I WAS JUST A FARM BOY

Zim music Matrix

Clive Malunga

MY mother was born and bred in Shurugwi.

Her parents worked at Gwenhoro Farm, which was owned by the late Rhodesian Prime Minister, Ian Douglas Smith.

That was where my parents met and got married. 

I come from a family of five children — three girls and two boys. My two elder sisters were born in Shurugwi but my late elder brother, younger sister and I were born at Norton Hospital.

My parents were now working at Kingsdale Farm, which was owned by Mr Valley, a white farmer renowned for maize and tobacco growing.

My father worked as a cook while my mother was a nanny. She looked after the farmer’s three children — Nolly, Leon and Windy. My parents gave me preferential treatment. It had a positive effect on my relationship with my sisters and brother.  

Everyone in the family exceptionally poured their love on me. It is said that I showed behaviour and maturity beyond my age.

I am told at age three, I would keep both children and adults around me laughing.

When I was born, my father wanted to give me the name, “Trouble” but my mother preferred “Peter”.

Owing to their failure to agree on a name, I ended up being called “Boy” from birth until I was six years old. At six, they had to acquire a birth certificate for me in preparation for my admission at school.

In the end, my mother prevailed by giving me the name Clive. During weekends, my father would go playing a card gambling (makasa) at nearby farms such as Mutuvha, Mutipitipi, Kachara and Mashumba.

He enjoyed gambling and drinking beer.

My mother would go with me to the farm compounds to sell aprons and kids dresses.

She owned a sewing machine and taught herself to sew.  She spoke Lapalapa, Nyanja, Ndebele and Shona fluently. 

Whenever we reached a farm compound, my mother would enquire from farm workers where a traditional beer gathering would be that particular weekend. Revellers would be drinking beer and dancing to South African music.

My mother would ask me to dance for the audience. I remember dancing to hits like Lilizela Mlilizeli, Uyavutha Umlilo, Stokvel Jive and Nina Majuba all by Mahlathini and Mahotela Queens.

Then, South African music was very popular. Many would come to watch the five-year-old agile dancer. I danced beautifully and was not shy at all.

People would throw some coins on the dance floor as an appreciation of my skills.

My mother would start selling aprons and girls’ dresses to women who would have gathered at the compound. On our way home, my mother would teach me how to sing gospel songs.

Then, most houses at the farm compounds were grass thatched and would have a thatched barricade called Mupanda in vernacular.

Our house was 500-600m away from Mr Valley’s house. It was a three-bedroomed house built from common bricks and had a corrugated roof.

We grew up eating very good food my father would get as left-overs from the white farmer’s family.

Every Christmas, farm workers and their families would come to Mr Valley’s house singing jiti songs. Mr Valley would come out of his house with his family holding many packets of sweets. 

He would throw the sweets in the air and the farm workers would fall on each other trying to get as many as possible. This was just disgusting.

In 1970, when I was in Grade Three, my family moved from the farm to Katanga.

As soon as we settled in Katanga, I joined the Norton Youth Club managed by a welfare officer called Mr Chigariro.

I started learning how to play a box guitar.

Later, I joined a group of young aspiring musicians called the Young Shadows.

It was the brainchild of veteran musician, Jackson Phiri, of the famous Limpopo Jazz Band. 

We would play copyrights from the Hurricanes, Otis Redding, A-Ha, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. I also joined the Norton Youth Club Under-12 soccer team. During my days in the Norton Youth Club soccer team, we competed against great soccer players like the late Stanley “Sinyo” Ndunduma, the late Leon Ndunduma and the late Joel “Jubilee” Shambo, all from Mufakose Youth Club.

By the time I was in Grade 7, at the age of 14, I had qualified to join the Norton United Football Club first team, which was in the First Division. 

I was the youngest player in the team, playing as a right winger or number seven.

Our coach was Mr Zidenga.

He promoted me to the senior team after a recommendation from Steve Kwashi, who had come to Norton on national coaching duties. 

We played against teams such as Hartley Pirates, Gatooma United, BAT Ramblers, Hunyani Pulp and Paper United and Mhangura United.

I then made a life-defining decision to stop playing soccer and join a music band.

I realised that football was very short-lived since you slow down with age.

On the other hand, the older you become in music, the more mature you get.

I have been a committed musician since then.

◆  NB: For feedback, you can contact me on [email protected] or WhatsApp/SMS  0782 464 001.