Hi Sis Noe

I AM a married man but I have a girlfriend who doesn’t know that I am married. She is now talking about us settling down and having children. I love her, I don’t know what to do. — Confused.

Reply

You are a man living on the edge. You are telling so many lies and leading so many people along, your mind is in a whirl. But the fact of the matter is that you are already married, so you are in no position to marry anyone else. Therefore, it’s only fair to tell your partner exactly what is going on and how tied up in knots you are. Of course she is going to hit the roof, but she has to know where she stands.

Hi Sis Noe

I have been living with my boyfriend for five years but I no longer love him. I don’t know what to do because I can’t leave him as I like the flat we live in. It is very beautiful and gives me status and makes my friends jealous. I just can’t go back home to my parents in Makokoba. — Stressed.

Reply

Are you for real? You are staying in a failing relationship because you can’t give up the bricks and the mortar? I am sure you have a beautiful home, but what about your happiness, your sex life and your future well-being? What about your boyfriend’s happiness? Surely you cannot string him along forever just because you love his flat? You mentioned your friends — that clearly shows how immature you are. Why do you care what anyone thinks? You may dislike your parents’ house but that’s your real home — that is where you grew up. You are a Makokoba girl; you cannot rub it off you. You can take the girl out of the ghetto but you can’t take the ghetto out of the girl. Try as you may. Do me a favour — please grow up!

Hi Sis Noe

Since I gave birth I don’t feel my man’s penis, he does not satisfy me. I fear that my vagina is now too big for him. Please help. — Worried.

Reply

After giving birth vaginally, it’s normal for the vagina to be larger than it was before, and this effect generally is more pronounced after the birth of a large baby. This is caused by relaxation of the pelvic floor musculature. These muscles will lose their tone with each successive birth, although pelvic floor exercises known as Kegels can help you tighten them up. Tighten the muscles at the front lower part of your body as if you are stopping yourself from urinating and adopt this hold for 10 seconds then relax and repeat and keep up for five minutes. Do these four times a day. Some women are not comfortable with exercise and that’s their choice but if you really want to help yourself and keep the muscles strong then the pelvic floor muscle exercises are ideal. Since this includes the muscle that you use to stop and start the flow of urine, you can check if you’ve identified the right muscle by testing your Kegel technique while urinating — if you can stop the flow of urine when tightening, then you know that you are contracting the correct muscle. But don’t actually do your exercises while urinating; just use that to check your technique. Sexual pleasures will become more intense as the muscles become more elastic and stronger. These exercises improve the bladder so that you will not leak urine. However, your vagina will not actually become smaller but the opening will be tighter and you will feel his penis like never before.

Hi Sis Noe

I love my husband but I am not sure if he loves me, simply because he does not care about my emotional and sexual needs. The sex we have satisfies him, not me. I have told him this but nothing has changed. — Help.

Reply

Sadly, it sounds as though your husband has become an increasingly selfish and uninterested lover. It is hard to imagine how your sex life has made you feel, given that your husband does not know what you enjoy or what gives you pleasure. Understanding this about your partner is an essential part of any loving relationship — and it should always work both ways. If a couple do not explore what each enjoys, then one or both tend to lose interest in their sexual relationship and are often tempted to look elsewhere. I know this is tough, but I think you need to talk to your husband and ask him if he still loves you and whether he truly wants this marriage to work or is just staying for the children or financial reasons. If you both want to stay in the marriage, talk about why you feel you are drifting apart and discuss what changes you both wish to see in your relationship — including your sex life. I hope that once you feel closer to one another your sex life will improve. Alternatively, if he has fallen out of love then perhaps he is no longer the man for you.

Hi Sis Noe

I love my wife and we have been together for three years, but have not had sex for the last four months. I have to admit that sex with her was never as good as with most of my previous girlfriends. Now, I simply don’t find her sexually attractive any more. Plus she now wants us to have children but I am not ready. — Help.

Reply

Have you explored the reasons why you no longer find your wife sexually attractive? Was your sex life not good because she was inhibited, or did you always make love in the same way? Has she perhaps put on weight, or have you begun comparing her unfavourably to previous girlfriends? For sex to be good between two people, they both need to be open about what they enjoy and to try new ideas to give each other pleasure. Alternatively, maybe you have lost interest because deep down you are worried about her getting pregnant, so you started to avoid making love. Unless the sexual side of your relationship is restored, the marriage is not going to be sustainable in the long term. You are only in your 20s, I assume — how would you remain faithful in a sexless marriage? It would not be wise to start a family yet; you have to face the fact that your marriage may not have a future.

Peter Matika, Senior Reporter

A HARARE-BASED tour company has been accused of soliciting for nude pictures from prospective female employees, claiming that the pictures would secure them employment with the company.

Some of the female job seekers who spoke on condition of anonymity alleged that the company intended to use the pictures to attract foreign clientele, in a bid to boost business.

The named company had advertised a vacancy of a travel consultant on a job seekers’ website. According to the advert, job seekers were required to have at least 5 O-levels, with English, Travel and Tourism qualifications, with a minimum of a year experience. Applicants were also required to be between the ages of 19 and 30. 

Applicants were required to respond to the advert via a WhatsApp number that was provided in the advert. Sunday News is in possession of some of the messages sent from the alleged number to some of the women.

“The application process includes us sending nudes. I was shocked when I was asked to send nude pictures. They said they wanted pictures of me in either a bathing suit or shorts and that is when the person at the other end of the phone asked me for nudes,” said a woman.

Another woman made similar allegations, saying she suspected the company wanted to use their pictures to lure foreign clients.

“I work in this industry and I thought I could get a break and move to Harare. After I was asked to send nude pictures I just decided to remain where I am. This industry is hard and some companies go to the extremes to get clientele,” she said.

The owner of the company could neither deny nor confirm the allegations, saying an investigation into the matter would be instigated.

“I will investigate the matter, I am not saying it happened or it didn’t but as an organisation we do apologise to those that were affected. I really don’t know who could have done this but I will get to the bottom of it,” he said.

He added that the company was pulling down the advert, as they had already scheduled appointments with various individuals tomorrow.

@peterkmatika

Rumbidzai Mhlanga, Sunday Life Reporter

THE arrest of 40 rowdy youths who went on the rampage in Bulawayo’s CBD following a drinking binge on Saturday last week makes for sad reading.

The visibly drunk teenagers between 14 and 18 years were reportedly disturbing the flow of traffic along as they jumped in front of moving vehicles and danced in the middle of the road risking being run over.

They also exhibited improper levels of excitement as they were shouting and screaming all over the streets. The arrest came at time when youth delinquency in Bulawayo has been on the increase since the rise of the infamous “Vuzu” parties which gained popularity in Bulawayo in 2015.

These illicit parties involve alcohol binges, casual sex and drug abuse, putting young people at the risk of contracting sexually-transmitted diseases.

Research has shown that most of the teenagers who attend Vuzu parties were boarders because they lacked entertainment at schools. It then follows from that research that the death of afternoon sessions in the city is apparently contributing to teenagers to actively participate in alcohol binges where dangerous drugs, alcohol abuse and sex competitions are held.

In separate interviews with Sunday Life club owners and managers in Bulawayo also confirmed that the death of afternoon sessions was contributing to wild parties or orgies where alcohol binging, casual sex and drug abuse takes place.

Former Horizon bar manager, Xolani ‘‘Joe Da OG’’ Ncube said back in the days clubs used to host afternoon sessions entertainment for teenagers where they would have harmless fun, get together and interact as the same age in a safeguarded place under supervision.

“Club Vision, Blue Magic and others used to have afternoon session parties for the youth where they used to have fun, enjoying music and dancing off their energy in a secured and controlled place where they could not drink alcohol, all they had was soft drinks,” said Joe.

He added: “Meanwhile, what the children did after such orderly organised shows led to the banishment of those afternoon sessions hence leading to the emergence of the infamous Vuzu parties. The rowdy teenagers would engage in street fights, others would be bullied and abused with all forms of violence.”

A club owner who preferred anonymity for professional reasons said afternoon sessions were a good source of entertainment for teenagers although they were later banned by the police because some unscrupulous club owners were selling alcohol to the teenagers.

This publication also spoke to one of the teenagers who was attending an event she termed “first Saturdays.”

“First Saturday when the schools close is a youth get-together and we will be having fun, partying while we enjoy coming of age as we relieve school stress and get into the festive mood,” she said.

“We do drink alcohol because alcohol is the in-thing you know, and it’s fun. This is because we have no any other way of entertaining ourselves since clubs no longer host afternoon sessions for us where we can enjoy under supervision,” said the teenager who preferred anonymity.

Entertainment-starved teenagers have now resorted to organising parties on their own with the help of money driven adults who only focus on getting money from teenagers as they sell alcohol and drugs to them back-door.

Lack of entertainment at schools has also seen youths seeking entertainment in immoral ways, adolescents mostly who are at boarding schools claim lack of entertainment activities in schools is fuelling notorious parties as they turn to them for entertainment.

Mthabisi Tshuma, Sunday Life Correspondent 

IF you are a sucker for developmental art in any arts genre then you would understand that the small mining town, south of the country, Gwanda, is growing to another level and that can not be disputed.

In the past, the arts scene of the town had turned to a white elephant with just less than a handful of meaning events set to lift the arts status quo of the province’s capital.

The Bolamba performing arts made history last year by becoming the first Gwanda-based dance group to win the national Chibuku Neshamwari Dance Festival competitions.

This year, they did it again by being nominated in the Nama awards in the Outstanding dance group category with the Jahunda community arts joining them for being nominated in the Outstanding theatre production category.

Tough luck to them all as they did not manage to clinch the gongs, but exposure and opening of doors nationally are an inevitability they have inherited that will definitely bloom their careers.

Director of the Jahunda community group Adrian “Drivo” Musa says the nomination has influenced them to write more pieces and urged the public to expect fireworks this year.

“The nomination opened our minds and we are in the move of writing more plays which are up to standard and reflect on the Zimbabwean lifestyle influenced by the ambition of broadening our popularity across borders,” Drivo says. 

The arts group has since set every Friday as the airing of their plays at Jahunda community hall as they call on youngsters to embrace their culture.

In 2016, Gwanda joined the entertainment party vibe by being home of the country’s vibrant gospel event, the Gwanda Gospel festival which has seen renowned gospel singer Rebecca and the late national hero, Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi thronging the mining town for an A-list line-up event.

A year after, the town’s event organisers slowly incorporated the idea of developing arts into the next level with the Miss Mkhekhelezi modelling pageant opening doors for young modellers as young as 16.

Tomang Pindi, a Gwanda bar proprietor has expressed the need for event organisers to play a pivotal role in the uplifting of the arts sector in small towns.

“Given the chance I will continue to ensure that our young artistes are given the voice as not only does it uplift them but also the communities there are entrusted to,” he said.

History is since being made in terms of shows lined up in the mining town for the past months and for this year’s independence and Easter celebrations.

In the past party goers would not have to crack his or her mind in choosing where to party in these festivities but alas this time around, a party puzzle is needed to guide the patron’s place of partying with almost every nightclub and promoters having something for their patrons.

Three modelling pageants were held over the Easter weekend, for the first time in the history of the existence of the town.

@mthabisi_mthire.

Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday Life Reporter

LAST week, Ammara Brown released Loyal, her first single released in 2019. 

With a bouncy beat and a catchy chorus, the song is a strong indication of her ambitions this year, a year in which she now looks set to continue her reign as one of the most sought after female talents on the country’s urban music scene. 

Ever since she relocated to the bright lights of Johannesburg in South Africa, Ammara has made her ambitions pretty clear. She has conquered Zimbabwe and has her eyes firmly set on taming the rest of the continent. 

Stardom in Zimbabwe and stardom in the rest of Africa are quite different and Ammara will need her hard work and talent to match her ambition if she is to become the continental icon that she clearly craves to be. 

Songs like Loyal, with dance inducing beats and easy to remember lyrics certainly stand her in good stead as she forges ahead with her career. 

Meanwhile, only a week before that song, another female Zimbabwean artiste who has looked ripe for superstardom over the last few years, Selmor Mtukudzi, held a gig in remembrance of her late legendary father. 

It was not the first gig of its kind, but what stood out perhaps about this one were the utterances of Selmor’s mother and Tuku’s first wife, Melody Murape, after her daughter had once again put up an admirable display in front of a sizeable crowd. 

“From what I have witnessed at this concert I am satisfied that Selmor is carrying forward her father’s music legacy. Through her performance alongside her sister Sandra I believe Selmor has been anointed by her father,” she said.

“I was not expecting such a crowd. I want to thank Zimbabweans for the support. They should keep on supporting her so that Tuku’s music will not die as long as Selmor is there. Selmor has shown the presence of her father. I wanted to cry because it felt like it was Tuku playing. I believe it is him (Tuku) who is blessing his daughters. Sandra’s dressing really surprised me. She resembled Oliver Mtukudzi,” she reportedly told the media. 

Ever since the death of Tuku, Murape has been more visible than she was in the past.  This is perhaps because as the battle for Mtukudzi’s legacy continues, she believes that she protects her children’s interests by making her voice heard. 

Selmor on the other hand, seems to be content to let the music do the talking which is commendable.

The most worrying thing however, has been how talk of Tuku’s music and legacy is now drowning Selmor’s voice, a voice that had seemed to have fluency on its own away from her father’s massive shadow. 

Ammara Brown

Like Ammara the first thing that grabbed people’s attention about Selmor was that she is a child of one of Zimbabwe’s most illustrious musicians. A surname like Mtukudzi or Brown is bound to attract attention of star-struck Zimbabwe and one can dare say that these two reaped the rewards that the attention brought earlier on in their careers. 

While other artistes might struggle for recognition earlier on in their careers, these two already had a little push to get them going because of their fathers’ reputation. Some names open doors and perhaps sometimes, as a Brown or a Mtukudzi, these two did not even need to knock before some doors were thrown wide open. For other artistes, with surnames that do not make music industry insiders jump, the only option is to break the doors down. 

As vital as the fame that was at the time, where they brought about by their names was at the time, the way their careers progressed after those privileged beginnings is admirable. Without hitching a ride on the rich catalogues of their fathers, they managed to emerge as the poster girls of the Zimbabwean music scene. 

In the space of a few years, the fact that they were the daughters of Zimbabwe’s most famous musicians was now just merely an afterthought. Their identities were no longer defined by the surnames that they carried. 

Ammara has continued down this path and now looks primed for further success on her own terms. Songs like Loyal owe almost nothing to her fathers’ catalogue, a catalogue dominated by a rich blend of traditional instruments and his dominant guitar riffs.        

Until her father’s death, Selmor’s career had seemed to be following a similar trajectory. Oliver Mtukudzi’s catalogue is perhaps the richest in the Zimbabwean music scene and one can understand why everyone is scrambling to get a piece of it. Like the Chimbetus’ Dendera, there will likely be many pretenders to the Tuku Musik throne. As the months roll by, many princes and princesses will rise to claim parts of the vast kingdom the great Tuku left behind when he passed away. 

However, for Selmor, one wonders if she is sacrificing who she is for the sake of pursuing her father’s legacy. Selmor could already turn heads without basking in the bright light cast by Tuku’s music. 

Does it mean that her own music, her own identity will now take a back seat because she is, according to Melody, Tuku’s anointed heir? Music lovers have notoriously short memories these days and as the months roll by, one wonders if there shall come a time when memorial gigs do not attract the attention that they currently do. 

Perhaps the memorial gigs interest people because they add new juicy storylines to the on-going Mtukudzi family soap opera. Before long, Selmor might need to step back, take a glance at Ammara and chart her own path. 

Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday Life Reporter

THOSE who grew up in the 1980s and 90s remember the columns of men that used to emerge at dawn, cycling towards the sun rising in the east as they made their way to the city’s famed industries. 

More often than not, the cyclists would be riding on three-speed bicycles which, at the height of their use, were a common sight on the roads that led to the industries that gave the city its moniker “koNtuthu Ziyathunqa”.

The story of the life and “death” of jazz music in Bulawayo cannot be fully told without mention of these bicycles and the men that rode them. Umbombela the bicycle was commonly called.

This was when the City of Kings was Zimbabwe’s nerve centre, breathing life into the country’s overall economy from its smoking factories.  The city’s most productive workers rode every morning towards the eastern half of the city and spend their days working on the floors of some of the country’s biggest companies. 

Whether stitching up elegant garments in textile companies or upholstering furniture, men toiled the hours away in the industries, knowing that their reward was on the near horizon. 

However, the turn of the century saw the city’s industries take a turn for the worse. Zimbabwe’s economy sneezed and Bulawayo’s industries caught a particularly strong cold. The evidence of their sickness is there for all to see. Buildings that once stood imposingly are now look crippled, derelict or abandoned, serving purposes that they were not meant for. The screams that used to come from machines have been replaced by the sweeter voices of praise and worship as churches move into industrial spaces. There’s little evidence that prayer will bring the same rewards as the factories that used to hide the sun as it rose in the east. 

According to findings by Dr Showers Mawowa, 838 Bulawayo-based companies closed their doors between the turn of the century and 2004. Gradually the flow of men riding to the city’s industries was reduced to a trickle, and the three-speed bicycle, for years a trusted mode of transport for working men, was replaced on the city’s roads by the Honda Fit. 

What does all of this have to do with the decline of jazz in the city? The answer is everything. 

When those men who used to ride their three-speed bicycles to work, clipping their trousers with clothes pegs so as not to get them caught on the wheel spokes, they would at the end of the day come back to places of leisure in the townships and spend their hard-earned money in beer halls, taverns and other places of leisure.  

The money they made therefore trickled down to the men who serenaded them with seductive live instruments as they washed down the sweat of hard days with beer.   

“I think it goes without saying that the decline of the industries affected the livelihood of the artistes that depended on live shows and in the long run the overall health of jazz music itself,” said George Salimu of the Cool Crooners, once one of the most in demand bands.

With men working in the industry paid weekly, jazz maestros like the Cool Crooners were never starved of gigs. 

“What happened was that during those times was that people would get paid at the end of the week and with that money in their envelopes most would be tempted to attend a live show after a long work at work. This meant that at the beer halls and bars there was always demand for jazz musicians. A lot has changed since the industries went into decline,” said Salimu.  

With the cost of living low, workers could easily afford to watch their favourite bands play every night. 

“During those days things were a bit affordable I would say,” said the Crooners’ Lucky Thodhlana. “If someone had earned one pound we would say that they’ve made a killing. So shows would cost maybe six pence and many would afford to get into the show.” 

Some of the venues that jazz bands played in included Stanley Hall, McDonalds Hall, Mabutweni and Luveve Hall. In addition, beer halls were also a hive of activity almost daily, giving bands a guaranteed payday at least once a week. However, economic hardships and changing tastes have seen even those places fall on hard times. 

In 2010, Ingwebu Breweries had closed down 16 beer gardens located in the high density suburbs after the Bulawayo City Council failed to lend Ingwebu funds for recapitalisation. 

Salimu however, points to the lack of consistent ownership as one of the reasons why jazz bands were eventually swept off the stages of township beer halls. 

“One thing that I would say that killed jazz was that the places we played at were always changing ownership. This meant that the relationship with the artistes themselves was always changing because different people relate to each other differently,” he said.   

Mabuthweni, Stanley Hall, McDonalds Hall and Luveve Hall are names that will roll off the tongue of any old Bulawayo native. However, in recent times, these are not places that one would associate with quality live entertainment. The few jazz shows held in the city are now mostly hosted in the eastern half of the city.     

“I think we have to go back to our roots,” said guitarist Hudson Simbarashe, himself a former worker of the National Railways of Zimbabwe. “When I say roots I’m not talking about roots on the tree but roots in the man. You see, these venues in the western suburbs are where jazz music used to be played. 

“This is where everyone grew up, this is where the groups that were playing were performing and everybody knew everybody.  So the music was easily marketable because people would know that today Wells Fargo is playing, today Eye of Liberty is playing in such and such a place. There were many groups, there was Magna Carta, there was Hosanna and they were all from the western areas. People would go and support because these were musicians from their area,” he said.   

When the Cool Crooners emerged, they could only play in the western suburbs in a still segregated Zimbabwe. When finally they could play in the eastern areas of the city, they could only do so when accompanied by a white band.  Things have changed now, with people moving to low density areas where they were previously not allowed by the colonial regime.  

“What made the jazz scene change was the movement of people to the eastern suburbs. When we moved this side and started frequenting venues this side and not in the western suburbs it became a problem because most of the people that listen to jazz reside in the townships. Unfortunately whenever a jazz artiste decides to do a show these days it is more than likely that it will be held in the eastern areas of the city and not for the high density areas where I would say most jazz lovers are. That’s what contributed to the retardation of Bulawayo jazz music,” said Simbarashe. Technology has also affected the overall health of jazz in the city. Nowadays, the Cool Crooners get most of their bookings in Harare Bulawayo while most city pubs and bars are entertained by a solitary DJ and his decks. Paying one man on the wheels of steel is cheaper than hiring a troop of jazz experts. Besides that, the easy availability of music has also affected how people relate to jazz acts. 

“Most of the music that we listened to was South African jazz music. Letha Mbuli, Miriam Makeba, Margaret Msingana and others were what we used to listen to. There was no local music that was played on radio and it was mostly live music in the beerhalls and night spots. So you knew that if you wanted to catch any local music you would have to catch it live. 

Now things are different. People can access music without seeing it live. You can listen to the music without knowing the artistes intimately. I, for example, find it hard to listen to new music without grabbing the physical copy and reading what is written on the album sleeve. I want to see who played drums and who did what. This new generation does not care about that and they’re comfortable just listening to the music regardless of who played instruments,” said Simbarashe.

Saturday, 6 April, saw the culmination of the Amagugu Food and Beverages Expo with the Braai on the Rocks, an event that saw Bulawayo socialites, tourists, local artspersonalities and general fun lovers make the pilgrimage to a hill top overlooking the Njelele Shrine and delight themselves with food and drink.

Hosted by the effervescent Babongile Sikhonjwa, this year’s Braai on the rock was again a highlight of the Food Expo, an event that is meant to show the best in the country’s traditional food and cuisine.

Simon Gama

One of the best mass builders goes fairly heavy, up to three 25 pound plates on each side of an Olympic bar as the last set. When you’re curling really heavy, a little cheating is okay. It becomes like doing forced reps, where your biceps are working as hard as they can and you’re just giving them a little help. But if you start swinging the weight up using your legs, lower back and traps, you’re just wasting your time and risking injury.

Standing Dumbbell curl

Another good mass builder. Some bodybuilders do alternate curls, but for mass building, lifting them both at once works better for me. Curl the weights up, keeping the elbows steady and palms facing forward, and try not to swing or cheat too much. I pyramid the weight up, ending up using 85-pound dumbbells by my last set.

Let me caution you again to do your own workout, not mine. It took quite a number of years before I was able to use this kind of weight and still train strict. Almost anyone can cheat 85 pounds — the question is, how much can you handle doing a fairly strict, controlled movement?

Dumbbell preacher curl 

Preachers anchor the elbow, keeping it steady so that you can achieve a full, peak contraction at the top of the movement. Most preacher benches are adjustable so you can rest your elbow on pads between 45 and 90 degrees. I use the 90-degrees angle because it gives me greater stretch. For added variety, I’ll also use a barbell on this exercise.

One-Arm: Cable preacher curl

I do this exercise like dumbbell preacher curls. The major differences: (1) You get smoother, continuous tension feel throughout the movement using a cable; (2) Since you are pulling against a pulley rather than a weight, the angle of resistance shifts to the side rather than the completely vertical pull of gravity.

Concentration curl

I do this old- fashioned way: I sit on a bench, bend over and rest my elbow against the inside of my thigh. The feeling to get with this exercise is total concentration, raising the weight with a slow, controlled movement, being fully aware of what the muscle is doing at all times. Make sure you lower the weight under just as much control.

Standing one-arm cable curl

Using the cable, curl your hand up and across your body, much as you would doing a dumbbell concentration curl. Go for that same feeling — full control at every point in the range of motion, doing slow movements with your mind 100% in the muscle.

Biceps, forearms and recovery

The biceps are one of the fastest muscles to recover from intense training. You can go through a demanding biceps workout and be ready for another in as little as 24-36 hours, although I recommended at least 48 hours to ensure complete recovery. The forearms, on the other hand, recover very slowly, I suspect it takes at least another full day or even a little more to achieve full recuperation after tough forearm workout.

Although biceps recover quickly, they also tire very fast. Don’t do too many sets for biceps in the same workout. Most bodybuilders only need about 12 sets for biceps, and doing 16-20 is quickly going to lead to overtraining and lack of results.

Shaping the biceps 

Some bodybuilders believe you can shape and sculpt the biceps depending on what exercises you do. For example, they feel you can develop an Albert Beckles biceps peak by doing lots of concentration curls, get more outer arm thickness with hammer curls and create a longer biceps muscle with preacher curls.

Granted, these are all good exercises, but I feel the ultimate potential of any muscle is genetically determined. You cant develop in a way that your genetics haven’t programmed you for, no matter what kind training you do. Arnold Schwarzenegger always had long, incredibly full biceps, while the biceps of Franco Columbu or Chris Dickerson were shorter. This wasn’t because they did their arm training wrong or didn’t do the right exercises. It was simply a matter of genetics, the type of muscle structure they were born with.

You cant change the basic shape of your biceps — you can only fail to train hard and consistently enough to develop whatever shape your genetics have given you. A curl is a curl and you need not go through an entire catalogue of biceps exercise to get whatever level of development you’re programmed for. I do a variety of different exercises for arms simply to keeps the workouts interesting.

Competition training Cycle:

Day  One, delts, calves in the morning; fore arms, abs in the afternoon/ evening. Day two; back in the morning, aerobics in the afternoon. Day three; quads, abs in the morning, hamstrings, calves in the afternoon. Day four; chest in the morning, triceps, aerobics in the afternoon.

I use a four-day double split, training four successive days both in the morning and evening, and taking the fifth day off. At present, I am not training forearms, but formerly worked them after biceps with good results. -Additional information from online sources.

The writer, Simon Gama is a fitnes coach at Bodyworks gym in Bulawayo.

Nhlalwenhle Ncube

WHEN you thought all was well and you had finally found that person whom you really feel is heaven sent, he then starts to ghost you.

The person who had promised to love you forever, just decides to change and develops a weird behaviour. You get lost, but the truth will be that he will be ghosting you. Ghosting is when your partner just turns cold and those sweet words of love and pleasurable acts become a thing of the past. It is heartbreaking because only actions will be doing the talk while you are in a dilemma of what’s happening.

Gone will be those days when you really felt love in the air and talked about everything that captured your attention. Unfortunately during conversations you start getting one word answers and all those countless messages and calls which poured in everyday just stop.

You get so confused and decide to confront your partner after realising that you can not continue this way because it hurts you so much. Sadly, you will be told that everything is okay even though it’s clear that things are not well.

Things will even get worse and he will not have time for you, always claiming to be busy. If you call, he will promise to return the call and never do. As time goes on, he will even start ignoring your messages and calls. You will be left with no choice but to think that maybe you messed up. Before you make your next move, you discover that you have been blocked on social media. You will be left in agony!

The truth will be that your partner will be ghosting you. This is when someone suddenly disappears from the relationship. Although nowadays its becoming a common thing, it is cowardly behaviour. It is better to end things than to just leave someone lost in the desert without a clue of what’s happening.

Some people take the cowardly way out by ghosting instead of being honest that they are no longer interested. It’s so painful for someone to promise you eternal love, but vanish the next day. Some even disappear soon after being intimate without any explanations. This is one heartbreaking thing especially for women! How could someone disappear after lit sex and mind blowing orgasms?

You are left wondering what it is that you did to offend her or him. The act of disappearing into thin air is painful torture. You better be honest and eliminate it once than to leave someone in the middle of nowhere. Ghosting your partner who is head over heels in love with you is not only cowardly, but heartbreaking.

Some potential ghosters will tell you that they do so as they fear emotional intimacy, that is fear of deeply caring for someone and being cared for. The relationship may be stable for a short time, but once something provokes this fear, it becomes a sad story.

Some excuses given by ghosters is that they feel breakups are awkward and unpleasant. They claim to be running away from breaking someone’s heart. Some will even claim the person they are ghosting was too good for them. Some ghost their partners because they may have lied about something when they met and they don’t want them to know about their fake lives. So the easy way out will be to cut ties  than explain your lies.

Some like to make themselves larger than life. So it’s highly likely that any man doing the ghosting has realised it’s easier to cut off all contact with a woman than try to explain any of his lies. The fear of a violent reaction may also be behind some people ghosting their partners. Some people suddenly become violent and to avoid an aggressive reaction, someone will choose the disappearing act, suddenly disappearing to sustaining injuries from the woman he once dated.

If you are thinking about ghosting someone, consider some kinder options. Try to be mindful of the other person’s well-being and consider how you would like to be treated if you were in their place. Stop hurting your partner by ghosting them and expecting them to just move on with their lives. Maybe she may be capable of hearing your straightforward explanation of why you need to end the relationship. If you can’t find the words to explain your change of heart, try saying something as brief as, “This just isn’t working for me. It’s not your fault. I need to end this relationship.”

Let’s get talking on womenforum460@gmail.com

Rutendo Chidawanyika

DO you want to know what the coolest trends are this season? Look no further than your favourite celebrities for inspiration. From Rihanna and Kim K to Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid, these stylish stars sure know how to start and rock a trend. So, when it comes to injecting your own wardrobe with some on-trend elements, there’s no better place to look. Whether it’s coloured puffer jackets, statement sequin dresses or winter crop tops, this season’s hottest trends are fun, fashionable, and chic. Invest in each of them now, and I promise that you’ll be looking like an A-lister in no time at all.

Sequin Dresses

Do you have an event coming up where you need to “wow”? A statement sequin dress is a perfect option for when you need an evening outfit that’ll impress everyone around. The dress is sure to create an eye-catching ensemble that’ll turn heads and make you the centre of attention. So, if you’re ready for such a bold look, choose an all-over sequin style in a chic metallic hue. While gold and silver are always winning choices, less expected colours, such as pink, can make a daring alternative. As sequins offer a lot of texture and weight, opting for a well-fitted design or short style is also a good idea and will achieve a more flattering and balanced appearance.

Head to Toe in Pink

Along with red, your favourite stars are also into pink this season. In fact, they love it so much that a single item in an outfit is just not enough to satisfy their cravings for this pretty hue. Instead, celebs, such as former pop icon and now designer, Victoria Beckham, are rocking the feminine colour from head to toe. Now, it’s your turn to try the trend for yourself. To nail the look, you can either choose to wear matching shades of pink or carefully mix different tones. For a simple outfit with an eye-catching appeal, consider rocking a pair of pants and a jacket in the same shade with a top in a different hue. The result will be a co-ordinated ensemble that feels fresh and fashion-forward.

Band T-Shirts

While feminine hues, such as red and pink, may be trending heavily this season, the celebrity set also loves edgy and attitude-filled designs. In particular, band T-shirts are the top of choice for a cool, rock and roll aesthetic right now. Spotted on celebs like Selena Gomez and Rihanna, band T-shirts are popping up everywhere at the moment. So, if you want to create a comfortable outfit with an injection of punk personality, look no further than this classic garment. Whether you like Maroon 5, Coldplay or some upcoming underground band, be sure to buy a T-shirt featuring their name and logo for a winning wardrobe item in 2019.

Red Jumpers

If you want to know how to wear red, which happens to be this season’s hottest colour, look no further than the world’s most stylish celebrities. These chic stars can show you how to rock the fiery hue with a fashionable edge. All you need to do to channel their hot style is invest in a red jumper. Whether it’s a loose knit, turtleneck or sweatshirt, a bold, ruby, crimson or candy red jumper can add a seriously on-trend touch to your winter wardrobe. To keep your red look A-list approved, make sure that your red jumper is the stand-out piece of your outfit. To do so, just pair it with neutral hues, such as black, white or cream.

Coloured Puffer Jackets

Winter is here and, as such, investing in outerwear is a must. Thankfully, you don’t have to sacrifice style to stay warm this chilly season. Instead, just follow the lead of stylish stars and famous models, such as Kendall Jenner and the Hadid sisters, and invest in a coloured puffer jacket. Big, bold, and seriously insulating, these cool jackets will keep you completely comfortable and chic all winter long. To nail the look, choose your favourite colour, such as orange, khaki, olive, grey or burgundy. Then, partner your bulky puffer with some skinny jeans and slim, heeled booties to balance the look and complete your outfit in style.

Winter Crop Tops

Stars like Selena Gomez and the Hadid sisters love their crop tops so much that they’ve decided to take them into winter. It may not be the most practical trend of the season, but it is one of the chicest. To rock a winter crop top like a star, all you need to do is pick the right type and pair it with the right items. Start by selecting a crop top that’s long sleeved, high-neck or both in a seasonally appropriate fabric, such as a ribbed knit. Then, partner your winter crop top with high-waisted pants or jeans and a thick or oversized jacket or a coat. Doing so will help to keep you warm while still allowing you to bare a stylish sliver of midriff like your favourite celebs.

Pop Colour Wide Leg Trousers

Celebrities love statement looks and eye-catching ensembles. As such, it’s no surprise that pop colour, wide-leg pants are trending heavily this season. Bold both in colour and shape, these unmissable trousers are ideal for stand-out outfits. While you may not have any red-carpet events coming up, you can easily try this trend for yourself as part of a contemporary evening look. To keep things completely current, choose from on-trend colours, such as red, pink or warm brown. Then, pair your wide-leg trousers with a top in either a matching colour or a complementary hue. Just remember to keep your silhouette rather simple on top to allow the shape of your pants to take centre stage. —Additional information from online sources.

Email: rutendochidawanyika3@gmail.com

Sithabile Gandi Ndlovu

A Chief Information Officer (CIO) is a job tittle that is given to the person in an organisation that is in charge of the information technology strategy and computer systems required to support an enterprise’s objectives and goals. 

The responsibilities of the CIO in an organisation are vast. They are directly responsible for the alignment of information technology and business needs. With the evolution of technology and businesses the role of the CIO has also evolved encompassing market research with artificial intelligence, service analysis, data security, internet of things and digital disruption being at the forefront as an influencer of consumer products. It is the role of the CIO to create business value through technology as well as strategically plan the growth objectives of the business.

The strategic planning, software development management and information technology architecture fall under the jurisdiction of the CIO together with the development of information system policies, strategies, standards and ensuring that technology systems and procedures that lead to out comes in line with business goals through the strategic planning of business growth objectives. 

It is the role of the CIO to ensure that customer services platforms are developed, networking is done and also builds relationships and handles all vendor negotiations on behalf of the organisation. Information technology and development and team personnel management are the responsibility of the CIO and so is business and financial acumen, this describes the ability that a person has to be intuitive and understanding of how a company makes money it’s critical effective strategy execution. The CIO’s role also includes being responsible for information risk management, explains the policies, procedures and technology one adopts in order to reduce the threats, vulnerabilities and consequences that could arise if data is not protected. 

With technology becoming a core competence, the role of the CIO is becoming more and more key in organisations. CIOs are a bridge conveying technology related information and knowledge between the different departments of the company. It is also the duty of the CIO to propose the required technology, they will plan for said technology, implement it and support all organisational personnel with adequate training and transition support. The CIO is responsible for operation of overall information technology and computer systems and report to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) or directly to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). 

The CEO, is the top executive responsible for an organisation’s overall performance and operations. They lead the organisation and serve as the main link between the board and various parts of the firm. The CEO decides on the strategies, technologies and chooses the risks to be taken and those to be avoided. The roles of the CEO although not limited to this list alone include:

– Formulating the company’s mission and strategy these are plans that describe the basic organisational function in society in terms of products and services for customers. The strategy is the boundaries in which the organisation operates around. 

– Clear communication of the mission and strategy to employees ensuring that everyone is on the same chapter and page of the same book.

– Controlling of the direction the organisation, making sure that it structured appropriately, ensuring effective internal controls and management information systems are in place. 

– Decides the budget for all departments and has the role of ensuring that expenditure risks are within the authorised annual budget for the organisation.

– Oversees the appointment of staff members and has the responsibility to ensure that there is enough staff, they also have the authority to terminate staff members as they see fit. 

– Ensuring that the organisation adheres to corporate social responsibility, in accordance with state, business and social rules and regulations. 

The most important of the roles of the CEO for any organisation is to act, and make decisions that are in the best interest of the organisation at all times.

The relationship between the CIO and the CEO is critical for the success of the business. A good relationship between the two executives can result in the alignment of information technology strategy and business strategy to achieve cooperate goals. Employees also become more productive as they are made to realise the important of leveraging technology to improve business processes and realise return on investment. 

Successful CEOs in the 21st century business environment understand the contribution information technology makes in the business, so as to become tech savvy leaders. The CIO helps the CEO to improve their understanding of technology and they can both work together to come up with strategies that inspire employees to leverage technology. The CIO plays a huge role in the communication of the strategic importance of technology to the CEO ensuring that the IT department is allocated the funding it needs. The CEO will usually take up the lead in the implementation and definition of the organisational strategy but the CIO will have to be involved in the making of the strategic decisions so a good relationship between the two almost ensures success, or rather increases the chances of it. 

A strong relationship between the CEO and the CIO breaks the division that usually exists in organisations between information technology and business. Rather than an operational centre the IT department becomes what it intended to be, that being an integral part of the business. The CIO must have the courage to offer, and effectively communicate differing views to the CEO and when there is a good relationship this can be easily done. Establishing a good rapport between the CEO and the CIO is important especially considering that technology most of the time is hard to understand and the CIO may have to explain some things several times.

Peter Matika, Senior Reporter

THE re-opening of the iconic, fire devastated Wild Horizons run Lookout Café has been rescheduled for this September.

In a statement, Wild Horizons noted that due to circumstances beyond its control the re-opening of the café had to be shifted to September this year.

“When flames engulfed and devastated the Wild Horizons Lookout Café, it was a searing loss for the town of Victoria Falls. While we have been working tirelessly on the reconstruction of this iconic restaurant, due to circumstances beyond our control, the process has encountered numerous hindrances along the way. For this reason, we have regretfully had to postpone the opening date to 1 September 2019,” read part of the statement.

Lookout Café was gutted down by a fire last Christmas Eve, due to a suspected electric fault.

Property worth thousands of dollars was completely destroyed. Fire fighters from the Victoria Falls Municipality were called but could not salvage the wooden and grass thatched structure. The café was one of the leading tour operating companies in the country.

Wild Horizons chief executive Mr Gary Archer in a report said the fire broke at around 4:20am on Christmas Eve 2018.

Mr Archer had said tourism activities such as highwire activities were not affected and would continue to operate as usual.

These activities include gorge swing and gorge view, zip line and flying fox.

Tourists preferred Lookout Café to other eateries because it is strategically positioned facing the gorge. Perched on the rim of the Batoka Gorge, Wild Horizons Lookout Café is a fusion of spectacular views and exquisite food. 

The African Contemporary styled restaurant is designed to emphasise its unique panoramic view of the Victoria Falls Bridge and Batoka Gorges, which form part of the spectacular backdrop. Recycled and eco-friendly material has been used throughout the rebuild of the Lookout, ensuring it is infused with the Wild Horizons conservation ethos. 

With a mouthwatering menu, a lively selection of cocktails and the best view in Victoria Falls, the dining experience promises to be a sensory overload.

Vincent Gono, Sunday Life Reporter

ANYONE with a voice can sing to themselves and for themselves, that is very easy. But to compose a song with meaningful lyrics — that drives a message and excites the audience in the cut-throat music industry ring-fenced by males is not easy, more so to a female artiste who is entirely new in the sector.

Admittedly the country’s music industry has not been so kind to many female artistes who have been struggling to break out of the shell of fame into the celebrity pool. Fame has therefore been so elusive to the many women artistes and a number of them have stories that are not so comfy to tell while some just decided to give up, not so much because they were bad but they were simply frustrated out of the industry.

An up-and-coming gospel artiste from Bulawayo’s leafy suburbs of Parklands but now based in Kwekwe, Nomazulu Chrystal is one of the few female artistes whose spirit could not be easily broken. She remained dedicated in spite of all the barriers and has managed to live her dream of recording her music in the face of many challenges that littered her journey.

Unlike Selmor Mtukudzi and Ammara Brown, Noma is not daughter to any famous or little known musician, she has no brother or sister in the music industry and every step of hers is an adventure into unchartered waters where trial and error have characterised her journey to perfection.

She launched her first single online during the Easter holidays in Kwekwe. The single is called Nqonqoda which means keep knocking and was produced by Tony G. Through the song, she seeks to encourage people especially those that pray not to give up but be persistent in prayer even when the odds are against them.

Speaking to Sunday Life, Noma as she is popularly known narrated how she became an artiste saying most of her compositions were inspired by her personal experiences while some were based on things that she sees in other people’s lives.

“I started my career a long time ago. I was in Form 2 when I started writing songs but I couldn’t record any. My talent was later to be nurtured through the praise and worship team in church,” she said.

Noma said growing up in a Christian background had a significant influence on the genre of music adding that she doesn’t see herself diverting from gospel music in the foreseeable future.

“I sing Afro-fusion gospel music. My recently released single is in English but this is not to say I will confine myself to English. I will release singles in all three common languages which are Ndebele, Shona and English. I want my music to reach out to everyone and this has inspired the inclusion of English,” said Noma.

And to get more appreciation of the music industry, she did a degree in Music and Musicology at the Midlands State University (MSU).

“I got a lot of appreciation into the music industry when I did my degree. I learnt how to play a number of instruments. I am teaching others who are keen on learning more about music. I believe there is hunger to learn out there especially in female up-and-coming artistes,” said Noma.

She added that the biggest huddle was that female artistes were looked down upon by male artistes who want to hedge the industry and were content with females being backing vocalists. 

“They are sort of intimidated when females look like they are dominating. I was told several times that I was not good enough, that I did not qualify. So the thinking is that the industry is for males.” 

She however, said she never experienced any sexual advances although some female artistes attest to that adding that her husband and church have been a pillar of strength in her music career.

Hi Sis Noe

I am a single mother and three years ago I got married to a man I thought loved me. But months after our wedding he started mistreating me and today I am financially broke and heart broken and I am divorced. We had good sex but he loved watching porn. His mother was also a problem in our marriage as he listened to her more than me. 

Reply

Your life has not been easy, working and bringing up your child with little input from her father. Added to which you have not really had the chance to have other relationships, so when this man entered your life, you were bowled over and thought you had a lovely future together. You now have to cope with all those broken dreams as he turned out to be a million miles away from how he first appeared. It would be interesting to know what his past relationships were like. I suspect that he has never treated women well, so even though you tried to be a loving wife, his old behaviour lingered on. The important thing now is to rebuild your life. If he gets back in touch and suddenly becomes the lovely man you thought he was, don’t be fooled — it won’t last. 

Hi Sis Noe

I have been with my boyfriend for four years, I am 24 and he is ten years older than me. I would like to start a family and hopefully get married in the near future. But my boyfriend is not ready. He still wants to go out drinking with his friends. Am I wasting my time when I am so desperate for a child and my own wedding day? 

Reply 

When it comes to marriage and having children you do have quite a lot of time on your side — it would be different if you were in your early to mid-30s. But maybe you need to set your own time limit on this. Does your boyfriend want a lovely girlfriend but also a relationship without a long-term commitment? And does he see his freedom and time with his friends as a higher priority? Or does he want children and marriage but not quite yet, which wouldn’t have to stop him seeing his friends? Talk to him about these issues. If it’s the first, then he is not the man for you. If he does want marriage and children — perhaps within the next couple of years — and is happy to discuss this, that is fine. However, if he is vague and just talks about sometime in the future, then that is not going to be right for you.

Hi Sis Noe

I broke up with a man I loved a lot and I was fine for some time then I found out he had found someone else. I saw their picture on Facebook and she is beautiful and they look so happy. Now I am stressed and heartbroken. I am tempted to text him.

Reply

It was painful enough when this relationship came to an end, but your new discovery is especially hard. As you had not been very lucky with love he felt like the man of your dreams. Have an agreement with a friend that if you feel like giving in to the temptation of texting or calling round, you contact her instead and she will, by agreement, tell you not to do it. I suggest you have counselling to see why your relationships have not worked out and to give you confidence to embark on a new one. 

Hi Sis Noe

I have been in a relationship with an older man for three years. I love him and we are engaged, but I keep breaking up with him because his jealousy and insecurity drive me crazy. He was once married. He also tells me what to wear because he says I must not be too sexy for other men. He blames me for his lack of trust in me. Help. 

Reply

He is divorced and I suspected it is because she cheated on him so it’s his behaviour that is a problem, not yours. His attitude towards what you wear is controlling and unreasonable and could easily increase if you were together permanently. If he were able to accept and examine his own jealous behaviour rather than project the blame on to you, then he could do something about it. If he refuses or nothing changes, which I fear may be the case, then I don’t think this relationship has a future.

Hi Sis Noe

I am married and I have a husband who loves me but I am cheating on him with another man. My husband is a good man and he gives me everything. The problem is I don’t feel emotionally connected to him. Confused. 

Reply

You are playing with fire and betraying your husband. You could lose a man who loves you, disrupt your children’s lives and lose your home and lifestyle. Your lover is enjoying the fun of sex but he is not committed to you or going to give you the emotional connection that you crave. So end the affair and concentrate on the communication problems with your husband. You need to open up to your husband and tell him what lacks in your life.

Charles Dube

THE above advice comes in handy to learners especially on composition writing. Many learners are not keen on planning before writing their essays assuming that it is time wasting. But, reality is that learners who plan spend less time writing out their compositions. Their composition is well co-ordinated. There is more cohesion in  a well-planned composition than the other where a learner writes and breaks to think first on what to write.

For a couple of weeks we have been reminding learners of composition writing skills. Here is a recap of the points emphasised: Number all answers. All composition topics have numbers. You have Section A with  eight topics from which learners choose to write on one topic. Numbering of topics is important in case a learner forgets to write the topic or a learner writes an answer which is off topic. The examiner will have a rough idea of what the learner is trying to say.

This is a fact as some learners just write essays that are out of topic making it difficult for the examiner to follow the question answered. Numbering of answers is key even on comprehension. Learners should stop presenting jumbled up work to score high marks. Examiners are unimpressed with muddled work. Paragraphing is equally important, yet, learners totally ignore paragraphing their work. This is shocking because such elements are emphasised from primary school level. Nothing changes at O-level.

The beginning is the first part of writing. It is the introductory part of a piece of writing. The introduction, according to experts, gives readers an insight into the story. It is the introduction that creates atmosphere to the reader who then want to read the whole story to see what happened next. Things like paragraphing are taken for granted. At times a paragraph is described as a section of a piece of writing. It may consist of one or more sentences or even a word  or two. 

Learners need to write on familiar issues. This helps in the sense that they become part of the story. It is easier to write on what you understand. As a writer you become part of the characters, through sharing n their happiness or sadness. Remember do not have too many characters in your composition as too much of these leads to confusion. Your story should not be one you read from somewhere unless asked for such. But ideas you came across will naturally come in.

In some topics expression of feeling is very important to create the appropriate atmosphere. For example  as shown last week: fear, loneliness, sadness, happiness to mention just a few. Suitable vocabulary to be used. As in all compositions, correct grammar is the main point when it comes to marking. We have mentioned  various types of compositions and learners can just recite them with no problems. We always start with the narrative type which many learners find easier.

You give an account of events or experiences. You write on anything related to the story. Learners also opt to write on descriptive compositions which they assume is easier. One writer who is my key source today says the writing that is descriptive describes what something is like. A descriptive composition therefore describes a subject. Description of things or events should show a pattern of continuity. In other words, the description should not be mixed up. There  should be a place system of  describing things. If you are describing  a person, you should start with the head, neck, chest, tummy, down to the legs. This writer goes on to give a list of different approaches of describing things or events — describing from particular to general, describing from general to particular, describing from far to near. Description from inside to outside, describing from left to right and describing from top to bottom.

 How can you get readers hooked to your story? You can start with a proverb, begin with a simile, begin with  a figurative expressions, begin with a metaphor, begin with  weather conditions, begin with  a description of the landscape. Learners have a lot of areas to cover to come up with good compositions. Learn figurative language, proverbs, metaphors and similes to name but a few.

Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday Life Correspondent

BRIGHTON “Elliot” Moyo might be buried in an unceremonious grave in Dandanda Village, Lupane, but the story of his “death”, “resurrection” and death again continues to grab headlines, as it has emerged that those that worked in conjunction with him to create that miracle are also Zimbabweans.    

The man, who it eventually emerged was actually Thabiso Proud Mlanje, was allegedly resurrected from the dead by South African Pastor Alph Lukau in February at Alleluia Ministries Headquarters in Sandton, South Africa.

The events of that particular February afternoon, captured on camera, have sent shockwaves across both sides of the Limpopo, and set off a chain of events that continue to bring out more twists as authorities unravel a web of deceit allegedly woven by Prophet Lukau and those close to him at Alleluia Ministries. 

For those involved in the events that led to that resurrection and, eventually, the very real death of Mlanje, their lives seem to have taken a turn for the worst. However, Prophet Lukau has denied raising the man from the dead, saying he was already back to life when he came to his church, albeit inside a coffin and hearse.

Among those that have come under the crosshairs in South Africa are two Zimbabweans, who were recently nabbed for their roles in the hoax. Nkululeko Dlamini (35) and Silungisani Grace Sibanda (40), appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court recently where they face fraud charges in connection with the “resurrection video”. 

The two are believed to have been the brains behind the operation to bring Elliot back to life, as they are alleged to have been in contact with a mortuary for the “dead” man to be delivered in a coffin to the pastor to “resurrect”. Kings and Queens Funeral Services, the funeral service provider who the two are alleged to have hoodwinked, have already come out and said that they were enlisted by the two Zimbabweans and another suspect that is yet to be named, under false pretences.  The company also instituted legal proceedings against Alleluia Ministries. 

“We were approached by alleged family members of the deceased who informed us they had encountered a dispute with a different funeral service provider and would like to use our transport services which we offered them. We did not supply the coffin, neither did we store the deceased at our mortuary and no paperwork was processed by Kings and Queens Funerals. As a Funeral Services Provider we do not offer services without documentation, neither do we repatriate bodies without any paperwork,” Kings and Queens said. 

The prosecution of the two Zimbabweans at the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court took a new twist however, as it emerged that Dlamini, like the now deceased “Elliot” also had two names. 

“Prosecutor Mzamo Mathe told the court that the details contained in Dlamini’s Zimbabwean passport and his SA identity document were not the same. The facts on the accused’s ID are inconsistent with his SA ID.”

He said the documents contained different names.

“We are trying to make sense of the documents. We are asking for a postponement to understand what we are dealing with because we have someone who is in possession of two names,” a court official said. The two Zimbabweans will appear again in court on 16 May. 

Elliot and Dlamini’s case seems common for Zimbabweans in South Africa that want to earn living in that country without the requisite documents. For between R10 000 and R15 000 one can earn themselves a South African identity. 

“We work with people from Home Affairs in South Africa. You just get a South African birth certificate and as the person at Home Affairs would already have been paid, you go through and get processed like a normal person looking for an ID. They take your fingerprints and everything and it’s a process that doesn’t even take five minutes. Your ID comes out two or three weeks later,” an anonymous source told Sunday Life. 

SABC investigative programme Cutting Edge revealed how immigrants were easy targets for churches like Prophet Lukau’s Alleluia Ministries. Poverty stricken and in search of any work that might pay, Zimbabweans are now finding themselves prey to prophets that are desperate to sell a miracle to anyone willing to believe it. 

“I really wanted to go and have the pastor pray for me and maybe I’d get a job,” said Samantha Revesai, a Zimbabwean mother of one who also came to the bright lights of Johannesburg in search of a better living. 

“A member of the church said you want money, right? I said ‘yes, I really want money because things are not fine with me so I really want money.’ Then they said, ‘we want you to come next week. For the first time they didn’t tell me what to do.’ 

“They gave me a paper. They were two of them (papers). The first one was written that I was positive (HIV). They already knew my name and surname so they went, I don’t know to which doctor, and the paper said I was positive. The second one said I was now negative (HIV). 

“I was not positive. I have never been positive. They wanted me to act as if I was positive and then pastor prays for me and I would be healed and more people would come to the church. They promised me money. They said they would give me R1 500 every month.”

Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday Life Reporter 

UNITED States-based Zimbabwean music legend Lovemore Majaivana has reportedly grown tired of the behaviour of his son Derick Sipho Majaivana, who he has denounced for soiling his image and reputation. 

According to a close relative that has Majaivana’s ear, the musician has made stunning allegations that Derick is not his biological offspring, and his “behaviour in his absence has hardened his heart” towards the man who has struggled to keep the flame of Majaivana’s torch burning since the famous musician turned his back on the country of his birth at the turn of the century. 

Ever since he emerged on the music scene as the heir apparent to the Majaivana throne, no one has disputed Derick’s status, and has largely been welcomed into the family of young musicians carrying on with the legacies of their fathers. Unlike others like Peter Moyo and Sulumani Chimbetu however, Derick has the unique distinction of carrying the legacy of a man who is still alive, as the now 66-year-old Majaivana is still alive and kicking in Dallas, Texas in America. 

Lovemore Majaivana

Little is known of Majaivana’s life since he left the country of his birth. Born Lovemore Tshuma in Lower Gwelo, and having grown up in Bulawayo, the erstwhile musician has effectively shed the Majaivana tag and is reportedly keen to live a very private life.

The musician, who had his swansong with the much acclaimed Isono Sami, has so far rebuffed all efforts to get him back on stage. Various campaigns have been waged on social media platforms to get Majee’s legendary nimble feet dancing again, while veteran broadcaster and promoter Ezra Tshisa Sibanda’s efforts to bring him for one last show in the City of Kings seem to have fallen flat. The musician has also declined to listen to similar overtures from other legendary musicians like Thomas Mapfumo and also turned down the offer of a collaboration from the late Oliver Mtukudzi.       

“He doesn’t want people contacting him, especially on issues to do with music. He wants to live a very private life and he does not want to share his life with the public,” said the relative.  

The musician is still married to Jane, the woman that he was with when he left Zimbabwe in 2001 for the United States. His other children, Samantha, Nyasha seem to be also living in the North American country. In Zimbabwe, Derick has not been the only one to take up the Majaivana mettle. Randal, Majee’s son from his relationship with Jenny Robinson, a woman of Indian descent who he sang about so passionately in the song Ikula Lami, also seemed keen to get into the music industry at some point.

The Kwekwe-based Randal, who released his first album in 2004 despite discouragement from his father, made a brief attempt to walk in his father’s shoes in 2014 but seems to have abandoned any aspirations of becoming a notable musician himself. 

“There are things that I cannot say that only Majee knows. He will have to speak for himself. This is the person who is supposed to be his first born child isn’t it? So even when he was growing up at home he was known as Majaivana’s son. But apparently that is not the case, at least according to new claims,” said the relative.      

Only  the mother of a child knows his true father, the popular Ndebele adage goes and according to the relative.

“I think the boy’s mother is still alive. I think she might still be living in Entumbane. It’s either she lives there or that’s where she used to stay,” the relative said.

Since the emergence of Derick at the beginning of the decade, Majee has seemingly kept both his silence and distance, not interfering or endorsing the man who claimed to be his son’s forays into music. Some have questioned why this was so, as just a single word of endorsement from the serial hit-maker could have sent his stock soaring through the roof. According to the relative, Majaivana had allegedly grown increasingly frustrated at Derick’s alleged wayward behaviour. 

“He says that the boy is not his son and he would like him to stop using his name. He is not happy with how he behaves at times,” said the relative.    

When contacted for comment by Sunday Life Derick, who is in South Africa, refused to talk about the issue: “Well, may that relative finish your interesting story, thanks.”

When pressed for further comment, he asked this reporter to make a direct inquiry to the media shy Majaivana himself. He then said he had no time for media interviews or enquiries. 

“Who told you all that? I don’t have time for this. At 40 (years), I get such silly interviews. Nah thanks.” 

Bruce Ndlovu 

The stage play starts in 1902, a week after Cecil John Rhodes’ death on 26 March. The main protagonist, Queen Lozikeyi, is at the centre. She is angry. In fact, she is livid. 

With Rhodes’ corpse only a week old, King Lobengula’s second senior wife is livid at the internal politics of the Ndebele State, politics that has seen the man who conquered her mighty kingdom suddenly respected and feted upon his death. Her kingdom is in disarray. The centre, it appears, cannot hold. Queen Lozikeyi is an agitated and worried matriarch. 

The above scene is what veteran arts doyen Cont Mhlanga envisions for what might turn out to be a glorious return to the stage, as he sets himself up to direct an epic musical that is expected to play a large role in the envisioned revival and revitalisation of Amakhosi Cultural Centre.     

For such an epic production, Mhlanga is expected to pull all the stops, bringing together an all-star cast. Indications are that Sandra Ndebele will play the queen that led the Ndebele state after the “disappearance” of Lobengula. 

Queen Lozikeyi, was the leader and the inspiration for the second Anglo-Matabele war, also known as the War of the Red Axe and the First Chimurenga. Born in 1855, Lozikeyi was the daughter of Ngokho Dlodlo. Her marriage to Lobengula was said to have been meant to strengthen the king’s support base as the Dlodlo family were traditional healers and military experts.

However, despite her considerable achievements, Queen Lozikeyi’s achievements have been somewhat understated. Mhlanga, like others feels that Lozikeyi, like other historical figures, have been living in the shadow of Mzilikazi and Lobengula as all focus is thrown on the two monarchs. With the tentative debut of the historical musical set for September, Mhlanga thinks that this is a situation that should be remedied.    

“There’re a lot of things about history and historical figures that were not told to us or rather were hidden. We have been fed a Eurocentric history about ourselves and usually we’re just given names and events concerning our fore bearers without context or reason,” Mhlanga told Sunday Life last week. 

“This is because the white system of education was dedicated to suppressing that history so that we do not know ourselves. It’s a system that turned people against themselves and against their own culture. So most people just know the king. They just give you the king as if Mzilikazi was the only Ndebele or as if Lobengula was the only one capable of doing great things. We’re not told of other historical figures,” he said.

According to Mhlanga, Lozikeyi was one such ignored historical figure, as her deeds warranted the kind of attention that the country’s former colonial masters would not allow. 

“Of course white people told us our history only in part because if we were told about some of these figures back then the fear was that it would inspire revolt,” he said. 

According to historical records, Lozikeyi was a woman with fire in her heart, a flame that ignited her people to rise up against their oppressors and try to win back what had been taken from the black majority. It is this fire that Mhlanga would love to see burn brightly on the stages of Amakhosi when the play makes its debut. 

“Queen Lozikeyi was the only queen that was fighting against the royal family within the royal family. I say that because at that time different interests had emerged and other members of the royal clan were selling out. She was bitter. So in the story she is fighting an internal battle against other members of the royal family and at the same time fighting the external threat that the kingdom is facing,” he said.

Mhlanga will try to bring to the stage, a woman struggled with the internal politics of a Ndebele state that was struggling to come to terms with colonial pressure. Betrayal, anger and internal conflicts are the cocktail that Mhlanga is trying to mix up for an intoxicating theatrical piece. 

“So just to give an idea of what we’re working on, in the opening scene of the play Lozikeyi is angry. She is pissed off. She doesn’t understand why one of her closest affiliates who had been alongside her when they faced Rhodes’ forces is now seemingly selling out. 

“So she doesn’t understand why Rhodes, after his death, has been given the royal salute. That’s the Lozikeyi we’re trying to bring to the stage. This is a Lozikeyi who is fighting from within the royal family. Life inside that royal family can’t have been all rosy as some would want us to believe. There are fights and conflicts and that’s what we want to bring to the stage,” he said. 

The week that followed the death of Rhodes, Mhlanga said, was what inspired the play. It was the events of that week that had sown the seeds for Lozikeyi’s rebellion. 

“So Lozikeyi is one person who doesn’t understand why Rhodes has been given the Royal Salute of Bayethe, which was a salute only reserved for kings. She doesn’t understand how a coloniser who destroyed the kingdom is given such a salute. Lozikeyi is the last woman standing against Rhodes. All the chiefs are down. They have given up the struggle,” he said. 

Through flashbacks and flash forwards, Mhlanga said they would then be able to navigate both the past and the future and how Lozikeyi influenced both. 

“People understand Lozikeyi from a Eurocentric sense. However, when the elders and chiefs were discussing the incoming threat, Lozikeyi was driving those meetings, warning the chiefs that they couldn’t make agreements with white settlers because they just couldn’t be trusted. 

“So our story is told one week after the death of Rhodes. That week was very crucial because it enables us to tell a lot of other stories because a lot happened in that one week. It allows us to talk about the occupation of Matabeleland but beyond that through the use of various devices we will be telling a story that begins with the signing of the Rudd Concession up until the first bombs were brought into the country. It opens with a bitter queen and we take it from there,” he said.   

Lovert Mafukure

The old Mazda Premacy never really made that much of a mark on Zimbabwean soil, it was just one of those seven-seater mini vans that someone could buy. 

I wouldn’t say it was that much of a beauty. It was just stuck somewhere in between ugly and just okay. It had no appeal and none of that buy me please character, but the predecessor is a bit bold, it’s bulkier and has moved with the times, has had some hip injections here and there. While the cosmetics have very much improved so has the heart and other bits inside.

This is the model from 2006 to 2010. It’s quite old but then it’s one of the cars to likely take over in Zimbabwe, you know how we have those phases where everyone imports a certain type of car then when they realise it’s not all that they go on to the next. Besides that, a 2010 car is relatively new for us Zimbos anyway, I mean we are still buying cars from 1999!

Mazdas are unmistakable, they all have similar design especially on the front end. At first glance, the Premacy is clearly a Mazda. It has the same resemblance of the Rx8, the Mx6 and even the Cx7. The panels are flowy and from sideways to the back you can easily notice the wavy design. It didn’t lose its original Premacy shape, it just got a little bigger, you could almost mistake it for a Mazda MPV.

The Mazda Premacy is the same as the Mazda 5 you would find in the UK or South Africa. It comes with automatic sliding rear doors, something I’ve found very unnecessary. To me it’s like unnecessary technology because when you bring that car to Africa, that uncle of yours from Uzumba Marambapfungwe will hop in the back and force open or close that door not knowing that’s it’s all automatic so for Africa we still need manual sliding doors, you know the type you find on umtshova! 

The Mazda Premacy seats 7 people, 5 average size adults and 2 smaller people because the last row of seats is quite small and a bit cramped up. That’s always the case with most of these small mini vans. You can’t really complain much about the fuel economy and the space. Ideally they are a made for small families with a mind to save fuel as much as saving the planet. There are other models however, which are quite heavy on fuel. 

When it comes to the drive-train, the Premacy is just like an oversize Mazda Axela or Atenza because they share the same engines. It’s a 1,8l, 2,0l or 2,3l found in the Axela or Atenza Sport. They are all 4 cylinder dual overhead camshaft engines. Most of them come with automatic transmissions except if you get a Mazda 5 model from the UK or South Africa, in which case you may also get a diesel-powered variant. The manual transmissions and diesel-powered models are rare in Japan. Japan never liked diesels for some odd reason.

So the engine is transversely set up and it drives the front wheels, like I said earlier, this car is like an oversize Mazda Atenza. You do get good power figures especially with the 2,3l. These engines have never been known to be economical though, they drink like a whale. If you are going to cry about fuel a lot then you’d need to stick to the 1,8l even though it won’t give more smiles than the 2,2l . These cars will not be much of a hassle on maintenance because they share engines with very common cars around here. You will find that even some of the drive train components will be similar to the Atenza. Mazda is however, notorious when it comes to spares, they can have same model cars with different spares,  I’m not too sure why that is so.

However, Mazdas are not very complicated cars, they are easy to maintain and they are quite nice to look at, well, most of them. One thing about Mazda is that above all, they make comfortable cars, they may not be the most durable cars around but they don’t compromise on comfort. Mazdas tend to whine a lot like Newly born babies. What makes them better is they are easier to fix so you won’t go very wrong getting a Mazda Premacy as long as you will maintain it well and service it when you are supposed to. Sometimes that’s all the trickery there is to keeping a car for a long time. 

@lovert116 — Automart Used Spares Centre — Quality Used Japanese Spares -+263 772 33 99 38 – automartzw@gmail.com/ Facebook: @automartusc

Rumbidzai  Mhlanga, Sunday Life Reporter

He is probably one of the youngest authors to emerge from Zimbabwe and has made great strides to make sure that his name is never forgotten.

Marshal Chiza, who just at the age of 21 and is popularly known as the Poor Billionaire, refuses to die a poor man as his nickname suggests and at a young age has managed to establish a publishing house.

He spoke to Sunday Life about his transition from humble beginnings to stardom.

“I was born in Nketa 9 suburb in Bulawayo. Life was never rosy, as people would like to believe. I was never handed a spoon on a silver platter. Life was hard,” said Chiza.

He said his interest in books developed when he was young.

“Growing up I used to get lost in books, especially in the enchanting world of motivation. I liked the likes of John Maxwell, Miles Munroe and Dunlock to mention a few. I eventually developed an itch that could only be satisfied by my own words and that is how I ventured into the realm of book writing and motivation,” he said. Chiza started writing books at the age of 14, with his first book being published in 2016.

“My second book was also published the same year and my third in 2017. I have also done a collective novel with several authors from different countries,” he said.

Chiza said his aim was to be the biggest publishing house not only in the country but on the continent.

“I am investing my all. As it is there are people that are sending their works from as far as America, UK, South Africa, and Botswana. This is the next big thing not only for me but the country as a whole. This is my biggest accomplishment but I will not stop here. I also run the Poor Billionaire Foundation that assists in gathering funds and other stuff for the needy. The main focus of the foundation is to try and rehabilitate those living in the streets and nurture them into respectable citizens,” said Chiza.

He added that he also does online consultancy work.

“I have been around the world, not physically but through the internet and my network base. This is my dream and it will forever remain mine,” said Chiza.