Beauty in Strange Places
The butterfly fluttered easily towards my person as I held the single rose I had just purchased. The beautiful insect made a quick flattering turn and stopped by the flowers in front of me. It perched there only for a moment before flying away towards the tall buildings of the city. I followed its flight hand halfway to my pocket for my phone. I wanted to snap a pic but nature was too fast for me. I looked back at the flowers and there was a bee hovering. I forgot all about the photo. Moments before, I had stumbled on this flower stall at Africa Unity Square. Most of their wares are funeral wraiths. I had forgotten these people existed here selling flowers for the loved ones in mourning. Most of them were clad in green overcoats but some were in white coats like plant doctors. I was fascinated by the artificial flowers which they accented with the real natural ones. Like the building all around me with this park right here as the calming touch of nature.
As I stood there, waiting for my change for the rose I had purchased, I felt a strange quietness inside. Moments before I had been dodging people in the busy streets of Harare and then dodging cars to cross the road where the traffic lights were broken. And now I was in a different world altogether. Sometimes the harsh realities of survival in Zimbabwe can make the beauty you find in certain spots surreal. Not to mention, this respite was a place where predominantly funeral flowers were sold.
I left the flower spot, with my change in the very hand holding the flower, and my other hand holding the phone to my ear. The recipient of the rose was calling to check if I had gotten lost. She had given me directions on where to find her. I had told her I was at the last building we had seen together so she knew how close I was and was wondering what was taking so long. We had split up as I had gone to visit the bank to inquire about corporate accounts and now we were meeting to tour the next set of office buildings in the city. The goal was to find the ideal office for her endeavors.
Of Empty Office Buildings
It turns out many of the tall buildings in the city are hollow shells with gaping echoing dusty chambers where companies used to be. Some companies have left the CBD altogether opting for houses turned offices in the neighborhoods close to the city. Some have shut down altogether. I remember walking around town and someone telling me that most of the high-rise buildings were empty. Today, I saw it for myself. Floors upon floors; empty, dusty, or used for storage. Some office buildings are old and can’t compete with the electricity shortages and need for a borehole and have broken windows. Some are underfunded and take ceiling panels from one side of the building to patch up the rented sides, a fun game of whack-a-mole.
This made me think that there is so much opportunity in the real estate space in Harare’s CBD. With some good reserve cash and less stringent tenant requirements, you can purchase a building and find renters quickly. Some landlords ask for tax clearances and bank statements. The challenge is many of the businesses in Zimbabwe are informal situationships. You go on Facebook and many profiles you find CEOs of this and that running a project but unregistered. Some have a good logo, a good Facebook page, and some good traffic, but are not registered. Some are registered but they find the regulations difficult to understand let alone follow so they don’t have tax clearances. Many big companies have lawyers to understand the business regulations of Zimbabwe. The average Zimbabwean though is hungry for a piece of the pie and those who manage to start a business don’t always have all the capital to follow the laws. I don’t even understand Value Added Tax and it is quite significant in Zimbabwe’s business landscape. I will do some research.
When Everyone Is Super
Today was a busy day spent on foot. A bonus scene was a parking meter lady standing in front of a clamped upscale-looking vehicle. The car had the signature scarf of those supporting the ruling party, in particular, those with their allegiance to the man at the country’s helm. This is usually supposed to shield you from much harassment. But the challenge is many people are realising that for their life to work smoothly they need to move over to supporting the ruling party. Some Zimbabwean musicians are driving free cars today and that confirms my statement. So when you have many people in the country supporting you, and you are the trouble-repellent cream, you get spread too thin. In other terms, when everyone has a superpower, it turns out no one is super at that point. For to be super human, is to be more than the majority of the people. But this power of hanging a scarf in your car has become pedestrian rendering it powerless. It was not funny but amusing and ironic for me to witness this scene. I snapped the photos from different angles hoping to catch the scarf and the boot together.
Until next week, thank you for your support dear readers. The adventures of settling here, setting up shop, and starting a family are underway in full force. Cheers!