date each other.

Suddenly I’m back in school.

Only difference now:

I can finally afford more than a green apple and Chimombe 😭😂

And no rocky place to do romance things, with snoopy Lizards and geckos.

Premium room with Skyline views🤗🤗

How is your marriage/relationship going? Are you still dating or you have become stagnant like us.

Its time to flip the page and live again.

[Queen Lily🇮🇪🇿🇼 @Lisaphiri1]

I’d just been seeing pictures, then I came home and saw the finished house in person, I got the urge to throw a lil house warming party. What @LloydMukanwa did with the windows, roof & ceiling , @Landelmunyardzi designing & @Pablozw1_ painting is unreal 🫶🏾🙌🏾

[The Mirror Masvingo @TheMirrorMsv]

This boy remains composed and calm under a barrage of claps to his face from his mother who is also accused of being abusive to her husband. The woman, said to be from Gweru allegedly turned onto the boy after he refrained her from assaulting his father. Zimbabwe is currently commemorating 16 days of activism against gender based violence and this incident speaks volumes about women's part in this inhuman act.

@PoliceZimbabwe
@daddyhope
@CrimeWatchZW
@UN_Women
@NACSPNG @LifeEmpowermen4 @ShamwariyeMwana @sherryanndixon @ZWRCNZimbabwe @muzvarebettymakoni @YPNZimbabwe @GenderZimbabwe @naczim @MadzimaDr @TariroKutadza @WICOZIMBABWE @znnpinfo @hivoslu @HerVoiceFund @eannaso @inerelazim @AusEmbZim @EoJZimbabwe @IndonesiainHRE @MelodyMukundwi1 @WagZimbabwe @johnmokwetsi @CaiphasChimhete @UNFPA_Zimbabwe
@childleukemfdn
@save_children
@childlinezim
@savechildrenuk
@planinternatio2

[King Jay🇿🇼 @KingJayZim]

Good morning, my youngsters.
A quick reminder: applications for this HEXCO intake @ZESAHOLDINGS_ have officially closed.

If you applied and are successful and you’re from Mash West, @hwendec has generously pledged to cover your fees.

For those from Gweru, Mash Central, or Chipinge, please take note:
Two students from each of these areas will have their tuition fees fully paid courtesy of Eng. Iyanai Walter Chahweta, @Walter_Chats Director of Infrastructure Planning and Environmental Management, OPC.

Once you secure a place, DM me immediately. Since these offers are strictly for underprivileged students, please include a brief write-up explaining why you believe you deserve this sponsorship.

I will vet all submissions fairly and transparently, and I may request supporting evidence of your circumstances. All information will be handled with the utmost confidentiality.
Good luck.

#Journeyman #Journeywoman

[Reward Joe Gumbo @RewardJoe]

@Rajesh992510253 Yt

[Queen of BaTonga👑 @The_Tonga_Queen]

Lets repost Zimbabwe, l cant begin to imagine the pain that the child is going through 💔

[Reward Joe Gumbo @RewardJoe]

@ricamax 5 maximum

[Street Hustler_Gri7zmann 💊🇿🇼🇨🇳🇪🇸💵💴 @Munyah_Wacho]

Guys, dzidzisai vana venyu kuti Chivanhu (ATR) is not evil. Evilness iri pamunhu and haina religion, ATR, Christians, Muslims, Hindus or Jews. If one decides kuenda kun'anga kunobata makona akaipa, zviri mumunhu not chitendero.

Mwari mumwe chete manamatiro ndoo anosiyana. The same people who brought us Christianity believe in witchcraft, demons and evil spirits. It's proof kuti munhu akada kuita zvakaipa, hazvinei nekuti ari kubva from where.

[Reward Joe Gumbo @RewardJoe]

@Yvonne_Maphosa Doc 😂😂😂😂

[Baba Eiden. @EidenDad]

You know what, most political discussions on this app are pointless. Most people are followers and good followers only see things from the point of view of leader. They have a follow the leader mentality. There is no objectivity at all.

[Roshn Saudi League @SPL_EN]

Knowledge is power 🔮

🇿🇼 @KMusonaofficial is your #OKHKHO man of the match 🏆

#RoshnSaudiLeague

[Skyz Metro FM @SkyzMetroFM]

Nkanyiso Tshuma, an eleven-year-old student from Tshebetshebe Elementary School in Pumula, Bulawayo, completed the 5KM race at the Cimas iGo event in Bulawayo with a time of 31 minutes and 7 seconds.

@CimasHealth

#cimasigohalfmarathon
#Esabantu
#BeyondTheSky

[Dr. Yvonne Maphosa @Yvonne_Maphosa]

Please use your free vote… then decide if you want to buy more.

If you touch on the star on her picture, it will turn green. And will say ‘My Choice’

Link 👇
https://t.co/MO1L6qHN8l

[Reward Joe Gumbo @RewardJoe]

@Brendah0105

[Simon Marange @Simon_Marange]

What a group, what a team , what an honour.

[Kudzai Maleborn @MalebornKudzai]

Zim Loan kana vakuda mari yavo vanenge vachitoida😭😂

[Street Hustler_Gri7zmann 💊🇿🇼🇨🇳🇪🇸💵💴 @Munyah_Wacho]

Pandanga ndiri panight shift kubasa, I recently discovered one the Security Guards anoshanda panight is pursuing a diploma in education, focusing on Maths, ndakaona achi worker Mechanics, ndobva tatotanga kuclicker, ndawanawo munhu anofarira zvandoita. He was using his phone to study so everytime I'm on night shift ndoenda nelaptop yangu kubasa so that he can use it for studying.

Hanzi 'mpfana wangu never relax uchiti uri pacompany, use it as a stepping stone to better yourself and aim for higher'

[Reward Joe Gumbo @RewardJoe]

@advocatemahere @NdunaDexter1

[Cailah Tatenda @misscailah]

Madare emadzishe kumamisha must not be recorded hazvina kana hunhu tangofumuka se nyika! Nyaya yekwashe bvuuuu pa YouTube for what. Dzimwe nyaya dzachona nemazera evanhu vachona zvinobvisa chiremera they need to treat that court system with dignity and privacy!