Feature
Adrian Shuro, MASVINGO
W
hen Oliver Dube (60), a
retiree from a leading
bank,
thought of
investing his money
with a plan to start a small business that
would sustain him and his family for
the rest of their lives, he had everything
but divine powers to pre-empt what fate
would have in store for him.
Acting on advice
from friends and
acquaintances,
Dube, a devout
Christian,
deposited $13
000 into one of
t h e
country’s prominent money
lending companies, Macdowells
Property
Investments
International. The firm is
owned by a senior pastor in
the Zimbabwe Assemblies of
God Africa Forward In Faith
church (ZAOGA FIF), Member
Chipamba.
Having been assured of
a 12 percent interest rate
per month for a year, the
soft-spoken father of
six had no reason
not to believe
that he would
spend his
retirement
days nestled in
the warm wraps of
the comfort zone. Surely, just
as the sun rises and sets every day,
Dube would even have enough money to
send his sons and daughters to tertiary
institutions of their choice. After all, is
it not for our families that we are seen
toiling, day in and day out, at our places
of work?
For a year, the contractual obligations
of the investment were fulfilled to the
syllable like a cult, until the message
that came short of failing Dube’s heart.
The message that Macdowells Property
Investments International had closed
shop. Fast forward a number of
months, and Dube is still frantically
trying to recover his lost treasure.
“My decision to invest with
Macdowells was premised on the
fact that I knew the proprietor as a
man of the cloth, a church pastor.
And now to imagine that I poured all
my life savings down the drain…I
am still trying to come to terms
with this realisation. Each time
I talk to pastor Mr Chipamba,
all he furnishes me with are
false promises, so I h ]?H ??Y? ?Y?[??[??[\?[?? H ?^H ??[ ?Y?H ??Y][??8?'H X?H ?ZY ??H\?YH H?[X?X??x?&\?[???XYY?\? [HXY?^?[?B?? X?H\??? H? H?H[? \? ?YX?[Y[? ??\?[? ???]?[ ?\??[? ?[??\?\??]??\?H Y] ??B??Y?[?Y Z\?[?^H?HX???[ ?Y?\??H?\?\??H?[????[X?X??H?[??[Y?X???[8?&\?X?[??H???? ?]?[?[?? B??[??[??X?[?[Y?[ H[?[\?[??T?
?Z[[?[?\??] ??H[?^H[?[???\?x?&\?X?[??H ?\??[??[YY?\? \???\[X?K\? ?Y?B?[???Y\?X??[?K?Z[Y ?Y\?H ?]X?[?\?[?\?? ?X?X?\?^H ?\?H[ ??X??\?Y??\??[??^??][?[?[???]\?]?\?Y?[??
? \??[? \?[??[K??\?H ?\?[ \???\[X?K\? ?Y?K?H??\[?x?&\???\???\ ?\?[?? ?]?[??Y[X?\??[? ?\?Z?\??]?H ?[??B??Y[?X?\?Y [??] ??[?H ?Y?Y?X?[???\?Z?[??? ??][??X???[?X?[] B?[? H?[?[??X[ ?X???H H?????X???[8?&\? ?X?\? ?H??[??\???[? ?]?YK[Y?Y H \?Y H?[\?B??\??X?H?\?X]H ???\? ?\?[H ?Y X? H[?^H???H?]?[ ?\??[? ??H??\[?HY X?Y[?\?\? ?]\???? H \?[??[K ?X? ?[??]\? ?
LL??[Y\?[?H [? H]?\?Y?H[?[?? ?]B?? ?IK??\???\[X?H ??[????Y[? ??&HUH?\? ?[? \??????\??\?Z] H?Y??H\??Z[???]?[???[? \?\?? H?[??[??X? [?^[[?[??[??] ][??\?H??[??Y ?X??\ \??] ?\? \?\? H ?\?\??H???Y?\?\?Y?[????\??]?? ???[ ?^H ?XX???[ ?\?H????Z[[?? ?X??\?? Z\?[?^H H^ [? ]]?H [YK ^H ?Y?YB??Y\[?] H??\[?H[? ??\? ??]?Y ?] ?Y?K?H]?[??[YH ?Y[[??[?^K ?X][?[?? ??[ H \????[?\?Y? ]\???[??Y? \????\[X?H[ ?? \Y H? \??B??\??\??T? K
HZ[[?X???[?? ???\? \\???[Y?H H? \??] B?Y???\? \? YX\????[??H[Y?Y H???\? K
HZ[[??[??? ? ?LH ?X? H? \??Y??\?Y H[??\?Y ??Y?] ?Y??\?[??\?\?\?[?[??] ?YH H??[? ?K???[H X?H[?X[?H?\??]?[??\??[? ?\??[ H XX?\?????H ?\?[?\?X\?[??\?Y?\?[??Z][??X???[ ? \???\[X?H ?\??\?B?\ ?[ ? L??Y?H LB??