wait 'til the world cup

A lodge-owner's wife was on her own out at the lodge near Odzi, eastern Zimbabwe. Her husband was out playing bridge. There was a knock on the door late at night.

Two ZANU-PF officials were waiting. "We're having a rally," they said (Night-time rallies are called pungwes here). "We've come for our contribution."

She bristled but then thought better of retorting with sarcasm. She was on her own in the dark. She went to the pantry, pulled out a 2kg bag of sugar.

"That's not enough," the officials said. "Don't you produce coffee?"

"It's filter coffee," she told them. "Not instant. You won't like it." Most Shona rally-goers -- reluctant or otherwise -- are Daybreak drinkers. (Cardboard-packed Daybreak is a mix of instant coffee grounds and chicory)

"Give," they growled.

"You'll have to go down to the bar," she said. "Tendai'll help you."

Tendai sent the men packing. He has a brigadier-friend and is not afraid. But the next day, the lodge got a 'phone call.

"Your Tendai must be careful. Very careful," a voice said. The word on the ground is that ZANU-PF is waiting for the World Cup. They'll do nothing -- or nothing very much -- until the World Cup is over. Violence would only annoy South African President Jacob Zuma, who's anxious to get the Zimbabwe problem smoothed out of sight. But when the World Cup is finished, then -- so the whispers go -- then all hell will break loose.