The Chigananda Chronicles: The Collapse of Shake Shake House.
By Farai D Hove |
In the heart of a troubled republic, where silence often replaces truth and loyalty is traded like currency, a peculiar creature emerged — a beaver-like figure called Chigananda. Dressed in a scarf of green, gold, red, and black — the patriotic colours of a nation long burdened by betrayal — Chigananda was no ordinary beast. He didn’t chew trees. No. He chewed foundations — particularly those of Shake Shake House, the symbolic edifice of Zimbabwe’s ruling establishment.
This creature had one obsession: uproot every trace of historical resistance that could challenge the present narrative. Not with bombs or bullets, but with gnawing discredit — accusations, scandals, and convenient memory lapses.
THE COLLAPSE BEGINS
At the base of Shake Shake House were pillars named after national figures and incidents:
- TONGO – representing Josiah Tongogara, the revolutionary general whose legacy often haunts succession debates.
- SOKO – a nod to mysterious insiders who “knew too much” and vanished before they could speak.
- NKOMO – the Father Zimbabwe, whose unity pact now feels like a scar more than a bond.
- MARRY – the collapsed narrative of a woman who once stood beside power, now turned into a national scandal.
Chigananda, now fully unhinged, giggled with every bite. “Collapse!” the building creaked. “Let it fall. Let history forget!” he whispered with glee. His sharpened teeth ripped through foundations, but his appetite was far from satisfied.
THE PROVOCATION
As the building trembled, Chigananda turned to the crowd of bystanders and roared:
“Tell Chamisa to reveal his own structures today — so we visit them!”
This was no mere cry for information. It was a threat, masked as a challenge. Chigananda wanted more — not just the collapse of ZANU’s internal accountability, but also the exposure of all opposition structures. If the old house must fall, let the new house be naked too.
Chamisa, the opposition leader who had become a symbol of modern resistance, was being dared to expose his political architecture. But for what purpose? So it too could be chewed apart by this patriotic saboteur disguised as a reformist?
A NATION IN PERIL
This cartoonish drama, while absurd on the surface, spoke volumes. The collapse of foundational names wasn’t just metaphorical — it was a rewriting of the struggle narrative. By the time Chigananda finishes, nothing sacred remains. No legacy untouched. No memory unbitten.
And yet, the people watched. Some cheered, others mourned. A few, with knowing eyes, whispered:
“Be careful when the beaver gnaws. Today it’s Marry, tomorrow it’s Motherland.”
THE MORAL?
Beware the patriot who demands transparency, but only to destroy.
Beware the reformer who smiles while dismantling history.
And beware Chigananda — for his appetite is endless, and your truth might be next.
ZimEye presents this satire as a mirror: what we dismantle today, may be the very shelter we need tomorrow.