…Zeb$ leaves lasting mark in Masvingo
Rutendo Chirume
There is an old adage that goes ‘every village has its champion’, and in many circumstances, those will be men or women of memorable accomplishments, material or otherwise.
In the Sisk suburb of Mucheke in Masvingo, Zebediah ‘Zeb$’ Kasinahama was one of those champions, but his fame emanated from a few things; his love for life, beer and soccer.
Waking up to news about the passing on of Zeb$ last week came as a shock to the Mucheke community, with the young and old finding it difficult to come to terms with the loss of their ‘ghetto president’; one who spoke their language and lived the ghetto culture to the fullest.
Not many people are remembered for loving life, even less for loving people, but for Zeb$, that was his trademark.
The other thing that branded Zeb$ was his love for soccer and mostly Masvingo United, a football team he loved through thick and thin, even during its days of hitting rock bottom—you would not have attended a Una Una match without seeing Zeb$.
At social soccer matches, Zeb$ would be cracking ribs with his jokes and commentary, constantly reminding players that even if they fail to win, they should be able to at least enjoy the beautiful game.
Zeb$ was a darling to many, which was evidenced by how he was mourned by the Mucheke community and Masvingo at large, bringing the whole high density community to a standstill as people celebrated his life.
His funeral was attended by mourners from across the political divide, who chose to bury the hatchet for once to honor their hero; a man of not much means but adored by kith and kin.
Young and old thronged the Kasinahama house to pay their last respects to Zeb$, and even if his surname is loosely translated to ‘one who does not have family’ the Masvingo community merged into one big family for Zeb.
Among those who spoke highly of Zeb$ were the young, commonly referred to as ‘ghetto youths’, and one would think he was their peer even when he was decades older.
Although they could not do much for him during his lifetime, the biggest gift they could afford him in death was a befitting sendoff—one characterized by barricading Chesvingo, the most popular street in the city as the ultimate prize for his love for the community.
The 41-year-old Zeb$ was confirmed dead upon arrival at Masvingo Provincial Hospital on February 16, 2022 after succumbing to liver cirrhosis which he has been battling for the past three years, which some attributed to excessive consumption of beer.
Zeb’s young brother Lovermore Kasinahama described his brother as a responsible and loving man who did not only care for his family but the whole community.
“He loved football (Chelsea and Masvingo United football clubs) and would mourn with any bereaved member of our community. There is no funeral in the neighborhood that he would not attend. Name the place and he would be there, all because he never wanted anyone to cry alone. Everyone in the community loved him.
“He never had kids of his own, but one thing he proudly said was that nephews and nieces were his children. He shared the little he had just to put a smile on someone’s face. I did not grow up with my parents, but he played a big part in raising me and made sure I had food every single day I stayed with him,” said Lovermore.
Ward 4 by-elections aspiring Zanu PF candidate Taurai Mudzviti who grew up with Zeb$ said the whole community is grieved and the void he has left will be difficult to fill.
“The turnout from all over the city was very encouraging which shows the kind of a person he was and what he meant to the community. He was like a father to the whole society and we are all grieved by his death. He was a good man who loved to associate with everyone whether young or old. The ghetto’s giant pine has fallen and people like Zebdollar are rare in the community. You just need to be a good person in order to earn respect just like Zeb, he lived up to that code,” said Mudzviti.
Godfrey Mutimba who stays across the road from where Zeb$ lived described him as the ghetto president who was known across the high densities of Masvingo urban and said he was a humble and humorous person who loved football whole heartedly.
“As a person who grew up in Masvingo, living in the ghetto of Sisk ‘musha mukuru’, we are saddened and we are mourning the passing on of the great ‘ghetto yut’. In Sisk, Majange, Yeukai, Pangolin, Rank and even Rujeko, Zeb was known that is why he was called President of the Ghetto. The ghetto of Masvingo will never be the same again without him.
“The ghetto president was a very humble, humorous and cheerful person as he was always smiling, peace loving and encouraged peace. He loved to socialize and associated with anyone regardless of one’s status in the society. He was a unifier and a staunch supporter of the beautiful game. To the youth, we have lost an icon and we say to him, we will cherish the memories that we had with you. Go well soldier, go well brother and rest in peace,” said Mutimba.
Masvingo United coach Faustino Mugeji said the team has lost its greatest supporter and said the football fraternity has lost a legendary fan.
“He was Masvingo United’s number one supporter because he loved the team whole heartedly. He would attend all the matches that Masvingo United played. He would follow the team anywhere and everywhere in this country. The fraternity has lost a legendary football fan,” said Mugeji.
The journey to Lawn Cemetery on February 18, 2022 was marked with a long queue of vehicles that stretched over several hundreds of meters as family members and friends headed towards his final resting place.
