www.nzira.co.zw 51 Set up at Elephant’s Walk in Victoria Falls, the artists here produce statement pieces that will liven up any home. If you’re looking for a gift for loved ones or simply trying to carry a piece of your adventure home, any one of their paintings will make sure Zimbabwe is a part of you. Lawrence Nyemba, one of the painters, is captivated by Africa’s natural beauty and colours. The only way he knows how to express his admiration is through painting. Paintings Pottery Support local with this long established Zimbabwean born pottery company. Delicate Dugga, formerly Ros Byrne Designs, was established in 2018. Owner and manager Sascha Barr together with talented artists Patrick Beaton and Shungu Masara, thrower Motion Gamela and clay maker Pedzisani Nyagome - they make up the designs for dinner and tea sets, egg cups, model animals and plenty of other delightful African ceramics. Each piece is made with care and dedication and it is certainly a treat to take home regardless of where you come from. Tourist Treats Tourist Treats
52 May/June 2019 Sculptures Bags Agrippa Tirigu is a sculptor and stone carver in昀氀uenced by the modern sculpture as well as Shona traditions. He works primarily in black serpentine. His love for working with stone comes from his belief that stone has inherent natural beauty. Every stone has a sculpture already hidden inside it and it is his duty to discover it and set it free. Agrippa can produce a range of work, mainly the modern ones. If you’re wondering how you can carry stone home without exceeding your maximum luggage weight, Agrippa offers shipping around the world. http://www.zimsculptures.com/about/ Nhava_zw aims to produce strong authentic African print bags from fabrics across Africa. The bags are handmade in Zimbabwe and are distributed countrywide as well as in South Africa. Clotilda Rufasha founded Nhava_zw and designs the bags but success couldn’t be done without Tinashe Mupfapairi and Robin Chirume to deal with the business aspect. Determined to produce durable bags that withstood the test of time, they decided to come up with a range of colourful bags that are stylish, made with African fabric and strong enough to sustain the weight of laptops making them practical and long lasting. They are based at 1 Letham Road Avondale in Harare. Tourist Treats
For more Contact: Eastlea – 08677008262 | Seke Road – 08677008264 | Bulawayo – 08677008265 Kwekwe – 08677008266 | Chiredzi – 08677008267 | Vic Falls – 08677008268
54 May/June 2019 Serves Prep Time Cooking Time Dif昀椀culty 2 30m 50m Easy Biltong and butternut risotto With thyme, basil and créme fraiche INGREDIENTS 200g garlic biltong 150g brown rice 1 butternut 2 bay leaves 1 bouquet garni 2 onions 50ml creme fraiche 4 garlic cloves 1/2 bunch thyme 1 pack basil FROM THE STORE CUPBOARD 3 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp coconut oil 3 tbsp butter 1 tbsp white wine vinegar Salt and pepper to season. STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 220 degrees. Peel, de-seed and cut the butternut into bite sized squares, coat in 3 tbsp olive oil, season with salt and pepper and place on a baking tray. Place the tray in the oven and roast for 30 minutes or until cooked through. STEP 2: Meanwhile peel and mince the onions and garlic. STEP 3: Before making the risotto, prepare the stock by mixing 2 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp white wine vinegar and the bouquet garni in a 1 litre jug of boiled water. Stir to combine and set aside. STEP 4: Heat 1 tbsp butter on medium in a deep cast iron pot or pan. When melted and slightly browned, add the onions and garlic. Cook until translucent. Add the brown rice and mix, making sure all the granules are coated with a layer of oil. Add the bay leaves then slowly start adding the hot stock discarding the bouquet garni, one ladle at a time. Stir continuously until the liquid is reduced, and the rice is cooked ‘al dente’ (昀椀rm to the bite). This should take about 30 minutes. If the rice takes longer to cook and all the stock is used, add water until you are happy with the texture of the rice. STEP 5: Remove the butternut from the oven and place half in a blender and blend until smooth. STEP 6: Add the biltong (setting aside a few slices for garnish), butternut puree and butternut chunks to the risotto and fold in gently to combine. Cook until heated through. STEP 7: Strip the leaves from the thyme stalks and mince the basil. Add the herbs to the risotto along with the crème fraiche (reserve a few thyme leaves and spoons of crème fraiche for garnish), stir to combine and season well with salt and black pepper. STEP 8: Remove the bay leaves before serving. Divide the risotto between dinner plates, drizzle with remaining crème fraiche and garnish with the reserved thyme leaves and biltong slices. FOR THE KIDDIES! A creamy biltong risotto might be just what they feel like on a winters evening after school but, you can add some grated cheese to the mixture and a little cream to the butternut, to make it an extra delicious risotto. Recipe
www.nzira.co.zw 55 Chef Simba Musiyiwa blending cuisine and travel From Tanzania to Cape Town, Chef Simba has been all over Africa. Now he’s back home to rede昀椀ne the culinary scene in Zimbabwe from the internationally popular tourist hub of Victoria Falls where he is the executive chef at the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge. NZiRA is very excited to introduce everyone to the culinary guru who cannot be contained within borders. hef Simba was born in Bulawayo and grew up in Gweru which makes Midlands the beginning of his origin story. His father worked in insurance while young Simba spent his childhood immersed in the domestic culinary scene because he was the only boy in a house full of women. In fact, his fondest memories were of the pumpkin fritters his mother made on Sunday mornings. This ignited his interest in cooking, or maybe it was watching his sister making quiche for her home economics class. It’s clear that his main in昀氀uence came from his mother and sisters but the passion and drive are 100% his own. “Food intrigued me from an early age,” Chef Simba remembers, “somehow it just came naturally to me when I would try to make something.” Cooking requires a lot of attention and as a young boy he had plenty of that rare skill. C Thanks to the support of the women in his life, he has had great success because of his talent and has since been on an unforgettable 10-day road trip in Iceland, where he enjoyed camping and hiking, and he has spoiled his taste buds in Mauritius by indulging in their Creole, Asian and Indian mix. He didn’t have enough praises for dhal puri or octopus pickles supplied from neighboring Rodrigues Island. There’s no better way to return home than with an expanse of knowledge, experience and energy. For Chef Simba, being a foodie or great chef means that you have to embrace travel, cuisine and food. This allows people to break limits that typically keep them boxed in. Cuisine in昀氀uences tourism to a large extent as each country has a culture and food heritage to be showcased. Article Primrose Muzah Images Victoria Falls Safari Lodge Chef’s Say
56 May/June 2019 “Africans in general have a sharing spirit from entertaining your neighbor or relative and friends who sometimes pitch up unannounced, people must be fed,” Chef Simba reminds us. Our style of cooking tells a story of where people come from. Now that all this expertise has been extended, heightened and broadened, Chef Simba is ready to take Victoria Falls guests on a culinary journey. Visitors to the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge can experience the marrying together of culture and food at the MaKuwa-Kuwa Restaurant and the Buffalo Bar, as well as the Victoria Falls Safari Club restaurant. When he’s not working in the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge kitchen, Chef Simba takes his work home. Now before you judge him, he can’t help that he loves to cook for his family and friends. He absolutely adores Indian food so lamb biriyani is his dish of choice for entertaining, but his all-time favorite meal is his mother’s pork trotters. Being homesick is a challenge even for professionals like Chef Simba, but nothing beats the exposure one gets from travel. Chef Simba says it best, “There is so much to learn and experience, especially when you want to be a good chef. You can’t just settle with your own cuisine, you must experience and learn it all.” “There is so much to learn and experience, especially when you want to be a good chef. You can’t just settle with your own cuisine, you must experience and learn it all.” Chef’s Say
www.nzira.co.zw 57 Chef Simba’s winter recipe His admiration for East African and Indian food is evident as one of the dishes he recommends when you visit Victoria Falls Safari Lodge is the slow cooked smoked lamb curry. He’s so con昀椀dent in his magic touch he shared the recipe for everyone to try. Don’t forget to head to Victoria Falls and enjoy the dish as made by the master himself. Ingredients 250 g ghee, plus 1 tbsp extra for smoking the charcoal 10 green cardamom, split 2 tsp cumin whole 2 tbsp garam masala 6-8 cloves 1 cinnamon stick 2 bay leaves 10 black peppercorns 3 large red onions, very 昀椀nely chopped 2 tbsp ground coriander 1/2 tsp turmeric 1-3 tsp chilli powder, to taste 6 cloves garlic, crushed to a paste 4cm ginger, 昀椀nely grated 1kg lamb or mutton, cut into thin slices 250g tomatoes, diced 50-75 g raw papaya, 昀椀nely grated (optional) 300 ml lamb stock or brown stock 1x 4cm piece charcoal 1 tbsp chopped coriander, to garnish Method Heat the ghee in a large pot, and once hot, add the cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and peppercorns and fry until they start popping and give off an aroma. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until they turn golden brown. Mix the ground coriander, turmeric and chili powder. Add this to the pan and stir well. Stir in the garlic and ginger and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes. Add the lamb pieces, one by one (this keeps the oil temperature hot) - stir well to coat all the meat with the spices. Add the tomatoes, papaya and stock, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes if using the papaya, or 45-60 minutes if you’re not. Check that the lamb is tender. Once cooked, smoke the dish. Heat a piece of charcoal either in a hot oven (preheated to 220degC/gas 7) or over a gas 昀氀ame. Using tongs (take care), transfer the coal to a small metal dish, which is sitting on top of the curry. Heat the ghee in a small pan, and when hot, pour it over the coal. Immediately seal the pan with aluminum foil and a tight-昀椀tting lid. Leave on one side for 1-2 minutes - the smoky 昀氀avor will, by now, have infused the meat. Remove the lid and foil and garnish with chopped coriander. Smoked Lamb Curry Serves 4 Recipe
58 May/June 2019 Beverage for every bay Travel, food, drinks and culture are all intrinsically entwined together. We like to think each of these elements enhance one another; one simply cannot be properly enjoyed without the other! We are exploring the wonderful pairing of some of the 昀椀nest alcohol with some of the fantastic destinations around Zimbabwe. However, we don’t pretend to be the experts on this particular topic so we want to invite all of you to participate and educate us on what you delight in quenching your thirsts with in the various locations around Zimbabwe. Therefore, we welcome you to enter our competition and it is one hell of a contest! We collaborated with The Stable Winery to be able to determine the true beverage for every bay! Victoria Falls Bubbles L-Ormarins Brut Classique Rose 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay Attractive delicate salmon pink hue. Delicious whiffs of charming raspberry and strawberry aromas vie with a peppery spice nuance on the nose. The palate is vivid with lively bubbles of bright red berries and crisp acidity. Providing equilibrium are rich, creamy lees notes and toasted biscuit 昀氀avours from its secondary fermentation in bottle. Delightfully playful yet serious with good structure, length and a clean, focused 昀椀nish. Hwange White wine Thelema Savinon Blanc Unwooded and well-balanced, with fresh melon and grapefruit 昀氀avours, and a full zesty palate. Balanced, well-structured wines with lovely intensity. Harare Canti Prosecco D.O.C Millesimato Dry and pleasantly fruity. Light straw yellow with 昀椀ne and persistent perlage. Ideal as an aperitif and during the whole meal. Kariba Gin and Tonic Inverroche Classic Gin 12 Fitch & Leedes Indian Tonics Fitch & Leedes Crafted and designed to enhance the very best gins. Inverroche Classic Gin infused with fynbos from the limestone-rich soils of the low lands of the Cape Floral Kingdom, Inverroche Gin Classic is crispy and dry with upfront green, grassy juniper notes which blend seamlessly with a bouquet of soft 昀氀owers on the nose. Redolent of summer citrus, rose petals and assertive 昀氀orals, delivering a clean, dry and spicy 昀椀nish. Gonarezhou Beer 12 Devils Peak Lager Clean crisp malt character supported by a mild, spicy and slightly 昀氀oral aroma of the famous noble Hallertauer Mittelfrüh hops. We are aware that Zimbabwe, as magni昀椀cent as it is, is landlocked and does not possess the typical de昀椀nition of “bay” in most areas but we do have a collection charming hangout spots by rivers, lakes and even waterfalls all around the country. What we’re looking for are the most popular and, dare we say, photogenic beverages you love to share in your “bay”. What is a beverage for every bay? What will you win, courtesy of The Stable Winery? Competition! Beverages Runs Till June
www.nzira.co.zw 59 What to expect A modern clean and well appointed house with large windows and sliding/stacking beach front doors. All 5 bedrooms have air conditioning, en-suite bathrooms,hair dryers and fitted wardrobes. The 6th is a bunk room with 3 bunks,also air conditioned & attached is a crib with changing table,Mosquito net attachment for the crib,high chair feeding table & moveable stairs barrier. The main bedroom's bathroom has a bath & large shower. The kitchen is well equipped with two Minus 40 fridges, 2 additional stand by fridges (1 has icemaker),stand alone ice maker,chest freezers,dishwasher, washing machine and tumble dryer. There is a gas stove / oven. The property comes with a large braai & Weber BBQ. From the veranda you can see the start of the bazaruto archipelago with Paradise Island and Bazaruto Island in view. During the right season you are also likely to see whales, dolphins and turtles when out at sea. The property overlooks the Indian Ocean with amazing sun rise views. No internet/wifi provided; however there is a vodacom aerial near the house which provides good cellular and data signal. Guest access The property can be accessed by dirt road behind the dunes and it is a short 8 minute drive from the centre of Inhassoro. The road from Inhassoro is unpaved 4x4 vehicle recommended GPS co-ordinates Latitude -21,5813 Longditude 35,2460 Guest services There is a management team available that service the house. They can be called when needed. Management can ,sometimes, arrange extra services, such as home help, cleaners, maids etc at an additional cost.Its recommended you inform them if required early as it's not always available. Please ensure you get a quote for these services. Sue Dunlap - [email protected] +25 88 4300 5592 Debbie - [email protected] +25 88 4417 8388 Other things to note You can hire boats from local companies in Inhassoro which are ideal for day trips to Paradise Island and the Archipelago. This is perfect for deep sea fishing, snorkeling or scuba diving if you have the equipment. We recommend MARLIN FISHING CHARTERS (Charles Lee - +25 88 4706 6784) who have competitive rates. Weblink: https://abnb.me/FpCBgse3NP What to expect Guest access Guest services Sue Dunlap Debbie Other things to note Charles Lee https://abnb.me/FpCBgse3NP Mango de Tzondzo Email :- [email protected] Tel :- +27 790 390 824 MOZAMBIQUE Eastern Highlands Red Wine Spring昀椀eld Wholeberry Cabernet Sauvingon Whole berry maceration is followed by fermentation with natural yeasts, racking and one year’s maturation in oak barrels. The result is a velvety wine with softer tannins and classical varietal characteristics. This traditional wine is un昀椀ltered and un昀椀ned, which may deposit sediment and might require decanting. So how do you enter this fantastic competition? In three steps you can stand a chance to win your favourite drink. Step 1: Follow or like NZiRA and The Stable Winery on Instagram or Facebook. Step 2: Take a picture of your beverage, preferably one on the list and one from The Stable Winery, while you are in one of these seven places. Step 3: Tag The Stable Winery and NZiRA in the post on Facebook or Instagram and don’t forget to tell us what you’re drinking in this place and why. You may disagree with our selection of what you drink in each bay so feel free to tell us why you disagree and you will still be eligible to win! Sponsored by: Beverages
60 May/June 2019 Suitcase Stories SUNSCREEN If you haven’t been wearing sunscreen there’s no better time to start than during your winter vacation. No, seriously. While in summer you wear sunscreen to avoid sunburn and tan lines, when you’re basking under the African winter sun you wear sunscreen for those exact same reasons. Even when it’s cloudy the rays of the sun pass through. So make sure you have a bottle of sunscreen to maintain an even skin tone and prevent skin cancer caused by the harmful UV rays. VITAMIN E While we’re talking about skincare, make sure you grab a bottle of Vitamin E and pack it in a waterproof bag. The last thing you need is for this antioxidant miracle oil to spill all over your belongings. It’s a thick oil that works both as a vitamin supplement and a topical skin healer. Boost your immune system and cell function from within while you 昀椀ght UV damage and dry, patchy skin that is common with the cold. On the off chance you forget to apply sunscreen, Vitamin E oil is great at reducing in昀氀ammation and irritation that comes with sunburn. VITAMIN C Nothing puts a damper on your travel plans quite like a cold or 昀氀u. If you do 昀椀nd yourself starting to feel under the weather, you’ll be glad you carried your Vitamin C supplements. Vitamin C is the number one recommended winter supervitamin and is found in most fruit and vegetables. Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t prevent colds but it is excellent for boosting your immune system. So, while we hope you don’t get a cold (knock on wood) pack some Vitamin C supplements for that one person who always thinks they don’t need a jacket. Warm winter packing list With highs of 18°C in the coldest regions and 25°C all around Victoria Falls, you’d think I’m describing a typical summer’s day in London but this is the average winter forecast experienced in Zimbabwe. With the mountainous areas close to Mozambique waking up to fog and drizzle, Victoria Falls is all sunshine and no rain. If you’re confused about how to pack for a winter that barely feels like winter most of the time, here are a few essentials to have in your bag! Article Primrose Muzah Image Rapture Images PORTABLE POWER BANK Extra battery for your devices is always appreciated. There is nothing worse than trying to capture the magical colours of our Zimbabwean sunset and then your phone beeps to indicate low battery. Have a fully charged power bank and stay ahead of any power outages you might encounter on your trip, those rare times you 昀椀nd yourself doors. Packing List
www.nzira.co.zw 61 Events Baobab Trail Run (Livingstone, Zambia) 4 May It’s back and it promises to be even bigger and better. Taking place around pristine secure fenced in African bush bordering the Mosi-ao-Tunya National park in Livingstone. The Baobab trail offers distances for all types of runners, whether you’re new to running, a walker, casual runner, or a seasoned runner looking for a great trail run! 3.5km, 7km, 10km or a kid’s fun run - A mild marathon in the wilderness is fun either way! Diacore Gaborone Marathon (Gaborone, Botswana) 12 May Mt Kilimanjaro Marathon (Moshi, Tanzania) 22 June Gnaoua World Music Festival (Essaouina, Morocco) 20 - 23 June LICAF - Livingstone International Culture & Arts Festival (Livingstone, Zambia) 13 – 15 June See Zambia in one place: LICAF, the beating heart of our culture. 73 Zambian tribes from 10 provinces encapsulated in one festival all happening at a time of the year when the Mighty Victoria Falls is at its thundering best, dropping down more than 500m2 of water every second. With local and international performances, be dazzled by a spectacular carnival procession through the streets of Livingstone Zambezi Dreaming 25 May Africa Day 2019! Zambezi Dreaming will be a familyfriendly festival of music and fun with picnic hampers, live music and delicious food and drink starting in the afternoon and stretching into the evening. Upcoming Events If you attend any spectacular event, share with us your experience. Email [email protected] Upcoming Events
62 May/June 2019 Warning: Even the most awkward of shu昀ers will 昀氀ail their arms around in dance, eventually. Headaches may ensue. Festivals Mountains & Rivers Article and Images Bad Rabbit Studio Upcoming Events
www.nzira.co.zw 63 or the last three years, the Mountains and Rivers Festival has beckoned the adventurous out from the urban dwellings of our capital city and brought them to the verdant surroundings of Aberfoyle Lodge. Mountains, among them Zimbabwe’s highest, and rivers, namely the Pungwe that rises on the Northern range of the Eastern highlands and empties into the Mozambique Channel at Beira, frame the annual festival that takes place in the foothills above the banana and avocado plantations of the Honde Valley. A world away from the monotonous mindyour-own business of typical city living, the weekend is the ultimate exercise in friendship forming, cold water plunging and awkward dancing. Take the word exercise lightly. You absolutely don’t have to do any, if you so wish. The festival is formed in such a way that if you’d rather sun bathe, sip on GnT’s and watch the Palm Nut vulture pair 昀氀y-by before lighting up the dance 昀氀oor till all hours of the morning, then you can be Aberfoyle’s guest. The bar is fully stocked with all the most delicious of tipples and the live music on the Saturday evening plays till (traditionally) very late - thank you McKays. However, the fresh, mountainous air and cold, clear water encourages even the most hardened of bar 昀氀ies to slap on some sun cream, a life jacket and obligatory dark glasses to raft the Pungwe’s rapids. Taking place over a weekend usually mid to late March, the Friday evening of the festival is, depending on how you choose to spend it, very chilled and relaxed or an exuberant night of drinking and revelry. The festival is set up to encourage people to explore the Honde Valley and get out of town. As such, accommodation ranges from very affordable camping spots with selfcatering as an option for the weekend (an opportunity to experience the beauty of the area for a fraction of the price), to luxurious en-suite rooms and delicious three course meals for those who cannot fathom sleeping in a tent. Don’t ask me how they’ve done it, but the team behind the festival has managed to make families, young adults and those looking for a quieter weekend, all equally welcome and catered for. There are activities aplenty, from zip lining to bum sliding, to bird watching and tea factory tours. There really is something for everyone. Saturday morning starts with an hour long yoga class to dispel any fogginess of mind and stiffness of body from the day before, followed by a hearty breakfast of porridge and eggs, toast, tomatoes and what ever takes your fancy. The tea is home grown and strong. The coffee is the real stuff. After breakfast, the gong is rung for festival goers to make their way down to the beach, about a 30 minute drive from the lodge. The rafts are put in at the beach and off, off, off and away you go for a few hours of pure, unadulterated fun on the water. The rapids are technical, the river bank is beautiful, somehow, the skies are always clear. The day is spent either in a raft, on the beach or swimming in the cold Pungwe waters. Bliss! As evening draws in, The Chain Gain and McKays pick up their microphones, guitars and drum sticks and the night’s festivities kick off at the lodge. Sunday is a quiet affair, with most people sleeping through yoga, eating a late breakfast and summoning the strength to drive back to home after sneaking in a quick activity, swim and fortifying lunch. It is a magical weekend in the mountains, tonic for the tired soul and a weekend to create friendships amongst like-minded people. But most importantly, the weekend is a reminder of the environmental importance of protecting and supporting such wilderness areas - and, that there is a whole country to explore and a whole bunch of fun to be had while doing so. A big thank you to all those who came out in support of Mountains and Rivers Festival, 2019. Pro昀椀ts from the weekend were donated by the festival organizers to the Cyclone Idai relief efforts. F
An Anonymous Girl Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen Signing up for a psychology study conducted by the mysterious Dr Shields, Jessica Farris thinks all she’ll have to do is answer a few questions, collect her money and leave. But as the questions grow more invasive, and the sessions become outings where Jess is told what to wear and how to act, she begins to feel as though Dr Shields may know what she’s thinking . . . and what she’s hiding. As paranoia grows, it becomes clear that she can no longer trust what is real, and what is one of Dr Shields’ experiments. Caught in a web of deceit and jealousy, Jess quickly learns that some obsessions can be deadly. She Lies in Wait Gytha Lodge On a scorching July night in 1983, a group of teenagers goes camping in the forest. They are destined for great things, and the youngest of the group—Aurora Jackson—is delighted to be allowed to tag along. The evening starts like any other but by morning, Aurora has disappeared. Thirty years later, Aurora’s body is unearthed in a hideaway that only the six friends knew about, and Jonah Sheens is put in charge of solving the long-cold case. Sheens’s investigation brings the members of the camping party back to the forest, where they will be confronted once again with the events that left one of them dead, and all of them profoundly changed forever. Inspection Josh Malerman J is a student at a school deep in a forest. J is one of only twenty-six students, all of whom think of the school’s enigmatic founder as their father. J’s peers are the only family he has ever had. Their life at the school is all they know—all they are allowed to know. But J suspects that there is something out there and he’s beginning to ask questions. Meanwhile, on the other side of the forest, a girl named K is asking the same questions. J has never seen a girl, and K has never seen a boy. As they work to investigate the secrets of their schools, they come to discover something even more mysterious: each other. Winter Chi氀氀s Books For Any And All Travellers By Rufaro Kaviya Welcoming Comfort Unique Bed & Breakfast Accommodation in Harare www.casakadiki.co.zw Tel: 0242490352 / [email protected] HARARE ZIMBABWE Books
www.nzira.co.zw 65 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 109 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 ACROSS 1. The sea of tranquillity (7) 5. Lo! Those in Southern Africa (7) 8. Sounds like she hasn’t got any (3) 9. The vegetable that makes you cry (5) 10. See this wildcat in Europe or the US (4) 12. A 昀氀ying baby carrier (5) 13. So dumb man is a government o昀케cial (9) 14. Hello inside the generative organs (5) 17. Follow a special costume for casual wear (9) 19. Insect and bird together may be found in Central and South America (3,6) 20. Roses don’t like this insect (5) 21. Known in the Bible for saying ‘There is no room” (9) 24. Examine the account books (5) 26. The Italian Job’s famous little car (4) 27. Bite peel to 昀椀nd an Indian home (5) 28. Get everything together for your trip (3) 29. A famous English castle is home to royalty (7) 30. Trots ex out and gets something by force (7) ACROSS 1. Paci昀椀c 5. Lesotho 8. Nun 9. Onion 10. Lynx 12. Stork 13. Ombudsman 14. Loins DOWN 1. Pennsylvania 2. Congo 3. Frock 4. Cairo 5. Long Beach 6. Solid 7. Tynemouth 11. United States 15. Intention 16. Soh 17. Trumpeter 18. Kea 22. Exits 23. Rupee 24. Adept 25. Dakar 17. Tracksuit 19. Ant thrush 20. Aphid 21. Innkeeper 24. Audit 26. Mini 27. Tepee 28. Kit 29. Windsor 30. Extorts DOWN 1. Sylvia Ann Pen lives in Eastern USA (12) 2. Icon got to an African country (5) 3. Dress for a lady (5) 4. It’s capital in North Africa (5) 5. Not short sandy area in California (4,5) 6. Not gaseous or liquid cube (5) 7. Honey mutt is in Northumberland (9) 11. Combined territories make a major country (6,6) 15. A purpose and objective (9) 16. In music a needle pulling thread (3) 17. A musical swan (9) 18. Make a parrot in New Zealand (3) 22. Leaves through the doors (5) 23. 100 paise can be spent in India (5) 24. A small department is expert (5) 25. A tough rally is capital in Senegal (5) SOLUTIONS Sudoku Medium Crossword by Mary-Anne 7 7 1 5 9 8 3 2 1 6 6 5 4 9 3 4 7 6 9 1 6 2 7 9 4 4 5 1 0800hrs-1800hrs Games 1500hrs. - Closed.
66 May/June 2019 The Bark of the Urban Baboon Article and Images MAFUNGI Battered Beyond Repair ’d like to recount to you the tale of my fairly brief ownership of a second hand Mercedes Benz 180D. Every word of this account is true, but I suggest you pour a stiff whiskey and sit in a comfortable armchair with stout armrests before reading any further. The key scratches around the door lock and ignition as well as the burn marks where the previous owner kept missing while returning the cigarette lighter, should have warned me not to touch the car. Maintenance was unlikely to be a priority with the former owner, clearly hooked on cigarettes and booze, but it was going to be a big issue with me. The radiator developed a leak and I had it repaired by my wife-to-be who had recently done a course at the Poly-tech. Unfortunately, welding did not cover soldering so my radiator ended up a lump of molten metal. Undeterred, she returned the following weekend with a spare radiator and 昀椀tted it. However, my problems were about to reach gargantuan proportions. The following Friday I set off for Harare, picked up two perky blonde hitch-hikers near Chegutu and was regaling them with tales of heroism when the car sputtered to a halt near Selous. The hikers abandoned me. My dear wife had 昀椀tted the radiator with the bottom hose touching the exhaust and when the temperatures had reached rubber-melting point, the inevitable had happened. Engine cooked and professional help was now required. The gauge, of course, had never worked. Towed to a garage in Harare, the car was repaired. The mechanic was arrested for foreign currency dealing and locked away for 昀椀ve years a little while later. This was in a time when such offences were not part of the daily lives of every Zimbabwean and the police were still unbribable, but I digress. I then set off for Mhangura where I was doing National Service in the Police Force. The car played up again and it was sent to the local service station in the village and repaired again. As soon as I had completed my time there I returned to Kadoma. The car had a mind of its own and a series of letters between me and the service station ended with the news that the prime mechanic who had worked on the car had been tried and sentenced to death for shooting his cook who had failed to feed the Alsatian. Several hours and many pints in the Mhangura Mine Club were only mitigating circumstances and could not save him from the hangman’s noose. A friend in the pub in Kadoma told me that I need look no further than a local service station in town where they had employed a factory-trained, German mechanic. He was the best of the best. Brimming with optimism, I handed the car over to him and had it returned a couple of days later, supposedly 昀椀xed again. Unsurprisingly, problems arose and when I tried to get the garage to readmit the car they said, “Sorry, the German mechanic is no longer with us.” The night after releasing my car, the German mechanic and his wife had gone to a party at Eiffel Flats, just out of town. They had a bit too much to drink and late at night on the way home his wife needed a leak. Obligingly, my mechanic had asked her to do her function in the beam of the headlights. He drove over her, reversed back over her and dragged her into the back seat of the car. Back home, he pulled her out of the car by the heels, up the front steps and threw her into the bath to expire during the night. In this case there were mitigating circumstances and it seems the lady in question had partaken of party snacks which involved pulling ticks off the dogs and swallowing a bull frog! The only defence witness was the German envoy who said that disciplining spouses was acceptable in the home country. This did not save my mechanic. I sold the car to a colleague at work, it was clearly jinxed. Some twenty years later he told me it was still plying its trade as a pirate taxi in Gweru and had never given him even one day of trouble! I
www.nzira.co.zw 67
Back Page Robins Camp, under private new management, ofiers an exciting revival of an iconic safari destination in Hwange National Park. Suited for individual, family, groups, meetings & incentive travel. Use the code #nzira05/19 when booking for a free lunch during your stay. [email protected] | robinscamp.com Robins... fie Rebirth of