Online Reporter
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
GENERAL perceptions of lawyers are often negative, with the public frequently viewing them as greedy, manipulative, and untrustworthy, sometimes characterised as “sharks”.
Despite the high respect for their training and intellect, these stereotypes, fuelled by the media, portray lawyers as arrogant, unapproachable, and overly focused on financial gain.
Many believe they use loopholes to avoid accountability.
However, the Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Advocate Misheck Mugadza has shown one personal trait that goes beyond his professional affiliation in law.
He is jovial!
Those familiar with protocol in Government meetings, workshops, or any other function in Manicaland, are aware that he gives some welcome remarks, especially when the event is graced by fellow ministers, and high level delegations from other provinces.
Effective welcome remarks set a positive, energetic tone, include warm greetings, acknowledgement of VIPs, brief statement on the event’s purpose, gratitude for attendance, setting expectations, and smooth transition to the next speaker, if not the main speaker.
For Minister Mugadza, welcome remarks are more than just that.
In fact, for the ‘Learned Minister’, it is an opportune time for visitors to Manicaland to get a better understanding of the world-class tourism products that the Eastern Highlands offers, and so he does with exceptional humour.
Last Wednesday, the official opening of the Performance Contract Validation workshop, hosted by the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr Martin Rushwaya, was one of the many functions that Minister Mugadza has left attendees in stitches with his humorous, yet tourism-promotional welcome remarks.
“Allow me, Chief Secretary, to advise the members in this August House not to make the mistake of returning to Harare before visiting a number of our tourist attraction sites. You want to go up the Nyanga Mountain, 2 593m high? You go up that mountain and once you are up there, there is a portion where if you go and pray, your prayer will be heard faster than those in Harare,” he said, much to the wild round of laughter and applause from the attendees.
“Come down and go just two or three kilometres away, you are at Mutarazi Falls. This is the 17th deepest falls in the world and second in Africa. 762 metres deep with its zip-line 400 metres long – the second longest zip-line in Africa. You want to try it? I tried the skywalk, 90 metres – somewhere in the middle I looked down 762 metres, I had to sing Hosana,” said Minister Mugadza as his words were expectedly followed by an uproarious outburst of mirth.
He continued: “Come down here to Mutare, we take you up the Christmas Pass Mountain. We have a portion there, with a telescope you can see Beira, can see your house in Harare. Ladies and gentlemen, you surely cannot go back to Harare without experiencing this. Go into the Vumba. We have 562 different species of birds. The Botanical Garden, Leopard Rock are just marvellous. Down in Chipinge stands the legendary Big Tree — an awe inspiring giant measuring 65 metres in length and 5,5 metres across.
“You go underneath that tree, this is true, look up and if you have confessed and you say a prayer, there is automatic connectivity between you and the Almighty,” said Minister Mugadza, and a belly laugh from the audience followed his words.
“The Bridal Veil Falls in Chimanimani. Many of you might have lost your touch when it comes to love. If you wash your face with the water at that place, you are back,” said Minister Mugadza, and once again attendees could not resist the hilarity.
“Let me end by talking about Hot Springs in Chimanimani. Many people have just been throwing coins in the springs and so on. No, that is not enough. Put your feet in there and all your ailments will be treated. If you want a promotion at work, take a whole bath, I tell you!”
But in the midst of all the uncontrolled laughter and clapping of hands, Minister Mugadza remained mindful of the importance of serious Government business.
Thus, he quickly linked all these natural endowments of Manicaland Province to the efforts to drive the provincial economy to another level.
“We therefore assure you, Chief Secretary, that as Manicaland Province, we are striving to grow our provincial economy to be the province with the highest Gross Domestic Product. The crafting of these robust Performance Plans, implementation of the Performance Management System and this validation should assist us greatly as a province. I am privileged to welcome you, ladies and gentlemen, to this beautiful province of Manicaland. Let me assure you that you are in the right place at the right time,” concluded Minister Mugadza.
