Rupiah returns to his roots in Gwanda

Rupiah returns to his roots in Gwanda
Written by Kingsley Kaswende in Harare, Zimbabwe
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 3:52:41 PM

HAD it not been for Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe who invited him to officially open the golden jubilee of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair, President Rupiah Banda would probably not have thought of visiting his place of birth, Gwanda, anytime soon. Gwanda is a small mining town about 130 kilometres south-east of Bulawayo along the way to Beit Bridge.

Before last week, President Banda last visited the town in 1972, and although he has had the capacity to visit the place, including seeing the "stranger" called Amratlal Naik who paid for his secondary and tertiary education out of his humility, he never found an opportunity to go there for almost four decades.

It worked out well for President Mugabe to think of President Banda. First, President Mugabe rarely invites foreign heads of state to officially open the trade fair; he usually does it himself. Second, President Banda was the newest "kid on the block" in as far as regional presidency is concerned and it made sense to invite him. Third, and coincidentally, it was to be an opportunity for President Banda to trace his roots in Gwanda where he was born back in 1937 to his migrant mine-working father.

"My parents walked the whole distance from Fort Jameson [now Chipata], crossed the Zambezi River, travelled through Karoi until they got a job in Harare. Then they were told that real money was in Matabeleland. They went to Bulawayo where they were told that the gold was in West Nicholson, so they took the Gwanda railway road. That is how they ended up here. I am very proud that I was born here," President Banda said.

The area had several mines and so his father would hop from mine to mine but he settled at Vumba Chikwe, one of the oldest gold mines there.

As a boy President Banda grew up in Jahunda Township in Gwanda town. In fact, it is from this township that Gwanda derives its name.

It was there that Naik, an Indian-born businessman, who was to sponsor Banda’s education spotted him. At that time, Naik used to run some grocery shops.

"I met him [President Banda] when he used to come and see his elder brother Major Banda who was a teller at my shop. I found him to be quite intelligent. He was interested in politics. I was also interested in nationalist politics of Southern Rhodesia at the time, so we had something in common. I decided to sponsor his education at Munali Secondary School," said Naik.

Naik himself did not go very far in school. Having arrived in Zimbabwe when he was only 11 years old, he only went as far as Standard 7 at a school for Indians back in the 1940s.

It was Naik's love for politics that caused him to be incarcerated at Gonakudzingwa for 15 months along with other prominent liberation heroes, and he was to be a councillor in Gwanda for 19 years.

He had offered the militant Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) party an office behind his shop and became the party's treasurer for the district.

He sponsored President Banda through to his tertiary education, including his studies in Sweden.

President Banda, however, has hardly met Naik since he completed his education.

"We only met twice in the early 1970s but we have kept close contacts through my relatives in Lusaka," said Naik.

Naik, however, was grateful that at least President Banda had thought of seeing him after such a long time.

At the time he sponsored President Banda's education, Naik sponsored three other boys. He has completely lost contact with them.

"One of them I supported used to be a teacher and I would meet him back then. I have lost contact with all of them now," he said.

Naik bears no grudge against any of the "boys" he sponsored and has not seen in years.

He said he was happy that he had met President Banda after a long time.

President Banda wept when he met Naik last week and thanked him profusely for what he did, as if it was the first time he was doing it.

It touched Naik.

"I feel honoured, privileged and humbled. I am satisfied that what I did has now worked out, that God gave me the inspiration which has brought about success for President Banda. I would like him to be humble and to leave a legacy that the Zambian people will remember him for," said Naik, who says he does not want anything in return from President Banda.

"I believe in community service. I want President Banda to serve the nation selflessly so that people can remember him like the late president [Levy] Mwanawasa."

There were four major things that President Banda wanted to see in Gwanda. He had wanted to meet Naik; to see a tree that he used to climb when he was a boy; to see the house he and his parents lived in; and to meet old friends and relatives.

He was successful in two: He met Naik, and a old friend of his called Charles Boy Madonko, whom he grew up with in Gwanda and addressed as his "twin".

"We were called twins because we were born in the same year 1937," explained Madonko after hugging President Banda. "Rupiah and I grew up in Gwanda and used to play football and do all other things that boys our age will do back then, but while Rupiah was benevolent of others. I can tell you that when l was in Zambia during the liberation struggle he was of great help to me."

Madonko said President Banda gave him money to set up a farm in Zambia, which used to supply freedom fighters in Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) camps in Zambia with food.

"It was money from his pocket and I will never forget that gesture," Madonko said.

President Banda, however, was unfortunate that he did not see his old house and his favourite tree, which he said used to offer a good view of the town.

It had been 36 years since President Banda last visited Gwanda and he was quite disappointed to find that the tree had been cut down and the house that his parents lived in had been brought down to pave way for new housing because Jahunda township was redeveloped after independence in 1980.

That, however, was compensated by the fact that he met his relative, a humble old lady called Gogo MaZulu, whom he had last seen in the 1950s or 60s.

"Mwaniziba ine?" [Do you know me?] President Banda asked Gogo MaZulu.

"Ee nakuziba, ndiwe Rupiah Banda," [Yes I do, you are Rupiah Banda] she said, before jumping to hug him while her neighbours watched with envy.

They spoke for a while before President Banda gave her his contact details and urged her to either visit or phone him.

Noting that he had not visited his land of birth often, President Banda promised that he would stay a little bit longer when he visits next, after he retires from presidency.

He also vowed to keep the memories of his place of birth alive wherever he is, including the idea of twinning cities in the two countries._

Gwanda district gave him 13 herds of cattle, and he promised that he would build a special kraal called Matabeleland South where he will keep the cattle.

What's more, Gwanda mayor Lionel De Necker promised that the town would name one of the roads after him.