Perhaps it is because he died a bitter man that people will always think ‘his ghost’ is dealing with those who betrayed him.
This week, Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Mozambique, retired Lieutenant General, Douglas Nyikayaramba passed on due to Covid-19.
According to the local media, the late former President, Robert Mugabe turned to Nyikayaramba when he was under military siege but found no joy. He thought the top soldier would come to his rescue in his hour of need and somehow help thwart the coup but he was wrong.
He also apparently turned to the later former Airforce Commander, Perence Shiri but again the man turned his back on Mugabe.
What I find rather amusing is that when Nyikayaramba passed on, the local private media felt the need to remind readers of the role he played during the military coup leading to Mugabe’s ouster, the role of doing nothing to stop the coup.
Local news outlet, ZimLive referred to him as the third coup general to succumb to Covid -19.
He is actually the fourth former man of uniform and third general to die of the Coronavirus, the first being Shiri.
Others that have passed on are Foreign Affairs Minister, Sibusiso Moyo, who was the face of the coup as he was the general who announced on state television that the sun had set on Mugabe’s rule.
Former Prisons boss, Paradzai Zimondi who also threw his weight behind the coup, similarly passed on a few weeks ago.
All these former top men may have died of Covid-19 but for some people, it is Mugabe’s ghost that is dealing with them one by one, as they, along with a host of others, ‘betrayed’ him when he least expected it.
It could be because a wide section of our society believes that some dead people’s spirits can avenge the wrongs done during lifetime that some actually think there could be more to these deaths than Coronavirus – strange if not interesting really!
“Mugabe’s ghost has the last laugh now”, tweeted one MoyoKhayisa while another Twitter user wrote simply ‘Mugabe’ in response to a story on this latest death.
And because of this, some are actually anticipating more deaths of those at the top, not because of Covid-19 but because of Mugabe’s venegeful ghost.
Meanwhile, all the country’s roads have been declared a state of disaster which means there will now be a speedily release of funds and resources for the repair and rehabilitation of all roads.
Quite a commendable move as driving in most areas in Zimbabwe is now a nightmare with some roads having been completely washed away.
As ever in Zim, the fear is that funds meant for these works will be looted, and in the end we will still have to endure driving on extremely bad roads!