Tribute to a fallen friend – Philemon Sajeni, Finance Officer, Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, Born 1977-Died 2009

By Tabani Moyo

At exactly 1115hours on the 14th of July 2009, his heart, that of a comrade and colleague ceased beating. He had been in agony as the body and spirit departed from each other. “Philemon Sajeni (main pic) is no more!” was the voice of Kumbirai Mafunda, MISA-Zimbabwe Harare Advocacy Chairperson relaying the message of the passing on of my beloved friend.

My pulse ran riot as I contained my tears from pouring. I felt a thick lump developing from my heart as if I was about to be struck by a heart attack. I saw images flying past my sight of a young man, who had given so much, to so many.

It never occurred to me that human life could be that fragile. Here is a man I was sharing lighter moments with on Sunday 12 July at his home in Highfields, a man I spoke to on Monday and by Tuesday, he is dead.

Questions started racing in my mind, what is going to happen to his two young children Anesu and Anotida aged 6 and 2 years respectively? How is the widow going to cope with the sudden and saddening news of a husband who left for hospital in the morning with the expectations that he will come back home in a better state only to be informed that he had been transferred to the mortuary? What is in the mind of his father who lost his beloved wife when Philemon was a toddler when he receives the message that the family’s bread winner is no more? Why is it that I personally didn’t notice that my friend was hinting, when he was telling me that life is short and that I must get married?

Twenty minutes later I broke into tears. A towering brother had departed from mother earth – if heavens are there, they should pave a consoling space for his soul to rest in eternal peace.

I first met ‘Saji’, the name he was referred to by his work mates and friends in 2005 when I joined Crisis Coalition as an Information Intern. He struck me as a very enterprising person and who cherished it when his colleagues prosper. The friendship since then grew during the three year stint I had with the Coalition and strengthened longer after I left the organization.

I always told him he had chosen the wrong field – accounting due to his vast network. He would always laugh dismissively stating that he would be fired for exaggerating issues. His networks would be every journalist’s envy. At numerous points he would advise colleagues in office to vacate immediately as the police would do their routine raids and arrests at the Coalition.

He would frequently tip me off on the cases and human rights activists appearing before courts whenever the police thought they had tortured them enough to let them go. He broke the news to me that Jestina Mukoko who had been detained for almost three months was going to be appearing in court, each time I was always shocked by this young man’s networks and as usual, it gave me the arsenal to break news to my colleagues in the media and the civics.

When the Coalition relocated its offices from Herbert Chitepo to where it is housed today, police raided the offices on the same day and I can hear still hear his voice telling me to jump over the durawall. Of course I used the main gate because it was open while the comrade decided to hide under the office table, something we would discuss in good humour later on.

He enjoyed his Oliver Mutukudzi music on long distance journeys, the last one we travelled together was on our way to the Bulawayo Agenda Ideas Festival in Bulawayo. As usual he was always bubbling with new ideas on how best to stamp a mark of recognition when he is long gone; sadly as fate would have it, the man was not going to live long after our trip to the City of Kings.

Now that you are gone my friend, I am left with black and white photography on the good times we shared and I also remember the hard times that we shared.

On the 17th of July 2009, I saw his face for the last time in form and content. It seemed as if someone was going to wake him up and proceed with the adventures we always found ourselves entangled in.

His face had not changed! He was dressed in unusual attire. His taste for clothing had always been smart casuals rather than the formal wear. When I saw him stuck in that suit, then I knew the gods had made a decree on the fate of a man who had given everyone so much and received so little in return.

Here is a man, who went through thick and thin to assist people on the administrative issues which are always a herculean task for the majority of us, but in return, he was labeled, accused and ridiculed in some words which are not printable.

A convoy of cars, people who loved and who may also have been indifferent joined hands all the way to Mbudzi cemetery where his body was laid to rest. He had bought 10 grave sites in 2007; I remember accompanying him that fateful day when he was telling me that when the day finally arises, he wanted to be laid to rest next to his family members. That was the extent of his clarity of thought, he saw beyond life.

His life was always in a hurry; his achievements clearly show that the person had an urgent meeting with destiny. He managed to build up a wide network of friends which will take some of us a life time. He never grudged anyone forever, but always found a way of speaking his mind and forgives as he went along.

His death came a month after doctors in South Africa had warned of the dangers which his heart was posing to his survival. The South African doctor refused to operate him arguing that the opening in his heart had grown too big to be operated and that his blood pressure was failing. He however remained strong and bolder than ever before, he didn’t show any symptoms that he was slowly losing his grip on earth. He never explained to anyone except his wife. His last words to his wife was that she must persevere and make sure that the children will be send to school against all odds.

But today my friend; you have left a permanent scar in my life. Your fragile life was synonymous to a burning candle in the wind, like dew at dawn – death was rapturous. He suffered cardiac arrest and that was the last we heard of his voice and never again shall it come from the person who used to give me strong and durable counsel.

May the love of the almighty escort you all the way through the gates of peace and eternal life!