Sundaymail Editor
Tendai Chara
UNTIL recently, an open space adjacent to the Kuwadzana round-about on the Harare-Bulawayo highway was a black spot. Here, muggings, murder and rape cases were common.
In the dead of the night, criminals hid in the then unkempt environs and pounced on residents who would have been dropped off at the nearby bus stop.
Today, the greening efforts being made by Mr Morris Chidhawu, a Kuwadzana 3 resident, have transformed this former dark spot into a modern-day “Garden of Eden”.
Those who pass through the Kuwadzana roundabout will not help but marvel at the sight of this well-manicured roadside verge.
Mr Chidhawu has transformed the once neglected roadside into an attractive garden, which is adorned with bushes, climbers, lawns and several types of flowers.
Clinging onto tree branches are hanging baskets with the most beautiful of flowers.
Different kinds of plant fibres, aloe species and ground cover flowers make this place a favourite resting place for passer-by.
Rockeries, water fountains and bushes also help beautify the place.
Recently, The Sunday Mail Society caught up with Mr Chidhawu, who chronicled how his love for flowers gave birth to this beautiful and life-saving landmark.
“Basically, I love flowers and rockeries. I started off by planting flowers at my home and I ran out of space. It was during the lockdown period, and I decided to come and beautify this open space,” Mr Chidhawu said.
Transforming the neglected open space was a lot of hard work, which often attracted ridicule from the nearby residents.
“I had to rearrange some of the heavy boulders and bring in, from Westlea, some very big logs. I walked around, collecting used vehicle tyres and many people started questioning my sanity,” Mr Chidhawu said.
At a time when the locals were questioning his sanity, Mr Chidhawu’s wife, Sarah, stood by him.
“On a daily basis, she would walk the long distance from our home and bring me food. Remember, we were not getting any monetary benefits from this project, and if my wife was someone else, she would have deserted me,” added Mr Chidhawu.
Mrs Florence Maimba, whose house is a stone’s throw away from the spot, confessed that she at one time thought Mr Chidhawu was a mentally disturbed man.
“The first day, I saw him moving huge boulders and rearranging them. The next day, I observed him cutting grass. I thought he was a homeless man who wanted to turn the place into a squatter camp,” Mrs Maimba said.
According to Mr Chidhawu, three more people recently approached him and confessed that they initially thought he was either a homeless man or was mentally challenged.
Mr Chidhawu’s selflessness has given birth to a rising enterprise.
“Those who pass through this place often ask me to landscape their yards. Apart from landscaping, I am now selling flowers and manufacturing flower pots,” added Mr Chidhawu.
He has since turned his home into a plant and flower nursery.
Over 40 plant and flower species are being grown at the home.
Mr Chidhawu, a greening hero and self-taught landscaper, has not only beautified the Kuwadzana roundabout but also created employment for some locals with whom he works on big landscaping assignments.
Online Reporter