Freedom Mupanedemo Features Correspondent
As the morning light slithered through the windows of Batanai Old People’s Home and Midlands Children’s Home in Gweru last Saturday, nothing special was in store for the elderly and kids.

Save for a prayer to thank God for seeing yet another day, none had any big plans for the day.

It just seemed a normal sunny Saturday February 21 where matrons would shout out loud that breakfast was ready.

While many Zimbabweans knew that February 21 is President Mugabe’s birthday, most at the two homes seemed out of touch with current affairs.

But later on, the children and elderly where caught by surprise as something big was in store for them.

The biggest surprise was to get information that the day, February 21, was President Mugabe’s birthday.

The other shocking but exciting revelation to the inmates was that one local businesswoman, Mrs Smelly Dube, was to throw them a surprise party to celebrate the President’s birthday.

It was a touching and rather emotional surprise party. One sobbing elderly inmate prayed to God that Mrs Dube lives a healthy and fruitful life.

“We wish God could extend Mrs Dube’s number of years on earth just as we also pray to God to also increase our President’s years. Here at the old people’s home, we did not know that today was President Mugabe’s birthday but Mrs Dube made our day by making us celebrate with the President while merry making.”

Mrs Dube, a Gweru-based private property developer and director of River Valley Properties, is no stranger to Batanai Old People’s Home and Athlone Orphanage.

“She usually donates large quantities of groceries towards the end of year and we were not expecting her to extend yet another hand so soon. This time she has done it in style. In addition to the groceries donations today, she had lunch with us as we joined the nation in celebrating our President’s birthday,” said Batanai Old People’s Home matron Mrs Joyce Bomvu.

After having a lunch with inmates at the old people’s home, Mrs Dube proceeded to Athlone Orphanage where she threw a party with the disadvantaged children.

Mrs Dube also donated groceries worth $500 and distributed toys to the 25 toddlers.

She said while the whole nation was celebrating the President’s birthday, she thought of the orphans and the elderly in various homes who wished to have joined in the celebrations.

“As a Christian, the Bible teaches me that while we celebrate, we must remember the poor and the underprivileged who want to make merry with us as well but because of various circumstances, cannot afford to do so,” she said.

Mrs Dube thanked President Mugabe for spearheading policies which allow women to also participate in business and nation building.

“I am what I am today because of these policies like indigenisation. I want to thank the President for this and I decided today that I should celebrate his birthday with the underprivileged,” she said.

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