Online Reporter
The one-handed love scam
Bra Binzy, I saw this one online. Please assist with a response.
Good morning Vee, please post for me, I got scammed. I met a guy who had one hand. He told me he lost it in a work accident and was waiting for a payout of “7 million Rand”. I fell for it. We dated for a whole year, nothing was ever paid to him. I was the one financing the relationship — food, rent, even our clothes.
Vee, I used to kiss that half-hand every night, even when people were watching.
Eventually, I asked him about the payout, and he said his lawyers were still working on it. One day, I went to visit his mother and decided to snoop around. I found a picture of him as a toddler . . . with no hand!
— Sithelo, Bulawayo
Bra Binzy says: Ah sisi Sithelo, you didn’t just kiss that half-hand, you kissed away your whole bank balance! That man wasn’t waiting for a payout — he was waiting for your pay day. The missing hand didn’t come from an accident; it came from a lifetime of hustling gullible hearts.
Here’s the lesson: love is blind, but it mustn’t be stupid. When a story sounds like a Nollywood script — seven million rand, lawyers “still busy” after a whole year, and you footing all the bills — it’s not romance, it’s a scam. Next time, let your brain sit in the driver’s seat and your heart ride in the back. And sisi, stop financing men. Even EcoCash will tell you: “Insufficient funds.”
Crushing on step-daddy
Dear Bra Binzy,
I’m 17 years old and I’m attracted to my 50-year-old step-dad. He’s a sexy, loving man who could easily pass for 25. He works out regularly and always smells nice. Ngiyagcwala ngaye — I can’t stop thinking about him. I look forward to his hugs when he gets home and I never want to let go. Nowadays, I get very jealous when he shows affection to my mum. What should I do? Please help me.
— Joana, Bulawayo
Bra Binzy says: Joana, slow down before you turn Generations into Bold and the Beautiful. At 17, you’re not seeing your step-dad — you’re seeing six packs, nice cologne and forbidden fruit. That’s not love, that’s hormones doing the Waka Waka dance in your head.
Here’s the truth: if you act on this, you’ll blow up your family like a cheap cellphone battery. Your mum will hate you, your step-dad might land in jail, and you’ll carry guilt heavier than your school bag.
My advice? Create distance. Hang out with friends your age, focus on your studies and don’t linger on those hugs too long. A crush fades — but family drama sticks like a bad tattoo.
Overprotective karate brother
Dear Bra Binzy,
My brother is a karateka and very overprotective of me. At first, I found it cute, but now it’s a problem. The last guy who dared to date me got kicked six ways to China. So thorough were the kicks that he disappeared from my life completely — no calls, no texts, nothing.
Every guy I like is now deathly scared of him. How do I tell my brother to set me free without offending him? I know he’s doing this out of love.
— Anonymous
Bra Binzy says: Ah sisi, your brother isn’t protecting you — he’s running a private karate-based dating ban. I get it, he loves you and doesn’t want you hurt. But kicking potential lovers to China isn’t love — it’s dictatorship.
Here’s what you do:
l Sit him down calmly.
l Tell him, “Bruh, I appreciate your love, but your kicks are now blocking my blessings.”
l Assure him you’ll choose wisely, but his role is to guide, not to fight.
Remind him: if he keeps this up, the only man who’ll survive to marry you will be Jet Li.
Girlfriend with dragon breath
Dear Bra Binzy,
My girlfriend is easily the most beautiful woman in the world. But when she opens her mouth — especially in the morning — I feel like my intestines are rushing to come out of my mouth, as if I’m going to puke out my insides.
How do I tell her about this without destroying our relationship? She seems blissfully unaware that she has this problem.
— Anonymous
Bra Binzy Responds:
Ah mfowethu, you’ve found beauty and the beast — but the beast lives in her mouth.
Bad breath can come from simple things like diet or poor oral hygiene, or more serious health issues.
Here’s how to handle it:
* Buy her a nice toothbrush set and mouthwash as a “just because” gift.
* Suggest you both see a dentist together — make it fun, not a punishment.
* If she still doesn’t get it, be honest but kind: “Babe, sometimes your breath isn’t as fresh as it could be. Let’s fix it together.”
Better she blushes now than you vomit during the wedding vows.
Want Bra Binzy to help solve your messy umjolo saga?
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Or WhatsApp us on 0776201133 with the hashtag #DearBraBinzy
Peter Tanyanyiwa