White Chitungwiza ‘hwindi’ gets new job

A white Shona speaking tout (hwindi) based in Chitungwiza who made headlines in October this year for breaking the mould and taking on a job not normally associated with white people, now has a new job. 

We previously reported how Kevin Oliver (35) said he was down and out and wished he was dead. He claimed his parents drank themselves to death, hence his upbringing was tough.

Oliver said because he was orphaned at a young age, he was raised by Social Services.

Oliver used to drive a Kombi but when it broke down he found himself with no money and no home and sleeping rough in a Kombi at Makoni Shopping Centre. His health was failing and he was always hungry.

“I am a tout here and people gather around me all the time. But the people I work for are mean. At times I get $2 the whole day while my peers get between $30 and $50 a day,” he said at the time.

Well all this is behind him after a family in Waterfalls, Harare offered him a new job as a gardener. Mrs Nelia Harapela said she was touched by Oliver’s plight and her family sat down and talked about how best to help the struggling hwindi.

“We agreed that we will give him a place to stay, food and pay him as our gardener,” she said.

Oliver meanwhile has spoken about how the publicity initially affected him with fellow touts mocking him.

“For two weeks after the stories appeared some hwindis were taunting me saying what did I get out that publicity you are still suffering. I thank God for the help I am getting. I think in the end I will end up a Christian.”