via Bona Mugabe’s wedding: Zimbabweans speak out March 3, 2014 by Everson Mushava and Moses Matenga NewsDay
ZIMBABWEANS have for the past fortnight watched in awe as the First Family extravagantly celebrated President Robert Mugabe’s 90th birthday and the wedding of his daughter Bona.
The lavish festivities, which reportedly gobbled about $6 million, come against the background of a country battling to provide urgent food aid to about 2,2 million people, among them victims of the recent floods who, according to Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo, require $20 million in aid.
A whopping $1 million was spent at Mugabe’s birthday bash last week where 90 beasts were fed to the estimated 10 000 guests while an estimated $5 million was splurged for Bona’s wedding to her pilot husband Simba Chikore on Saturday, leaving ordinary Zimbabweans wondering at the source of the funds.
In a country that has had problems in distinguishing ruling party and government events, the concerns naturally rose.
Most services provided at the wedding were reportedly sourced from outside the country while the 4 000 invited guests comprised foreign dignitaries, three seating Heads of State and popular Congolese rhumba musician Koffi Olomide.
Although the two occasions are befitting celebrations of such magnitude for a Head of State, it is the costs involved that have set tongues wagging in a country which is in the middle of an economic crisis and a cash squeeze.
“This is the mother of all weddings. This is good for the First Family indeed, but where did the money for such a decorated private function come from when the country’s economy seems to be on its knees?” asked Tinashe Chamboko, a Harare resident.
A worker with the State-run Agricultural Rural Development Authority (Arda), who has gone for eight months without pay, said the lavish celebrations were a sign of misguided priorities by Mugabe’s government.
“The current state of affairs in the country is deplorable. Non-payment of salaries, electricity and water crises, among other problems, and I am beginning to doubt if Zanu PF is really concerned about our problems,” he said on condition of anonymity.
Another caller who also declined to be named said: “Millions of dollars are being used to please the Mugabe family instead of helping the needy. Heads of parastatals are looting money to please Mugabe instead of fulfilling their mandate.”
Political analyst Dumisani Nkomo said it would be unfortunate if Zanu PF used public resources to fund a private wedding, particularly at a time the economy was on the brink of collapse.
“But the problem is that it is hard to prove whether these are public or private funds. That is why we need a declaration of assets from public officials as intimated in the new Constitution,” Nkomo said.
COMMENTS
Since 1980 ,Zanu has never followed a constitution. They have the leadership code which they threw into the dust bin. They workout things as they go along .No wonder the country is in a mess.
“I am beginning to doubt if Zanu PF is really concerned about our problems” says the guy who hasn’t been paid for 8 months!
How much more evidence do these people need before they do something?
Imagine if a few thousand people rocked up outside Mugabe’s mansion on the day of the wedding with placards demanding a fair deal from the government? Yes people would have been beaten and some might have been shot but the message would have got across well and clear. It might even be the small stone that starts an avalanche.
Would you have been the first one with the placard?? Which of “these” people do you expect to “do something”?
You Lloyd!
They are a DISGRACE to the nation.Mugabe,his “wife” his “children” should be shown the door and get out before it shuts on their backsides.
When will the people of Zimbabwe stand up against this band of thieves?
Get rid of the whole damned lot because if you do not then Zimbabwe will be no more.Name will probably change to XIAN province but you only have yourselves to blame.
It’s a classic example of the old adage “When good men do nothing… ”
Where is the battle cry of the war… back when things weren’t nearly as dire as they are now.
No one likes conflict, but when you’re getting your head bashed in, you fight for your life… now is the time.
three options force reforms or begin an uprising. When peoples lives become so miserable they will revolt. Third stop all aid to speed revolt.
Zimbabweans speak….Headline promised me so much of a read. yawn..
They carry on they way they do because they can. So far there is nothing any of us is going to do about it.
“Zimbabweans speak out” Only two people quoted, what a wasted headline. Poor journalism at its worst!
Ok.So who qualifies for a “lavish ” wedding?
Everyone except Bona I guess.
Morgan didnt dissappoint if I recall correctly.
Well done Bona and Simon
For as long as they use the monies from you own tobacco sales. Makamboonepi vanhu vanepfungwa vanoroora mukwasha? Chikore isa gumbo muupfu mufana……ukasazokandwa nepaka windo mid air uri mu Antlantic ocean……wazvisungirira mufana. Unototeerera mai zvakasimba
What about Prince William. How much money was spent. Was it not for Tax payers. Ko pakazvarwa mwana wa William. How many people and media vanga vari pahospital. How much was spent in publicing the Kattie in labour. Nekuti murungu. Why not go to U.K and stay there if you have a low opinion of your fellow blacks.
Please Bona has done a good thing. Venyu vana kukakatana netumadhara twevarungu. Zvanzi mwana wakaroorwa nemunrungu, iye aroorwa netswina yakasiiwa nevamwe. Mwana akudza rudzi rwake. Manyara nekuti the first family brought up their daughter in cultured manner. Imwi maivakudza zvakana sei muchiswerotsoropodza vatongi sezvinobhadhara. Tibvire pano
Every woman and man on earth has the right to be wed but every child deserves an education , a meal and a happy life. In Zimbabwe these basic rights are being denied by Zanu and they seem to scoff it all up. The parasites.
A waste of money, especially as by all accounts one does not really know identity of her real father!!
Iwe, are you telling me that you dont know that Bons is Boss Pams’ daughter by now? Wow, shame. She is man!
I would like to see some graffiti put on the pictures that decorate the street lights going down Borrowdale road especially as the 10000 guests made their way to the venue that would have made interesting repecussions.
4000 guests… dont exagerate
There is something strange in this gukurahundi family.
That boy Robert jnr is always missing in action in all family gatherings why? Almost all pictures taken dont have him in, why?
He was also missing in Dali Tambo’s People of the South programme. There is a very strong possibility that boy is not the gukurahundi’s son.
The boy is just too tall to be his son. He is also rather light in complexion and has no gukurahundi features at all. Even Bona might not even be his daughter.
Little Chatunga appears to be the only one who comes closer to the gukurahundi in appearance, except for the complexion again. He is also short and the shape of the head isnt far off from that of the gukurahundi!!
Please deal with your bitterness. We are tired of your hatred for the President. Why not consider chnaging citisenship. You are infrinjing on our rights. We have the right to be ruled by a president of our choice. We voted in 2013 and our party won so where is your problem?
Gukurawindi of what. Did Mugabe just send armies to kill people. Why did you provoke the situation.
Please tibvire apo
zanu pf is totally ignorant about the free fall economy of zim .This all sucks,our 90 year old dictator President, is far now too old guys thus WHY now he doesn’t even care about the feature of our country (zimbabwe) because he knows that his days are numbered before he hits his grave.
The fact that this one (or several ZANU-PF)filthy, decomposing, rotting human being can eat, drink, be merry, when fellow Zimbabweans are dying, hungry, flooded out, destitute and homeless, it Satanic.
The fact that these Devils can spend 6 million on a wedding, 1 million on a birthday party, give 100’s of thousands in gifts to an already wealthy family, drive a Rolls Royce, wear Italian suits and flaunt a 1/2 million dollar Seychelles honeymoon, is outrageous.
The fact that these sons-of-witches, disciples of Lucifer, can “Eat cake”, while their fellows starve, that they can “Fiddle, while our Beloved Country Dies”, is unforgivable. There is NO punishment equal to this crime.
Mugarbage, Dis-grace, Bona their filthy lot, should rot in hell!
The fact that you can enjoy the internet and spend your precious time writing such things just shows also how misplaced your priorities are. Its not just the funds the flood victims need but your morale support. Why not get there and give them support. Just positive words are a therapy to the down trodden. Its not funds.Please stop being a Pharisee.