Princely splendour deep in Filabusi

Msilisi Dube Chronicle Correspondent
WHOEVER thought mansions were meant for big cities should go to Avoca in rural Filabusi in Matabeleland South and see.
There, a local man based in South Africa has built a six-bedroom two storey mansion at his homestead, which is a spectacle in the area.
But the massive house has piqued neighbours’ curiosity, and not just because of its size: the owner is never home.
The owner, a cross-border transporter based in South Africa, known as umalayitsha in local parlance, has reportedly deserted his home, which is the envy of many in the area.

Gideon Musaka, who said he was a brother to the owner, whose name he was not keen to release, said a “fortune” was spent in building the house.

“My brother used a lot of money to build this home, but he spends most of his time in the neighbouring country with his family and only comes home to bring some goods in line with his business,” he said.

“I’m looking after the home while he is away.”
The mansion has electricity and tap water, but it is surrounded by pole and dagga homesteads. The magnificent building also has a big garage and is neatly tiled with spacious rooms.

The building is the only noticeable structure in the area and people use it as a directional sign.
A neighbour said locals were baffled by the owner’s absence.

“It appears he has deserted his homestead. If this was mine, it would be such a nice home. We wonder why he built it in the first place,” said the neighbour.

“Will he come back and live here? We wonder. Perhaps he should have invested his money in something else different as he doesn’t stay in this house. This makes us look poor because our houses are built with mud and don’t look so good.”

But her opinion was not shared by another villager, who identified herself as MaMoyo. She said the community was proud that one of their own managed to build a magnificent structure.

“This house is so beautiful and we applaud the owner. Any suspicion over his absence is not important. We ought to be happy  and celebrate others when they do well,” she said.