Opinion / Columnist
Surely, my life is far more meaningful and fulfilling than Wicknell's ever will be!
14 hrs ago | Views
I was recently watching a video of a radio interview featuring the controversial and scandal-riddled so-called "businessman", Wicknell Chivayo.
As expected, he wasted no time in boasting about his lavish lifestyle.
He proudly declared his disinterest in active politics, instead preferring to align himself with Zimbabwe's political elite - not to influence policy or serve the public good, but to secure lucrative business deals and accumulate extraordinary wealth.
He spoke glowingly of flying around the world in private jets and living in luxury, contrasting this with what he considered the miserable life of a loyal ZANU-PF politician forced to sit through long speeches in stuffy rooms without air conditioning.
To directly receive articles from Tendai Ruben Mbofana, please join his WhatsApp Channel on: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaqprWCIyPtRnKpkHe08
Curiously, there's one point on which I find myself agreeing with Chivayo.
Like him, I too have never been drawn to active politics.
I've always viewed politicians with deep skepticism, largely perceiving them as self-centered individuals whose main pursuit is power, status, and access to national resources.
Politics, in my observation, is rarely about the people.
The phrase "the people" is often cynically deployed as a rhetorical device - an emotional trigger used to win votes in democratic systems where electoral support is necessary to attain office.
Remove the obligation to win popular support, and I doubt many of these so-called leaders would bother pretending to care about the very people they claim to serve.
After all, if politics were truly about service, why would politicians be willing to backstab, slander, or even kill one another for what is supposed to be a sacrifice and privilege?
If I genuinely wanted to uplift my community, what justification would I have for destroying others who wish to do the same?
That contradiction has always turned me away from partisan politics, even though I have been approached by various political parties over the years.
I will not mention names, but suffice to say, these advances have been frequent - and in each case, I have respectfully declined.
My reasons are simple.
I do not draw fulfilment from power, influence, privilege, or the spoils of political office.
My joy and purpose are rooted in standing with the oppressed, giving voice to the voiceless, and defending the marginalized.
My deepest satisfaction comes not from recognition, nor from financial gain, but from seeing justice served and the dignity of ordinary Zimbabweans restored.
That's what gives me sleep at night - and conversely, what keeps me awake when injustice runs rampant.
Since 1991, when I was in Form 5 in high school, I've dedicated my life to social justice advocacy, primarily through writing.
For over three decades, I have penned articles almost daily, not for pay - because no one pays me - but out of a genuine passion to see lives changed and a country transformed.
Admittedly, I, too, would like to make a decent living.
I have bills to pay like everyone else.
But if money was my sole objective, I would have abandoned this calling long ago.
What I do is not only thankless - it is often dangerous.
Zimbabwe is not known for embracing criticism or dissent, and standing up for what is right places one in the crosshairs of a regime intolerant of accountability.
Yet I press on, poor and vulnerable, because I believe the struggle is worth it.
I believe Zimbabwe deserves better.
I believe the people of this country deserve to be heard, protected, and empowered.
Contrast that with someone like Chivayo, who openly admits that all he desires in life is to hobnob with the powerful, amass obscene wealth, and show off his lifestyle to the world.
How empty that must be.
What genuine, lasting fulfilment can be found in such a life?
Does boarding private jets, driving flashy cars, and attending extravagant parties truly fill the soul?
I suspect not.
I suspect Chivayo, despite all his wealth, is one of the most hollow individuals in Zimbabwe today.
Human beings need more than material things to be truly happy.
Yes, we all need money to live a decent life, to provide for our families, to have a sense of security.
But when money becomes the end goal rather than a means to a greater purpose, life quickly loses its meaning.
There is no amount of wealth that can substitute for the deep sense of purpose that comes from living for something larger than oneself.
Life, in its purest form, is meant to be about service.
It is about feeding into others, just as rivers pour their waters into other rivers or seas.
That is how life flows and flourishes.
A river that only receives but never gives becomes stagnant.
That's why the Dead Sea, which receives water from other rivers but does not pass it on, is lifeless.
It supports no aquatic life because it hoards instead of giving.
Likewise, those whose sole aim is to enrich themselves, while ignoring the plight of others, end up living stagnant, dead lives.
Maybe that explains why individuals like Chivayo are constantly on the hunt for the next expensive car, the next designer outfit, the next luxury flight - because they're chasing an elusive joy that no amount of money can buy.
It's a joy that only comes from enriching others.
They seek to fill a void that material things cannot satisfy.
So they keep buying, flying, partying, posting.
But the emptiness remains.
They crave applause, yet the loneliness intensifies.
The truth is, when you live only for yourself, you become your own prison.
In contrast, I may not have the wealth or glamour of those who rub shoulders with political elites, but I sleep with a clear conscience.
I live with the knowledge that my efforts, however small, are making a difference in people's lives.
I have found purpose not in exploiting the system, but in challenging it.
Not in accumulating wealth, but in investing in people.
That, to me, is the highest form of fulfilment.
And for that reason, I can confidently say: my life is far more meaningful and fulfilling than Wicknell Chivayo's ever will be.
© Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. Please feel free to WhatsApp or Call: +263715667700 | +263782283975, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com, or visit website: https://mbofanatendairuben.news.blog/
As expected, he wasted no time in boasting about his lavish lifestyle.
He proudly declared his disinterest in active politics, instead preferring to align himself with Zimbabwe's political elite - not to influence policy or serve the public good, but to secure lucrative business deals and accumulate extraordinary wealth.
He spoke glowingly of flying around the world in private jets and living in luxury, contrasting this with what he considered the miserable life of a loyal ZANU-PF politician forced to sit through long speeches in stuffy rooms without air conditioning.
To directly receive articles from Tendai Ruben Mbofana, please join his WhatsApp Channel on: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaqprWCIyPtRnKpkHe08
Curiously, there's one point on which I find myself agreeing with Chivayo.
Like him, I too have never been drawn to active politics.
I've always viewed politicians with deep skepticism, largely perceiving them as self-centered individuals whose main pursuit is power, status, and access to national resources.
Politics, in my observation, is rarely about the people.
The phrase "the people" is often cynically deployed as a rhetorical device - an emotional trigger used to win votes in democratic systems where electoral support is necessary to attain office.
Remove the obligation to win popular support, and I doubt many of these so-called leaders would bother pretending to care about the very people they claim to serve.
After all, if politics were truly about service, why would politicians be willing to backstab, slander, or even kill one another for what is supposed to be a sacrifice and privilege?
If I genuinely wanted to uplift my community, what justification would I have for destroying others who wish to do the same?
That contradiction has always turned me away from partisan politics, even though I have been approached by various political parties over the years.
I will not mention names, but suffice to say, these advances have been frequent - and in each case, I have respectfully declined.
My reasons are simple.
I do not draw fulfilment from power, influence, privilege, or the spoils of political office.
My joy and purpose are rooted in standing with the oppressed, giving voice to the voiceless, and defending the marginalized.
My deepest satisfaction comes not from recognition, nor from financial gain, but from seeing justice served and the dignity of ordinary Zimbabweans restored.
That's what gives me sleep at night - and conversely, what keeps me awake when injustice runs rampant.
Since 1991, when I was in Form 5 in high school, I've dedicated my life to social justice advocacy, primarily through writing.
For over three decades, I have penned articles almost daily, not for pay - because no one pays me - but out of a genuine passion to see lives changed and a country transformed.
Admittedly, I, too, would like to make a decent living.
I have bills to pay like everyone else.
But if money was my sole objective, I would have abandoned this calling long ago.
What I do is not only thankless - it is often dangerous.
Zimbabwe is not known for embracing criticism or dissent, and standing up for what is right places one in the crosshairs of a regime intolerant of accountability.
Yet I press on, poor and vulnerable, because I believe the struggle is worth it.
I believe Zimbabwe deserves better.
I believe the people of this country deserve to be heard, protected, and empowered.
Contrast that with someone like Chivayo, who openly admits that all he desires in life is to hobnob with the powerful, amass obscene wealth, and show off his lifestyle to the world.
How empty that must be.
What genuine, lasting fulfilment can be found in such a life?
Does boarding private jets, driving flashy cars, and attending extravagant parties truly fill the soul?
I suspect not.
I suspect Chivayo, despite all his wealth, is one of the most hollow individuals in Zimbabwe today.
Human beings need more than material things to be truly happy.
Yes, we all need money to live a decent life, to provide for our families, to have a sense of security.
But when money becomes the end goal rather than a means to a greater purpose, life quickly loses its meaning.
There is no amount of wealth that can substitute for the deep sense of purpose that comes from living for something larger than oneself.
Life, in its purest form, is meant to be about service.
It is about feeding into others, just as rivers pour their waters into other rivers or seas.
That is how life flows and flourishes.
A river that only receives but never gives becomes stagnant.
That's why the Dead Sea, which receives water from other rivers but does not pass it on, is lifeless.
It supports no aquatic life because it hoards instead of giving.
Likewise, those whose sole aim is to enrich themselves, while ignoring the plight of others, end up living stagnant, dead lives.
Maybe that explains why individuals like Chivayo are constantly on the hunt for the next expensive car, the next designer outfit, the next luxury flight - because they're chasing an elusive joy that no amount of money can buy.
It's a joy that only comes from enriching others.
They seek to fill a void that material things cannot satisfy.
So they keep buying, flying, partying, posting.
But the emptiness remains.
They crave applause, yet the loneliness intensifies.
The truth is, when you live only for yourself, you become your own prison.
In contrast, I may not have the wealth or glamour of those who rub shoulders with political elites, but I sleep with a clear conscience.
I live with the knowledge that my efforts, however small, are making a difference in people's lives.
I have found purpose not in exploiting the system, but in challenging it.
Not in accumulating wealth, but in investing in people.
That, to me, is the highest form of fulfilment.
And for that reason, I can confidently say: my life is far more meaningful and fulfilling than Wicknell Chivayo's ever will be.
© Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. Please feel free to WhatsApp or Call: +263715667700 | +263782283975, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com, or visit website: https://mbofanatendairuben.news.blog/
Source - Tendai Ruben Mbofana
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