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Talent Chimutambgi-Lifestyle Writer
It is almost mid-morning in Harare’s sprawling suburb of Mbare and some of the trendiest and latest vehicles compete for parking space.
Out of the cars alight ladies and gentlemen clad in expensive designer clothes looking for a sumptuous lunch.
Here, everything from shops to houses, roads is inexplicably busy. Ordinarily, this is not a good place to be.
To many Americans and Western Europeans, Mbare is a classic example of a ghetto, what Trench Town is to Jamaica; a place for the poor and vice; a place where nothing right happens.
“Can anything good come out of Trench Town?” Bob Marley would sing.
At the main business complex everything is busy and dilapidated, but here, there is one place that attracted the who-is-who of Harare.
This place was called “Cresta Mbare”. Cresta is one of Southern Africa’s biggest hospitality groups running hotels and restaurants that offer delicious food tapestries.
Remember Jameson Hotel, Cresta Oasis Hotel, Cresta Lodge and Cresta Churchill, that are all run professionally?
There must be something uniquely special for some ramshackle backyard eating place in Mbare to be equated to Cresta’s delicacies.
The brains behind Cresta Mbare was Gogo Samuriwo Mutuma, an larger than life character who made every customer felt loved and at home.
Gogo Samuriwo
It was her magic touch that made the rich and famous to leave the most decent hotels in Harare and navigate their way to Mbare. She was the magnet that brought people of diverse backgrounds together.
Gogo Samuriwo-Mutuma started his catering business around 1980 at her home serving vendors and revellers at Mbare Musika and in town using a car as a mobile restaurant.
At her house along Mzingeli Street, she continued to operate a kitchen until she was forced to abandon the home business during “Operation Murambatsvina” which was aimed at cleaning up towns.
Before her husband who was a Harare City Council employee died in 1999, he had helped her formalise her business to meet elementary catering standards.
She started her canteen trading under the name “Bisto” because she used to use Bisto relish powder in her soups and stews.
She did not name the place Cresta, as it was popularly known, but it was the customers who coined the name because they believed the dishes and service being offered were actually better or of the same quality with the renowned hotel group.
She used to supply Chibuku Breweries employees in the industrial areas with sadza during lunch hour, but ended up opening a branch in situ.
Gogo Samuriwo was known for her usual saying to the customers, ” Sadza for the smart gentleman. One big mukombe for murume wanhasi. Big piece for madam. Vakomana ngavapihwe sadza rakawanda vanoputa fodya. More meat for musikana akageza.”
She was familiar with her surroundings since she grew up in Mbare and went to Chirodzo Primary School and Harare High.
Her son, Munyaradzi, said Gogo was very determined having started her canteen some years back.
“This attracted most prominent people to come and buy food at the canteen. Most of them included renowned businessmen Philip Chiyangwa, and Wicknell Chivhayo as well as former ministers Webster Shamu and David Parirenyatwa and former Mashonaland governor Feber Chidarikire, among other prominent figures,” said Munyaradzi.
“Soccer clubs that used to frequent the place include Dynamos, Masvingo United, Harare City Football Club and the now defunct Blackpool.
“Some of the famous Mbare footballers like the late Ashton Nyazika, and Lewis Kutinyu all ate there. Also, the Chillspot Family and other Zimdancehall artistes like Sir Calaz and the late Soul Jah Love were regular customers.”
Munyaradzi said Gogo Samuriwo achieved a lot through her entrepreneurship skills.
“Through her business, Gogo Samuriwo bought properties in Mufakose (where she stayed until her death), in Belvedere West, Westgate and Mbare. She also has a farm in Norton,” he said.
As an accomplished Zanu PF party cadre who was brave, her home was used for political meetings even during her absence.
Hazel Muguti, Gogo Samuriwo’s daughter, who is currently in the United Kingdom, said her mother did not discriminate against anyone, adding that she was a mother to the whole community.
Gogo Samuriwo (left) and her daughter Hazel
“Our mother taught us to treat everyone with great respect and she would insist that a child does not belong to the parents, but to the whole community. The statement itself indicates the type of mother she was,” said Hazel.
“She was a loving mother, she loved everyone despite your background and here we grew up mingling with children from extended families, but one couldn’t see the difference because we were treated equally. To us and the entire community, her death is a huge loss, and even in the political space,” she said.
“Her relationship with her husband was so close. Despite having liberation war credentials, she at one time to have seemed abandoned politics until her husband encouraged her to the extent of becoming more active than ever.”
Hazel said, her mother taught her to treat other people with love and respect. However her death came as a surprise.
She said her mother used to buy medication for other people in the community, and she pledged to continue the legacy that she had left.
Daughter-in-law, Hellen Muguti said her late mother-in-law had dispelled the misconception exist between the relationship of the two.
“My mother-in-law took me as her daughter, I was amazed with the level of trust she could put to me. Sometimes she could leave me in charge of the canteen, but what was surprising was that she never bothered to ascertain if the cash was short,” said Hellen.
Elder son Killian, who is Zanu PF councillor for Mbare, said he was ushered into politics by her mother.
He said he was taught on how to engage people in politics, adding that Gogo told her that politics was not dirty, but it was the people who came with bad ideas.
“My mother is the one who invited me into politics, she told me that most of the people think politics is dirty, but it becomes so when dirty people come in. I was strengthened by her words,” said Killian.
He said Gogo Samuriwo could use her church experience as a devout Catholic to counsel young people in this community, especially those whose future seemed bleak.
“Gogo helped a lot of people, she was a counsellor, she provided counselling to a lot of people and most of them could have committed suicide by now. She rejuvenated and revived a lot of people’s hopes.
“Due to her good works, Zanu PF members in Mufakose nominated Gogo to represent the people in elections. As children, we are very happy that the Government under the leadership of President Mnangagwa recognised our mother,” he said.
“Gogo Samuriwo could dress like a mother. She loved her community as she bought a transformer, and renovated roads in this community that were neglected here, but she used her money to assist the community,” added Killian.
Her nephew, Nigel Mutumha, said she was the best at mobilising party cadres.
“She used to be a dedicated and loyal Zanu PF member who played a significant role in mobilising and recruitment of party members, especially in the grassroots,” said Nigel.
A neighbour to Gogo Samuriwo, Mrs Veronica Kahari, described her as a loving mother who was deeply involved in community social work.
“I have known Gogo Samuriwo since 1979 after being introduced to her by her daughter, Vivian, who was my friend. She was a good person with motherly qualities.
“She used to bring leftovers from her kitchen and distribute them to neighbours. At the time of her death, she was now concentrating on the vulnerable groups, the elderly and orphans,” said Mrs Kahari.
“Sometimes she could give people food hampers, she was a very sociable and peaceloving mother. In times of need she could donate even the last cent she had. She looke after more than 13 children who were in need,” she said.
One of her employees, Mrs Tracy Mukonomuvi, said she was deeply saddened by the loss of Gogo Samuriwo, adding she was a patriotic cadre who could preach the good works of the ruling Zanu PF party.
“We are all in deep sorrow following the passing on of Gogo, she was a good person who would always encourage us to follow the principles of the revolutionary party Zanu PF. She was loving and showed her love to everyone, she met” said Mrs Mukonomuvi.
A neighbour, Mrs Eunika Mutoti, echoed Gogo Samuriwo’s love for the community, adding she was happy mother who could accommodate everyone.
Gogo Samuriwo and the Ireland ruby team.
“Even the dogs in this community will remember Gogo as a good neighbour. This place was a place of everyone. We learnt to share from her because whatever she had; she could share. We don’t know how this wound is going to heal,” said Gogo Mutoti.
Cde David Mutukwa who spoke from the political side said Gogo Samuriwo was a staunch supporter of Zanu PF who could assist in various political activities.
“This house was used for political activities. People could gather in this house, and most of aspiring legislators representing the ruling party came through her and used even to gather her to improve ways of mobilising people. She assisted a lot of families in cash or kind,” he said.
“She became a dedicated cadre and rose through structures to the provincial level in the ruling Zanu PF party. She was a provincial member for two terms responsible for legal affairs. This was before she came down to the district level as the head of the Women’s League for Mufakose District 3 for more than 25 years,” said Cde Mutukwa.
A long-time employee, Sheillah Nhokwara, said they had more to cherish on Gogo Samuriwo as anemployer.
“Gogo Samuriwo was a determined woman; she was someone who wanted to empower women. She wanted everyone to be self-dependent. He taught us a lot of things. I have been this canteen for the past 16 years. Some people tried to influence me to quit the job, but I remained steadfast because I knew that Gogo had a unique personality,” said Sheillah.
Gogo Samuriwo was laid to rest at her rural home in Chihota last Friday.
Online Reporter