The Sunday News
Day by day ekasi stories with clifford kalibo
The word “FINANCE” is derived from an old French word “finer” meaning to “bring to a successful end”.
Quite a number of successful people were metaphorically brought “to a successful end” by the finances loaned by their parents from finance sharks or loan sharks popularly known as omatshonisa. These finances were used to school and bring up many people in the townships.
This type of loan (usury) is known as isimbazo in the townships. Money loaned from umatshonisa would attract a monthly interest of between 25% to as high as 50%. There was no uniform compound interest as this varied from one matshonisa to the other. Loan sharking business (ukumbazulisa) was in full throttle during the 1960’s up to the late 1990’s. The business saw a general decline as from 1998 to present day.
With the meagre salaries that were earned at that time, despite the fact that prices of goods and food were low, most employees would approach omatshonisa to get a loan to pay for children’s school fees and to buy basic groceries.
Those days the average household in the townships would consist of between eight to 12 people. Because of this, the father usually had no choice but to get isimbazo to complement his meagre earnings.
There were various loan sharks in the townships. One popular loan shark from Tshabalala Township who hogged the limelight during the late 1970’s up to early 2000 was known as Bhadala. Bhadala literally means to “pay up”.
Bhadala charged a very high compound interest of 100% per month! Despite the exorbitant interest charged by Bhadala, it still remains a mystery as to why he had a very large client base. There were always long queues of people at his house wanting to get loans.
The majority of these clients were Rhodesia Railways (R.R.) (Rarara) employees (later renamed NRZ in 1980). The clientele also extended to teachers, policemen, other Government employees, factory workers, etcetera.
Bhadala, it would seem, had cast a magic spell on most of his clients, for it was rumoured that he “doctored” his money before giving someone.
People would be heard whispering in the beerhalls or in the streets that “imali kaBhadala iyaphephuka, iyaphela masinyane.” You would loan isimbazo from Bhadala and the money would be used up so fast that you would be forced to go back for yet another loan at 100% interest! In a single month, some guys would go to Bhadala at least four or five times for isimbazo.
As collateral, Bhadala would demand his clients’ bank cards and the client would disclose his bank pin number to Bhadala. On pay days Bhadala would be seen moving from bank to bank (mostly CABS, Founders Bank and Beverly Bank), with his henchmen withdrawing from the various bank cards. After collecting his money Bhadala would give back the card, but cards were rarely returned to their owners because most of the guys were always “over-loaning”, thus their credit would overlap to the next pay day.
Isimbazo was addictive. Once you got into it you could hardly stop. There was that inner driving force instructing you to go for more loans. It was like riding the proverbial tiger . . . once you mounted the tiger you could not disembark for fear of being mauled by the tiger.
Some people were so strongly addicted to isimbazo that they virtually became slaves to omatshonisa. A case in example was a guy named Tsholotsho, who used to stay in Sizinda and was working for “Umnjanji”, “eRarara”, that is to say National Railways of Zimbabwe. Tsholotsho, (I think that was just a nickname, I never knew his actual name), was addicted to isimbazo, card gambling (amakhasi) and horse betting (amabhiza). His life was now being sort of controlled by Bhadala.
He was so hooked up by Bhadala’s loans that he became a miserable fellow. He could no longer afford to buy himself any clothes. Everyday you would see him wearing an old NRZ overalls and badly worn out shoes. After work he would be by Bhadala’s house. Weekends he would be by Bhadala’s house as early as 6am where he would be given several chores like chopping firewood, feeding chickens and ukulungisa inhloko yenkomo. (Bhadala loved ox head meat).
After performing the chores Tsholotsho would be given a “soft loan”, which did not attract much interest. Tsholotsho would then quickly rush for horse racing, “emabhizeni” at 13th Avenue, next to Umama Uyangichaza Bar, now known as Good Fellas Pub. Tsholotsho had a winning streak. He would win good money and bet again only to lose all the money again.
If he happened to salvage a few dollars from his winnings he would go back Ekasi in Sizinda for an all-night card game (amakhasi/injuka) either koMkento or koMoses Chibi, which were the popular gambling houses at that time. As always he would end the night without a single penny in his pockets. Tsholotsho would be left with no choice but to go back to his master Bhadala for yet more isimbazo!
We also had umdala Julias Sikabongo, a good friend of my father. He was an addicted horse gambler and was addicted to isimbazo. He would blow his monthly salary on horses within a few hours and would go for isimbazo. Old Julias was a teetotaller whose only hobby was horses. May he rest in peace. I have fond memories of old Julias Sikabongo.
The good old days of isimbazo also remind me of my late neighbour in Sizinda, Zenzo Ngwenya. Tall, lanky with bloodshot eyes, Zenzo was a genial, cheerful and happy-go-lucky fellow. He was employed by Archer Clothing in Belmont, along Plumtree Road. Those days factory workers got their wages weekly on Fridays and they would dismiss at 12 noon.
After receiving his khakhi envelope which contained his meagre wages Zenzo would exit the gate always to find a loan shark from Sizinda NaSibongile waiting for him. He would duly paid off isimbazo, which amounted to almost three quarters of his wages. Having done so it was routine for him to pass by Skittle Inn and buy a pack of 20 Madison cigarettes and then sit down for a few cold Black Label. Come 3pm, almost three hours after getting paid he would be left with a few coins in his pockets just enough to pay for transport to Sizinda.
As I stated before, isimbazo is addictive, because Zenzo would board a kombi and head straight to NaSibongile for yet another weekly loan! Being the good payer that he was, he would be quickly given another loan. Thereafter, the tall and lanky Zenzo would head to a shebeen to drown his sorrows in Black Label and would only leave the shebeen after spending the last dollar.
The following morning you would find Zenzo, hungry, broke and complaining of a hangover. He would go back to NaSibongile for yet another loan. This time the loan would be reduced to a few dollars just enough for him to buy amasese and a pack of 10 Madison cigarettes.
So there it is. For those who put imali yesimbazo to good use, they managed to pay their children’s fees up to A-level and even up to University level. Thus it brought a successful end to their children. But for others, izimbazo only brought misery and poverty, while some marriages broke down and some guys lost their jobs.
But anyway that’s the way the cookie crumbles. Till we meet again next Sunday.
Remember to mask up, sanitise, and maintain social distancing. Stay at home and enjoy reading Ekasi Day by Day stories in the comfort of your home.
I wish to pay tribute to the following: All the loan sharks who helped in financing for the education of many people Ekasi. Julius Sikabongo (late), Zenzo Ngwenya (late), Bhadala (late), Tsholotsho.
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