The Sunday News
CAN a dead man be said to be a lucky man? Well this paradox seems to apply to the late Gweru punter, Dumisani Mabeka, as fortune keeps smiling on him even beyond the grave just as the late King of Pop Michael Jackson continues selling records from the grave.
Gweru’s lucky man, Mabeka, who had a knack for winning big prizes in virtually every competition he entered, won $20 in the Chibuku weekly draw a fortnight ago leaving a lot of unanswered questions as to whether it was mere coincidence or there was more to it than just luck.
Mabeka’s sister Ms Fungai Mabeka-Gwatidzo confirmed her brother had won from the grave.
“It is true that my brother won $20 in the Delta Zimbabwe’s Chibuku draw,” she said.
Many people thought that he could have won his way to the grave after he died under unclear circumstances on 12 May this year, barely 48 hours after winning a car at the Natbrew Castle Tankard draw just a month after winning a Nissan NP 200 in a Schweppes Mazoe competition draw held in Bulawayo.
Mabeka’s sister, Tendai, also narrated how her brother had met his fate after a streak of fortune.
“My brother had left home on Thursday (8 May) going to Bulawayo for the OMO washing powder draw where he won a DSTv decoder and a $100, a vuvuzela and a soccer ball. He then proceeded to Harare on Saturday (10 May) where he won the Nissan NP300 double cab truck.
“When he came back, he had drinks with friends celebrating his new car. The following day, he told his children that he wanted to rest and went to his bedroom. My younger sister, Rumbidzai visited him around 11am to congratulate him and found him unconscious with his heart beating fast. She then called an ambulance but he died before they could render first aid. He was taken to Gweru Provincial Hospital mortuary,” she said.
Tendai had earlier said her brother’s wealth would be given to the children.
“Today, while we accept that it is God’s decision of deciding our time on earth, we’re also relieved that he leaves us without the burden of worrying how we are going to take care of his children. He has a grinding mill that he won in earlier competitions before winning two cars recently,” she said then.
Mabeka’s winning streak began when he won a ticket to fly to Egypt for an Africa Nations Cup match between the hosts and Zimbabwe in 2006.
In 2008, Mabeka won a grinding mill from Delta’s Eagle brand before winning $100 and a DSTv decoder with a full bouquet month’s subscription in the Omo “Fly and Wash” competition.
He was also presented with a vuvuzela and a soccer ball.
He was also pictured in The Sunday Mail receiving his DSTv decoder from OMO representatives in Harare.
The late Dumisani Mabeka had earlier participated and won small prizes that included T-shirts and cartons of cigarettes in a Pacific competition and a solar light in an Econet competition.
Dumisani “Kujays” Mabeka of Mutapa Section 6 high density suburb in Gweru died mysteriously at his house, leaving behind not only his considerable pickings but also many unanswered questions with friends and relatives suspecting foul play while the general public suspects he had magical powers that could have backfired on him.
According to a family friend who spoke on condition of anonymity, Mabeka inherited the luck from his father who was also infamous for winning big prizes in virtually every competition he entered.
“Mabeka’s father used to work for Gweru City Council and people knew him because he had a knack for winning big prizes in most of the competitions he entered. He was a regular winner of soccer betting.
Unfortunately, none of Mabeka’s children is into betting or has the zeal to enter these competitions like their father and their grandfather used to,” said the family friend.
The friend said he suspected that Mabeka’s father used magical powers to win.
“Mabeka’s father left a beautiful homestead in his rural home in Lower Gweru. What surprises me is that none of his children visits the homestead. This has left me suspecting that he used magical powers too and that his children did not want to be associated with his necromancy.
People suspected that Mabeka could have been handed magical powers,” said the friend.
The friend said all of his wealth he had amassed through winning was given to his children by his relatives.
“Mabeka had five children, three boys and two girls. After Mabeka died, his relatives agreed that they would not take anything from Mabeka’s fortunes and that they would be inherited by his children. His elder son is currently running the grinding mill which he left behind,” said the friend.
A resident, Mr Tatenda Machimbidzofa said Mabeka could have been using magic powers to win big prizes in most of the competitions he entered.
“It is weird for a person to continue winning big prizes in competitions let alone from the grave. Sooner rather than later his relatives or children will be haunted by his magical powers. If it’s luck then this man was a rare breed. I have never seen that before, he is one of a kind,” he said.
Gweru Provincial Hospital medical superintendent, Dr Fabian Mashingaidze, once said Mabeka was not immortal, lucky or not.
