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President’s surprise visit: Family’s highest honour

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President’s surprise visit: Family’s highest honour

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When a familiar face stepped past their family gate into the yard last Saturday afternoon, Takondwa Gideon’s countenance had an expression of disbelief written all over. The 16-year-old paused, stood in awe and gazed as reality was unfolding.

The guest was neither a long lost relative nor an old friend. It was President Mnangagwa, who after commissioning three borehole systems under the Presidential Borehole Drilling Scheme, made an impromptu stop at the Gideon’s family house.

To Takondwa, whose Chewa name means “we are glad”, the “Presidential visit” to her family home along 71st Crescent in Glen View 3 bountifully joyed her heart of hearts as the experience gave her name a much deeper meaning.

“Seeing the President coming to this house is a huge honour that will never fade. Even now, the surprise continues to surprise me. We could not even get time to have a selfie but I will have much to tell my friends and peers from this,” said Takondwa, wearing a broad smile.

The teen said her biggest question is however yet to be answered.

“The biggest and unanswered question I have is yet to be answered and I hope one day I will get the answer. Why the Gideon family? Why us? We may not get the answers today but I know this was God’s blessing to us,” she said.

The Gideon’s six siblings were born and raised in a God-fearing family that has dedicated most of its time looking at the positives God does for them. Mercy, the Gideon’s 23-year-old daughter, said the President’s visit was a sign from Heaven.

“We cannot even express the happiness we have because it was something that took us by surprise. I had never imagined in our lifetime that the Head of State and Government would one day visit the Gideon family. We thank the Lord that we had a close-up with him,” she said.

The visit changed the course of conversations that usually light the house. Where career guidance dominate the discussions in some nights, the Gideon family during Saturday’s supper shelved much of their daily routines to speak about the President’s visit, slept over it and continued answering phone calls on yesterday from friends and relatives congratulating them.

But one question from the President left the Gideons mumbled.
“So what can I do for you?” President Mnangagwa asked the Gideons.

“Things were happening fast. As a family we could not comprehend what was happening but at the same time we were happy that we remained composed.

“We could not even have time to offer the President a glass of water as that is part of my culture from Mudzi, to give visitors just a glass of water to show that he was welcome in our home.

“My children just mumbled. They were overwhelmed and could not say what they wanted the President do for them. It was a case of missed opportunities,” said Mr Gideon, as he chuckled.

With the President’s departure, the siblings pondered what they could have said they wanted.

“During dinner Takondwa said it was good if she had only said she wanted a piece of land while others spoke of money and other things,” added Mr Gideon.

When esteemed visitors enter the gates of people in the lower strata of society, neighbours tend to think some “goodies” have been left by the visitor. This was not the case with the Gideons.

“Me and my family we are looking at this visit using spiritual eyes. Visits of this nature rarely happen to people like of my stature in society, this is a sign that something good is going to happen.

“We are not looking for anything material because we did not solicit the visit. What I know is God will transform our lives as a family and even in our community, things will never be the same,” said Mr Gideon.

A wonder was delivered to Glen View 3 by President Mnangagwa through the provision of water. For communities in need of service delivery like Glen View, all eyes are now on President Mnangagwa who has shown commitment to deliver the social service structure.

“This is a Heaven sent gesture by President Mnangagwa that is slowly taking us out of Egypt. If someone delivers water to communities, they have given life to that community.

“It is out of mischief that we are never grateful. But when shall we remain ungrateful when good deeds are being done for us? Now we want to rally behind the President so that he takes steps to helping us address issues of refuse collection and end the drugs cancer amongst the youths,” said 74-year-old Gogo Katsande who now has tap water from the President’s intervention, after enduring years of incessant water droughts by the Harare city council. Herald.

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