The imposing yellow-super structure in the heart of Mashamhanda Village in Sese communal lands on the south-eastern fringes of Chivi rural is an eye catching spectacle that has left villagers spellbound by its architectural sophistry.
The three-storey villa is a palatial and towering structure
that even the filthy rich in some of the country’s major cities can only dream
of.
Boasting of seven en suite bedrooms and two other ordinary
bedrooms, all with deluxe beds and exotic bedding, the villa defies its rural
setting, a stone’s throw from the sprawling Sese Business Centre.
Bordered by a range of hills to the north and west, the
villa has at least four balconies in the second and third floors that afford
those inside a panoramic view of the Sese area as it extends downwards into the
Tugwi-Mukosi Dam basin to the south east.
Several kitchens and living rooms equipped with modern
furniture put the icing on the cake on this otherworldly structure that makes a
mockery of its rural location.
The imposing and picturesque villa was built by businessman
and Mashwede Holdings founder 72-year-old Mr Alex Mashamhanda at his rural home
where he was born and raised.
Mr Mashamhanda said he spent about US$850 000 on the villa.
Electrified and also powered by a huge back-up generator
and at least six huge water tanks perched on a high area that supply water for
the villa and the entire homestead via gravity, the palatial villa is now the
talk of the entire Sese area and beyond.
The house was commissioned during the Easter holidays, with
the event marked by three continuous days and nights of merry-making punctuated
by music, dance and feasting that will remain etched in the memories of the
local rural folk.
Mr Alex Mashamhanda shows the huge portrait of his late
mother, Mbuya Tsvakai Mashamhanda nee Charumbira, in one of the foyers of his
mansion at his rural homestead in Chivi
Villagers now tout the new super structure as a fitting tribute by the people of Sese to Government for upgrading and rehabilitating the Harare-Beitbridge Highway that is now a huge source of pride for locals.
Starting Easter Friday, villagers from all corners of Sese
thronged the Mashamhanda homestead to celebrate the new mansion, as they
revelled in the glory of a new architectural spectacle spearheaded by one of
their own, amid lavish partying.
Huge tents were erected to protect merry-making villagers
from the drizzly weather that hung over most parts of Masvingo Province over
Easter while music of different genres thundered from the public address system
that had been put up.
Imbibers for both opaque and clear beer, including some of
the finest whiskeys, had an unforgettable experience of interacting with booze
for more than three days while beverages were also galore for those with a
penchant for mellow things.
The young and the elderly temporarily suspended their age
differences as they danced and feasted in unison, ostensibly to cap a unanimous
acclamation of what their son, a former cattle herder of Sese, had done.
For Mr Mashamhanda, building the villa at his rural home is
a testament of his long-standing bond with the land and community that moulded
him into what he is today.
He proudly boasts that he remains a rural boy despite the
fortune he has amassed through his business empire that include food courts,
fuel retailing, construction equipment hiring, among other enterprises
headquartered in Harare.
The Mashwede Holdings founder, told The Herald on Saturday
that his umbilical cord still remains in Sese, firmly connecting him with his
birthplace.
“I am a rural boy and this (Mashamhanda Village) is where I
was born and raised and whatever I am today, including what I have achieved; my
origins are here,” he said. “I am what I am here today because of the way I was
raised, by my immediate family and also the community that I grew up in. The
values that define me and how I evolved as a person up to now was shaped by
this community.”
Mr Mashamhanda said he built his villa on land that barely
has any value, but believes his move is not only inspirational, but also
epitomises the wishes of the under-resourced rural populace, also yearning for
a good life.
“I built this mansion as a way of expressing that rural
people are keen of a good life just like people in any other part of the
world,” he said.
“Even my neighbours want a house like mine, but the only
difference might be access to resources. This is a message that the rural folk
also want a better life and yearn for it with resources being the only missing
link.”
Mr Mashamhanda said his upbringing, growing up in Sese
communal lands as one of the many children of his polygamous late father helped
him develop thick skin and has had a huge influence on the person he later
became.
“My father was a polygamist with seven wives and the way he
toiled looking after his big family influenced me also in a big way because I
drew invaluable life lessons from him,” he said.
“He taught us to till the land, herd cattle and was also a
businessman who was into buying and selling and even rented shops at Sese
Business Centre.
“He could not read or write and counted his earnings using
sticks, sometimes getting it right. That is the drive which spilled into us as
his children. I was shaped by the way I grew up and the surroundings. Part of
the me that developed as a result of the way I grew up during my early life
might remain with me until I die.’’
Mr Mashamhanda revealed that successes and challenges alike
played a huge part in honing his business skills and developing resistance to
antagonistic forces he encountered along his life and the business journey.
“The final product that is me was shaped by many things,
some even adverse,” he said. “At one time when we were stopped from selling
textbooks as M and H Holdings in 1996, we could not even pay salaries for up to
seven months, but we soldiered on and those challenges helped us to become
strong.”
Mashwede Holdings’ driving philosophy is investing in
business property and job creation.
The firm boasts of several business properties in Harare,
including the iconic Mashwede Towers that was built in 2003 before it was
opened in April 2004.
“Mashwede Towers is our headquarters and the name Mashwede
is short for Mashamhanda and Hwede with the former being the name of my late
father while Hwede was my grandfather,” said Mr Mashamhanda. Herald
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