AS THE coronavirus (Covid-19) continues to wreck havoc
across the world by taking the high and mighty in its wake, nations and world
governments are running scared. The truth is no one is safe.
Zimbabwe has not been spared either. The effects of
Covid-19 were felt in a big way as citizens were placed a 21-day nationwide
lockdown that began on March 30.
That lockdown has now been extended twice already and is
set to end on May 17. There are a good
number of Zimbabweans scattered around the world that have been caught up in
this lockdown.
One such individual is former Warriors and Dynamos midfielder
Eddie Mashiri, who is enduring both the South African and Zimbabwean lockdown
simultaneously.
Mashiri is home alone with his three kids; daughters Ebbie
Estelle and Eliseo Tapuwa as well as son Ethan Takunda.
His wife Tendai Ushe
has been trapped in South Africa where she was recovering from a fourth
caesarean delivery having travelled there a month ago to prepare for the birth
of the couple’s fourth child Elikem.
“The lockdown has been difficult. I can say this whole year
has never been so kind to me,” Mashiri told the Daily News on Sunday.
The family decided to take the South African route after
they were asked to pay US$2 500 in Zimbabwe by the doctors which unfortunately
was beyond their reach.
“We then settled for South Africa through the help of a
good of friend of mine who is resident that side. That is where my wife is as
we speak,” he said.
“That is how she ended up being caught up in the South
Africa lockdown after giving birth to our son.” Worse still, the expectant family suffered another blow in
South Africa.
“My wife ended up having an emergency operation after some
complications but she managed to deliver our fourth child but it was not easy,”
he said.
“Our son was born on March 6. He is over a month old now
but both are locked down in South Africa. We thank God for His mercies because this was the second
time she has had a complication.”
However, the pain of being unable to be next to his wife
and newborn baby is unbearable for Mashiri.
The situation has been made worse by the fact that the
lockdown here in Zimbabwe has greatly affected his earnings.
After hanging up his boots, Mashiri is now a football coach
with a local private school but will not get any payments under the lockdown.
“You know how it is when you work on contract basis, you
are not a permanent employee, your earnings are decided by the amount of time
you spend at work,” he said.
“When the lockdown came into effect we were just a week old
into our contracts I don’t want to lie to you it has been difficult because we
were looking forward to start getting some inflow but all that came to a
crushing stand still.
“I had nowhere to start from, no salary but still the
hospital bills needed to be paid.
“Imagine you don’t have any cent in your pocket, you have a
wife who is in hospital and the country is under lockdown.
“Things are not easy because even where she is in South
Africa, she was still obliged to pay for the hospital bills you can’t keep
asking friends to do everything.
“Right now we only chat over the phone and the WhatsApp
calling that we have come to know we thank God we do communicate but you know
where there’s a newborn baby necessities that are required are so many.
“You need pampers and the father is here in Zimbabwe locked
down, you don’t have any cent, you don’t have any salary coming in and you
can’t send anything. I don’t think even if the schools were to open right now
we will be able to go back to work so this year for me we can say it is just as
good as it has ended.”
The former DeMbare star is grateful to his family and
friends for the support he has received under such trying circumstances.
He paid tribute to his sister Angeline and Itayi Munenzva,
who has ensured that he gets to South Africa to be with his wife free of
charge.
“Being home alone with the kids has been difficult but I’m
glad God has been protecting us all the way, my sister Angeline has been very
supportive,” he said.
“My whole family came to support us so we are OK but the
lockdown has been difficult especially when your wife is not around.
“At least if you are together l, you exchange notes and
help each other and plan as a couple.
“Above all, a married man doesn’t need to stay alone or
away from the wife but I just put everything before God and He has been looking
after us.”
Nonetheless, Mashiri sees the positive side of the lockdown
as well.
“The lockdown has opened our eyes there are many things we
are seeing that we probably lacked ingenuity to work on before this period,” he
said.
“It has even helped in terms of bonding with kids usually
as a parent you value your work as you will be trying to fend for your family
and we are also viewing life at certain angle with a different view.
“I have come to learn that there’s more to life than
chasing after money.
“After everything has been removed and taken away from us
as what has happened during this lockdown that is when you start seeing that
there’s more to life than cash.
“You can have money but there’s not much that you can do
with it right now. You start seeing the importance of family, the importance of
relatives and start valuing that it is better to be happy with your friends,
relatives, your family than to be happy with cash in your pocket.
“What does it profit you to have money in your pocket yet
you don’t have peace and joy so the lockdown has opened our eyes.
“It has showed us that we can survive in the absence of so
many earthly things imagine it’s been over a full month without getting into
town but we have managed to stay indoors for at least 10 hours seated with
kids.” Daily News
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