Dear readers. I write to you with a heavy heart after being silent for a while, all because of what is happening in our village.
There is a sense of confusion. For days now, Anganga Che Chitekwe, our controversial elder, relentless leader-in-waiting, has simply vanished. He is not at his house. He is not in the village. And most strikingly, no one in his inner circle seems willing to explain where he has gone or why.
The last time anyone saw Anganga Che Chitekwe was early in the week, when he was helped into a car by his aide James and Aunt Martha. He looked visibly frail, struggling to walk and barely acknowledging those who greeted him. Since then, nothing. No communication. No confirmation. Only rumours, anxiety, and silence.
What’s most troubling is that efforts to get clarity from his family have hit a wall. Questions are being met with shrugs, vague answers, or, in some cases, outright denial. “He’s just resting,” James said when approached. Aunt Martha, when asked by women at the village market, dismissed the questions entirely: “You people just like gossiping.”
But this isn’t gossip. This is about a prominent figure in our village. An elder who has spent months pushing to be re-elected into the village’s Committee of Elders, despite widespread concerns over his health and age. His disappearance is not a private matter anymore. It has become a community concern.
Word is now circulating that Anganga Che Chitekwe may have been taken to a remote village to consult a well-known witch doctor. While we cannot independently verify this claim, it’s a troubling reflection of the lengths his family may be going to in order to restore not just his health but perhaps his image too. What worries many is the secrecy surrounding it all.
Why is the truth being hidden?
If Anganga Che Chitekwe is indeed unwell, as many have suspected for months now, why has his family not come forward to clarify his condition? Why the lies? Why the silence?
Some say it’s village politics. That James and Aunt Martha fear any admission of illness could spell the end of Anganga Che Chitekwe’s ambitions to return to the Committee of Elders. Others believe they are simply not ready to let go of the power and influence they enjoy through him. Whatever the reason, the village deserves better.
In any functioning community, transparency is essential, especially when it involves someone who seeks to lead. The people have a right to know the truth about those who wish to represent them.
This silence, this shroud of secrecy, only breeds more rumours and distrust. It raises deeper questions about whether Anganga Che Chitekwe’s recent push for re-election was truly his decision or a manufactured ambition by those around him.
At this point, it’s not even about being re-elected into the Committee of Elders anymore. It’s about dignity. It’s about honesty. And it’s about the responsibility that comes with leadership—whether one is serving or simply seeking to.
We all want what’s best for Anganga Che Chitekwe. He is, after all, a father, an uncle, a neighbour, and a long-serving elder in this community. But those around him must understand that hiding the truth does more harm than good. If he is unwell, let us know. If he is away seeking help, let us wish him well. But do not leave us in the dark.
Until next week,
I remain concerned, hoping that truth and transparency will return to our village sooner rather than later.
