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Elliot Ziwira-Senior Writer
She is beautiful, she is articulate, she is intelligent, and whatever she touches turns to gold.
Her name is Anashe Murombedzi. But her friends have christened her Anashe of the People, because she loves people; always sociable, high-spirited and ready to share a smile.
She exudes so much confidence, and radiates a welcoming aura around her that whoever gets a chance to converse with her feels comfortable, secure and loved.
Anashe grew up in Hatfield, Harare, and did her primary education at Queensdale and Dudley Hall schools, before moving on to Herentals College. She then studied Journalism and Media Studies at Ranche House College, which paved the way for her in the esteemed profession.
She made her début on TV in 2014, at 15, as the National Journalism and Media Awards (NJAMA) Child Journalist of the Year, having cut her writing teeth with The Sunday Mail Bridge.
She would later become a TV presenter on disability programmes on ZBC TV, with the camera flash no longer a source of fear, but an opportunity for her to reach out to the world with her story of passion, resilience, determination and love.
Although she is equally at home on the catwalk, and the newsroom as she is on the tennis court, football pitch and small screen, Anashe’s first love is sport casting, particularly on football—she oozes it.
It is a hat that fits her well, having been fashioned by her father, who once owned a football club.
It is her niche in football, which she exhibits in her space on the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) sports desk that has endeared her to her scores of fans across the country and beyond.
Dubbed The Sports Bae by her colleagues, Anashe draws inspiration from SuperSport’s Carol Tshabalala, whom she keenly follows.
“Sport is my territory. It has always been my dream sanctuary, although I struggled to get where I am today,” the people’s beauty intimates to The Herald on Saturday Lifestyle.
“Although I was a first team tennis player in high school, I fell in love with the beautiful game. Football was closer to my heart, since I got the passion for the game from my father, who owned Kestrenal Athletic Football Club between 1998 and 2005.”
As a little dad’s girl, she would go with him to every tournament and cheer on the boys, which sharpened her zeal for the sport. It is a legacy that she vows to carry on, with the added advantage that she has become a sportscaster under his watch.
Notwithstanding the stars that keep shining brightly on her, Anashe’s claim to the limelight had not been a smooth glide. At 22, she has already realised that to get the best apple, one has to learn to climb trees, and not wait for windfall fruits.
Defying societal disavowal owing to her albinism, she vouched that if no doors opened up to her, she would force her way in by any means necessary.
She would create her own doors, even.
“Honestly, I didn’t take, or see albinism as a limitation, or an obstacle to be what I wanted to be. I am what I am, and I never wished to be anyone else besides being Anashe,” she says.
Nothing is impossible. One does not need societal sanction to realise his/her dreams.
It starts with the self, and has nothing to do with any form of perceived disability or shame, Anashe emphasised.
One simply has to discover his/her area of interest or talent, and work confidently towards building on it without any inhibitions.
“As someone with albinism, growing up was a bit complicated for me, as the society wasn’t welcoming. Life was complex, especially at school, because I had a few friends, and at times I would be called names, which really affected me.
“No one wanted to sit next to me. People looked at me with scorn and hatred. I was segregated, and discriminated against. Yearning for a vent that would give me a better learning environment, I had to change schools,” she confides.
High school would, however, offer The Sports Bae the comfort and acceptance she sought from fellow human beings.
Friends would now come along, seeking to understand more about albinism, which would spur young Anashe to become involved in raising awareness about albinism.
It dawned on her that society being what it is—intolerant and harsh—rarely accommodates personal dreams. Hence, she decided to ride on the crest of her fears, and pursue her dreams, just like everyone else.
She developed a thick skin and aimed for the limitless sky, ignoring all the negativity stacked against her aspirations.
“I realised that I could not live with people’s negative projections towards me, as that would have confined me to society’s backyard, without achieving anything.
“I knew that if I tolerated it any longer, it would consume me, thus leading to my downfall. Therefore, my fear became my target goal.
“I took the plunge and decided that I would stand up, and be a voice in the albinism community.
“There is really no need to label myself because of my condition, but I carried myself just like any other person, which also built my confidence to breach the limit.”
The determined sport aficionado says she believes whatever she activates would be an imploration to the world that disability does not mean inability.
“Anyone can do anything and become big,” she declares.
Despite all the challenges she faced due to albinism, home was pivotal in mapping Anashe’s destiny.
“If my family had not stepped up to support and urge me to keep my eyes on the ball all the time, I wouldn’t have gained the confidence to face the worldC she says.
The immensely talented people’s beauty, maintains that without family support, societal folly recalcitrant in discrimination, stigmatisation and scorn associated with disabilities, beautiful and gifted persons stay hidden within.
Bereft of familial brace, some persons with disabilities retreat into their shells, thus their talents remain concealed.
“They see it as a shame, but if you have a family that pushes you to come out, and showcase yourself, and what you would get if you bring it out, then society follows up in support. Society is always dazzled by success.”
The family, as the individual’s first fans, she says, pushes one’s story out of the curtains and beams it onto the global screen of opportunities. Positivity is entrenched through the family unit, which is crucial in the individual’s progress towards stardom.
Born second in a family of four girls, and being the only one with albinism, Anashe has been blessed to have familial support from the word go.
“A mother’s words are powerful,” she says.
“She truly worked the giant in me through her motivational words that I can be anything I want, despite having albinism. It can never be an obstacle in my path to success, as it should not be to anyone else with albinism and any other disability.”
She recalls coming back home in tears after being bullied at school, but her father would take it up, report to the institution, and implored the authorities to take responsibility in ensuring a safe learning environment for his daughter.
Anashe also salutes her parents, mostly her father, for never being ashamed of having a child with albinism. Her siblings Onashe, Anodaishe and Tinoponaishe also held forte for her.
“I have often heard cases of marriage break-ups, especially with the father abandoning the family as an outcome of a child with albinism, or any form of disability. My father had that passionate love, and would go with me everywhere,” the multi-talented beauty says.
This unwavering support from her family, her childhood friend Kawrhar Fizza Makwinja’s sisterly hand-holding, and her never-say-die attitude saw the rising star trying her hand on anything that took her fancy, and turned it to gold.
She was voted Miss Albinism Zimbabwe 2019/2020 First Princess; she is a TV presenter; and starred in the television production “Isithembu”, which gave her the space to exhibit her acting talent.
“Playing the role of Star is similar to my real life in terms of being close to my father. I love my dad so much. So, when I played as Mwene’s youngest favourite daughter, it built a strong chemistry between me and Stephen Chigorimbo, because I would relate that to what I experience in reality,” she says.
Inspired by Defence and War Veterans Affairs Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, who she admires for her self-confidence, calmness of speech and leadership qualities, Anashe has set her own bar in sport, particularly football, which is considered a male domain.
No matter how high she would go up the ladder of success, she affirms that she would stay committed to the cause of the albinism community, saying it is a lifetime theme that needed to be achieved.
There should be zero-discrimination and zero-stigmatisation of persons with disabilities. All human beings are equal, none is an outcast among them.
Therefore, there should be embracement, acceptance and recognition, so that persons with disabilities are given a chance to show the world their concealed talents.
“My aim is to build self-esteem, self-confidence and advocacy, so that people with albinism, with disabilities, and the marginalised, are not ashamed of themselves. They should come out of the backyards of society, and take part in any field of their choice, just like everyone else,” Anashe says.
Online Reporter