Nothing brings me good memories of Bulawayo than the Christmas holidays. Its been about ten years since I left the great "City of kings", yet a big part of me still remain there. There is a saying that , you can take an African away from an Africa, but you will never take Africa away from him. This saying is more true to me about Bulawayo. Bulawayo is a small city of no more than 2 million people. Not much industrialized thanks to the politics of the day. Bulawayo means, "the one who is being killed", and is a former capital of the last Ndebele king Lobhengula.
For 26 years I lived in this city, its people as well as its culture. I was so religious about Bulawayo. I loved its beautiful roads and buildings. I never would have imagined that one day I will have to leave the great city of my ancestors.Bulawayo is the city that King Mzilikazi founded when he came out of Zululand in the early 1800 century. After the famous Zimbabwe's independence of 1980 all the cities had their names changed, but Bulawayo remained Bulawayo. Unlike most Zimbabwean cities, Bulawayo is a traditional city. Its buildings still resembles those ancient colonial architecture. Its roads are still as wide as King UMlilikazi 's team of architectures designed them. It is said that there where made wide so that the ox drawn wagons could easily turn.
Growing up in the Midlands, (Lower Gwelo/Gweru) area I was never brought up to believe that there was a more greater city."Kontuthu ziyathunqa". That is what we used to call it. I must admit that leaving in that great city made me a proud citizen. Beside I knew no other city like that. I was born in Harare, way back when it was called "Salisbury" in the colonial days. For reasons known to both fate and destiny, I never lived there. So in reality Bulawayo is my adopted city. Harare is booming capital of Zimbabwe also known as Bamabazonke, however that is different story altogether. If you want to see capitalism in the hands of Africans, go to Harare. "Bamabazonke" means grab all. The city could not have found a better nickname.
Bulawayo is closer to South Africa, both Culturally and economically as compared to Harare. It goes without saying that, we that live in Bulawayo receives "crumbs", or left overs from the central government in Harare. There is a saying that Harare is Zimbabwe, and "Zimbabwe is Harare". This means that for you do be anything, or anybody meaningful in Zimbabwe, you have to be in Harare. That is where there money, and power.
To be continued!
