ANTHU OLEMERA NDI A SATANIC

There is a quiet hostility between the rich and the poor. Many poor people believe that wealthy people do terrible things to acquire their wealth, and that the rich themselves are responsible for the suffering and poverty around them. Rich people are perceived as tricksters, thieves who steal from poor people using magic and other means. But who are they stealing from? The poor.

They are accused of witchcraft, of using dark powers to drain money from unsuspecting people. They are said to use charms and rituals, chitaka, amagona ndi ana awo, amapopa magazi, ndi omwewa oba maliseche a wanthuwa for wealth. They steal other people’s private parts, kill albinos for rituals, or make people work in their farms at night without the people knowing. You wake up tired and the first thing you think of is, “Someone was using me to cultivate his farm through magic.”

There is a deep suspicion surrounding wealth. That is why, when a rumour spreads about a rich person, many people are quick to believe it. Because in the minds of many, nobody simply becomes rich. If one man became wealthy through intelligence, discipline, or opportunity, then why are the rest of us poor? There must be something else behind it.

That woman must be getting her money from a blesser, or she is a drug dealer. The successful person must have used shortcuts, corruption, or dark practices. Because, according to this thinking, wealth cannot come honestly.

Walemera ali mwana. Walemera mosadziwika bwino.

And so, whenever an opportunity arises to insult a wealthy person, many gladly take it. When there is a chance to mock them, expose them, or celebrate their downfall, people join in eagerly. When rich people lose power, money, or status, many celebrate.

“He has left State House. Now we are equal.”

“She is no longer in government. Now she is just like us.”

“They thought they were better than everyone else. Now look at them.”

But what exactly did that person do to you? Did they insult you? Did they come to your home and harm you? No.

What is their crime? They are better off than us. They are rich. They have a car, a good house. That is their crime. People find satisfaction in watching those presumed to be rich suffer. This is not to say that all wealthy people are innocent. Some are corrupt. Some are thieves. Some have caused real harm to others, and some use charms, whether the charms work or not is a subject for another day. But sometimes, people spend so much energy fighting other people that they forget to fight bad ideas, broken systems, and the circumstances holding back their own lives. Not every successful person is your enemy. And not every rich person became rich through evil.  

Question: Are you a hater? Why? Let us work on improving our lives, one day at a time.

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Written by

Shadreck Chikoti

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