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Moffat Mungazi
Post Reporter
HAVING been away from his hometown of Mutare for the past three-decades-and-a-half, Mr Elton Mukwekwezeke (57) felt he had loads of catching up to do.
He had gone abroad as a newly-wed barely out of his 20s to study Engineering at a German university and had not set foot on Zimbabwean soil since then.
Upon his return during the festive season last year, he sought out his old pals — some of whom had sadly passed on — and decided to visit local places that fascinated him in his teens.
Aloe Garden in Mutare’s Main Park is one such place.
A vivid, old picture of how the place looked like was firmly tucked at the back of his mind because it held fond memories for him, as this is the place he used to take his childhood sweetheart — Charity – out for dates before they tied the knot.
Getting to the place, his heart skipped a beat.
He was taken aback to see that the swings they used to frolic on as amorous lovebirds where no longer there.
Proceeding further, a fountain of raw sewerage formed a mini volcanic eruption that effervescently bubbled.
The scum showed that this had been the state of affairs for weeks on end.
What used to be a multi-coloured carpet of flowerbeds had been overgrown by grass.
The linear shrubs were unkempt.
Several footpaths criss-crossed the sun-baked lawn.
Litter was strewn all over the place.
Mr Mukwekwezeke had not run into many people before observing in the distant end of the park a man walking briskly before squatting behind a tree to answer nature’s call.
An eerie air of desertion permeated the place.
The nostalgia that he had expected to come flooding back ebbed away.
His heart plunged to the depths of disappointment.
However, Mr Mukwekwezeke suddenly abandoned his romantic mission as a spooky youthful trio popped up from nowhere and jolted him out of his indulgence as they charged towards him.
He felt the menacing and fixed stare of their bloodshot eyes prick him. Petrified, he retreated in haste.
“The place struck me as barely recognisable. The skeleton remains, but the flesh that adorned it and the soul that gave it life is long gone!” exclaimed Mr Mukwekwezeke as he shared his story with The Manica Post.
He added: “This used to be a jewel in the city centre’s backyard, but has since been neglected.”
The Aloe Garden is nestled in the south west corner of Mutare’s Main Park.
It is accessible from both Fifth Street and Park Road.
According to online sources, it was once home to over 240 species of aloe collected from across the continent, succulents, cycads and daisies as well as other exotic and indigenous shrubs.
Other sources suggest that about 126 trees of redwood mahogany — in the same family as The Big Tree found in Chirinda Forest in Chipinge — were planted in two rows along Mahogany Drive, a 500-metre avenue on the eastern side of the park. Today, only around 90 still survive.
Lost glamour
Other people who spoke to this newspaper echoed similar sentiments to Mr Mukwekwezeke’s.
They said the place hardly resembles the scenic atmosphere it once boasted.
“This is the reason why Mutare is regarded as the Jewel of the East. Manicaland’s provincial capital is blessed with stunning sceneries that adorn its breath-taking landscapes,” said an elderly man who only identified himself as Mr Hungwe.
“However, some of the places are fast losing their lustre. Others like the Aloe Garden are becoming pale shadows of their former dazzling selves. It is sad that what used to stand out as a fascinating feature beautifying the face of our lovely city is fading into obscurity.
“Years of neglect have left the once glamorous park that used to be a paradise in a state of dereliction. It used to be a fabulous attraction, but is turning into an eyesore. We used to be proud of this place, but not anymore. It is our duty to save it from sinking into oblivion,” said Mr Hungwe.
He said he feared the Aloe Garden could be turned into a haven harbouring muggers and where other criminal activities like drug peddling and substance abuse take place.
The Manica Post also observed that couples who cannot cough up the rates charged at local lodges have also found sanctuary at the place by turning it into a love nest.
Cases of mugging have also been reported in the garden.
Ghastly eyesore
The toilets are also out of order. In fact, a tree has since grown in one of the toilets, while the other one has been turned into a dumping site.
Although the local authority has been trying to maintain a section of the Main Park, they are clearly overwhelmed by the overgrowth or are simply not doing enough.
When this news crew visited the place on Wednesday afternoon, a Mutare City Council tractor was mowing the tall grass, but abandoned the exercise before covering much ground.
The reporters also observed students from the nearby Mutare Polytechnic engaging in group discussions in the trimmed parts of the park.
“We restrict ourselves to this section of the park that is being maintained and nearer to the main entrance for our own safety. However, we do not feel entirely comfortable around here as we fear to be waylaid in the overgrown grass on our way out. Sometimes we cannot help feeling that we frequent this place at our own peril. As women, we are more vulnerable,” said a female student, Ms Violet Kambuma.
A Mutare City Council employee at the park who declined to be named said hoodlums who roam the park solicit money from people relaxing in the park purporting to be council marshals.
She claimed that a dead body was discovered in the park in November last year.
Where there used to be swings, only the frames and rails still remain.
Even the two fish ponds at both ends of the entry no longer have fountains that used to give a semblance of life to the park.
They are dried up and are no longer being maintained.
New lease of life
A local tourism enthusiast, Mr Richard Mazaiwana, said Aloe Garden can still be brought back to life.
Rehabilitation and maintenance, he added, can restore the park’s splendour.
“We have to take advantage of the fact that it sits on the periphery of the city centre so that we regularly spruce it up and give Mutare a good picture. Routine patrols by cops and municipality police details can make the place safe again.
“I understand that some of the facilities were vandalised, but the local authority can do more to protect the place and keep in order,” said Mr Mazaiwana.
He suggested that the local authority can lure corporate partners to assist with the place’s maintenance.
Said Mr Mazaiwana: “If it is permissible, Mutare City Council should partner local business entities who can help look after the place and put up recreational facilities or benches branded with their logos. The park, in its best state, remains an ideal spot to hang out at for family picnics and fun days.”
Mutare City Council lists Aloe Garden, among six others, as one of the parks under the ambit of its Parks Section.
The section’s mandate is to monitor and maintain the recreational facilities as well as formulate and implement environmental protection policies.
Of the seven parks, perhaps only Caravan Park at Christmas Pass continues to retain its pristine state as it is usually a hive activity.
All booking and reservations at the place are done through the local authority.
Repeated efforts to get a comment from Mutare City Council over the state of Aloe Garden continuously drew blanks for several weeks.
Online Reporter