
AShMate
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After what was a deeply memorable occasion celebrating the lives of our dearly departed grandparents and uncles, our family has been plunged into mourning. My Aunt Grace sadly passed away after our return from Njanja. She suffered a bad fall on Saturday, and although we initially thought it was a knee injury, it later emerged she had sustained a serious fracture. On Sunday morning, she woke up in severe pain and was rushed to a local clinic at Sadza Growth Point, before being transferred to Harare where she was due for surgery. Tragically, she suffered a heart attack brought on by underlying heart disease and did not make it. Aunt Grace, the youngest sister to Mhamha Rose, was 70. We will now be heading back to Njanja, where she will be laid to rest at the family shrine in Redhill, Friday, 17 April. We did not imagine that the joy and togetherness we experienced on Saturday, 11 April, would end this way. Rest in peace, Aunt Grace 😢



Zimbabwe : DEADLY EXPLOSION CLAIMS LIVES IN ESIGODINI ROAD INCIDENT AT least 18 people are feared dead after a commuter omnibus exploded and caught fire along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road, between Chipangali and the Gwanda tollgate in Esigodini. The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) confirmed the incident, which occurred between 1300hrs and 1400hrs this Thursday. “The ZRP reports the death of +/- 18 people when a kombi exploded into fire between Chipangali and Gwanda tollgate along Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road between 1300hrs and 1400hrs today. More details to be released in due course,” reads a statement on the Zimbabwe Republic Police's official X handle.









##NjanjaChronicles #TheHomecoming #TheKingIsAround Saturday 11 April will sit firmly in my history books ,one of the most memorable, emotional and deeply satisfying days, all wrapped up in a small bag of love. After a full year of planning, 35 grandchildren travelled from across the globe and gathered at the village in Redhill, Njanja, to honour and celebrate the lives and legacy of our dearly departed grandparents, Joseph Mackenzie Magende Pfende (15/10/1910 – 30/06/1988) and Helen Brooks (06/11/1918 – 17/08/1991). My grandfather settled in Redhill around 1940, where he established the first store in the area. A man of few words, but decisive in action. His story deserves more than a single post. My grandmother, Helen, was the daughter of Ambuya Chitema of Chihota and a Scottish immigrant who left soon after her birth. She was strong, hardworking, and deeply rooted in tradition. Despite standing out , light-skinned, with flowing hair , she became part of the community in a way that mattered. She worked the land tirelessly, alongside workers and, at times, us grandchildren during school holidays, while Granddad worked as a chauffeur for the MD of African Distillers in the 1970s. We also took time to remember our uncles. Roger Brooks-Pfende (10/03/1949 – 21/04/1981), whose life was tragically cut short after unknowingly drinking traditional beer laced with poison at a community function , an incident that shook the entire Denhere community. Onias George “Mapepa” Mackenzie Pfende (20/08/1947 – 20/06/1998) , a surveyor par excellence, a storyteller, and a man full of compassion. His work helped shape places like New Ardbennie Industrial area and Rufaro Stadium. Newton Brooks (10/01/1951 – 07/07/2024) , “the philosopher.” A wise, gentle man, a great listener, and one of those uncles I could run to for advice back in my dating days 😆 And Martin Brooks-Pfende (16/03/1942 – 22/10/2001) , a fighter and a brawler, loved his fast cars and everything that came with being the OG in the hood of Kong 😆 He worked at Salisbury Municipality, later Harare City Council. Worked hard. Played hard. For many of us, it was a remembrance and a reunion. Some cousins I hadn’t seen in 25 years. Some meeting for the very first time. There was laughter. There were stories. Drinks flowed, music carried through the night, and a strong team of murooras made sure no one went hungry. We sat around the fire until the early hours, reconnecting, remembering, and restoring something that time had quietly stretched. It was waaaay more than a gathering, it was a homecoming. And to say I need a recharge is an understatement. I’m off the grid Monday and Tuesday 😆













#JourneyToSkies Continued 7 April,2026 Still no brekkie , we couldn’t locate Dave’s Kitchen in Kadoma, so we kept it moving. Next stop: Kwekwe. Last year we swung by a spot called Gazzania, tucked just off the main highway to Skies. The brekkie hit the spot. I did raise an eyebrow at the unwashed look on the crockery, but our server Whitney sorted it out quickly , and we carried on. The year before that, we stopped at the King Solomon’s Motel formerly the Golden Mile Motel (Golden Mile, great name, by the way). That visit left me underwhelmed… a boiled egg and sautéed potatoes isn’t quite the statement you want from a brekkie. Still, I’m one for second chances. Every joint deserves that. So we pulled in… Standby for the brekkie review… #TheKingIsAround #HappinessIsOurBusiness #BeautifulZimbabwe











