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Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
AFTER surviving a horror crash that claimed 15 passengers, losing a car to a fire, and being robbed of a motor vehicle in South Africa, Ms Sazini Tshuma realised she had a purpose to serve and was not being given many second chances for no reason.
Born in 1981 in St Peters village on the peripheries of Bulawayo, many never assumed anything good would come out of the dusty roads, haphazard infrastructure and acute poverty of the area.
However, the dream of building a decent house for her parents was Ms Tshuma’s ultimate goal, it lived at the back of her mind but never was out of her vision. Even poverty would not deter a then primary school-going Sazini.
“Our mother raised nine of us, my father worked for Bulawayo City Council back then. It was not easy at all and she never left our side, life was hard, we looked at other people and wished we were them but that was the time, but it came to pass.
“Many people who lived in St Peters knew our house, if strong winds came, they would blow off roofing sheets that were held together by stones, there were no nails. I remember one day there was a whirlwind and my father was outside fetching water, he ran into the house to check if the rocks holding the roof had not fallen on top of us, we laugh at it today but then, it was no laughing matter. Our house had no plan, no structure, it was just haphazardly built by my father, and extended in so many directions it was a mess (chuckles). I saw that he was full of passion to have a home where all of us would fit,” she said.
Ms Tshuma said the feeling was heartbreaking as her family struggled to do many things others were doing and she had to sell sweeping brooms, ulude (vegetables) and sweets to get money to assist the family during both primary and secondary school.
“The foundation of our house was dug in 1988, when sand would fill it up, it would be scooped out again year in and year out but God had a plan, I then built this house in 2001, 13 years later. My father initially refused and said I must build my own first but my goal was to give him the home he always wished for and is on that foundation he dug back in 1988, to fulfil his wishes. After I completed the house, my father gave me two cows from his kraal as a token of appreciation for uplifting the family. After my father’s blessing for sure, I also managed to then buy my own house and it’s through the grace of God,” she said.
The bubbly Ms Tshuma recalls being chased away from a neighbour’s house for asking for cow dung.
“One neighbour chased us away from her home and threw stones at us when we went to ask for cow dung saying ayisimi engathi uyihlo engafuyi (it is not my fault that your father has no cattle). That cow dung was for ukusinda (pasting the floor) while other women were using floor polish, my mother was using cow dung. This made me plead with God to help me realise the dream of building my parents a house. I urge all those who wish to build homes for their parents to do so, it is never too late to change the lives of your families, we must always remember where we came from,” she added.
Turning to second chances in life, Ms Tshuma said she has been born again several times.
“I have been given many chances in my life by God, when I remember those stages and trials, I reckon I could have died but I was spared. I survived an accident that killed 15 people in South Africa, I survived because I never made it into that vehicle, I was supposed to travel with omalayitsha and for days they kept postponing the trip until my sister secured a lift for me in another vehicle but my luggage was still with the transporters. So, I did not hesitate to go, I just carried my passport and decided I would get my luggage when the transporters eventually come to Zimbabwe.
“I got a call the following morning from South Africa and was told that all the passengers in the car I was supposed to use had perished in Louis Tritchard, all that remained was a trailer. I had to go and watch the news next door to confirm if it was true. God removed me from the vehicle, I could have easily perished with the others,” she said.
This was a turning point in her life.
“I changed my ways, I changed my life, I never led a fast life or drank alcohol but I changed my ways, I looked at the things I was doing and realised God has a plan for me and saved me from dying.”
Another misfortune befell her.
“I was living in Pumula South then, we made a fire and cooked outside as there was a power cut. Our cars with my husband were parked next to each other. We retired to bed and I was awoken by a bright light in my bedroom and assumed electricity had returned, but I checked outside and saw my car on fire, we ran for help and neighbours assisted in putting out the fire,” she said.
Ms Tshuma said she had to return the car to South Africa where it was registered and struggled to get to the Beitbridge Border Post as the police were questioning her on the state of the car at roadblocks.
“I saw the hand of God when I reached South Africa, I took the car to the garage and explained what happened and the man understood and I was not charged anything for repairing the car. I was shocked,” she said.
Ms Tshuma said the misfortunes she encountered never stopped and she felt like all she had worked for was slowly perishing and as fate would have it, she found herself in yet another tragedy.
“I was robbed of a vehicle that I was selling in South Africa; it was in my brother’s possession when it was stolen. My husband comforted me and told me to let it go, but I could not imagine losing R70 000 just like that. But by the grace of God, my car was found untouched in a basement in South Africa, I had prayed and prayed and my prayers were answered,” she said.
Ms Tshuma said when the car was stolen, her brother then offered to pay her R70 000 since he had it when it was stolen.
“I refused to take that money because it was not his fault, I accepted that it had been stolen, I was not greedy at all. How was I going to face my brother after the car had been found and I had taken his money? It was going to spoil our relationship. I encourage everyone to be cautious when dealing with one another so as to maintain healthy relationships, ask God for wisdom,” she added.
Last week Ms Tshuma launched the MaGolide Foundation where she feeds vulnerable members of St Peters, she said philanthropy is her calling and hopes to grow the feeding kitchen to accommodate more people.-@NyembeziMu
Online Reporter