Chronicle Editor
Fidelis Munyoro Chief Court Reporter—
A section of dilapidated houses welcomes you as you enter the sleepy police compound at Ashdown Park. When we made our way to the house of the widow of slain Police Inspector Petros Mutedza, we found her lingering steadily in front of her house.Mrs Joyce Mutedza had just finished cleaning the house and ensuring the entrance to the house was in order, following a heavy downpour in the morning yesterday.
She welcomed us into her house and offered us seats before we were joined by her last born son, now going to Form One next year.
In a few moments, her daughter who just completed her A Levels joined us.
When I raised my head, I observed the photograph of Insp Mutedza in a golden frame that hung loosely on the wall.
He is just a photograph on the wall now!
We exchanged pleasantries. For a moment a dreary atmosphere enveloped the house. I broke the silence by explaining to Mrs Mutedza the purpose of our visit.
She nodded in the affirmative and gathered her composure.
“The death of my husband sculpted my life into abject poverty,” said Mrs Mutedza as she recounted what she is going through.
“My life is drab compared with the exciting lifestyle when my husband was alive.”
She said poverty had found place in the family and her grief was overwhelming. She also has a burden to handle the grief of her children as well having the hard time with the loss of their father.
At this juncture, her daughter who was quietly following the interview started sobbing.
Clearly, the interview evoked memories of her husband’s death. You could tell that she was struggling to contain emotions as the interview progressed.
“One of the most annihilating and traumatic experience for all children is the loss of a father or parent,” said Mrs Mutedza her voice wobbling with restrained emotions.
“It’s Christmas time and my children were asking, ‘what are you doing for us?’ Here I am struggling to fend for them. I have virtually nothing.”
Mrs Mutedza who is now a vendor ekes out a living selling second hand clothes, peanut butter and sour milk, but the proceeds are not sufficient to meet the family’s basic needs.
With the prevailing economic challenges in the country, Mrs Mutedza said the family was sinking deeper into poverty as she is failing to fend for her children.
The family has pinned its hope for survival on the eldest son, who is now a policeman.
Mrs Mutedza was grateful to Police Commissioner-General Dr Augustine Chihuri who took it upon himself to pay school fees for her children.
After the death of her husband, Mrs Mutedza was given a lumpsum payment, which she used to buy a residential stand at Madziva Growth Point.
She only managed to construct the house up to slab level.
Justice could have finally prevailed when the High Court jailed three MDC-T activists – Tungamirai Madzokere, Yvonne Musarurwa and Last Maengahama to 20 years each, but for Mrs Mutedza it will never be enough to compensate her and the children.
Life will never be the same without her husband and the father of her children who are growing up with grief, though spawning in the stoicism and fortitude.
Online Reporter