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| Robert Mugabe Junior |
A fast-break drill finished with a fancy lay-up to make it a basket is what makes Robert Mugabe jnr happy - a sharp contrast from the world of politics, where his father has managed to outwit his opponents throughout Zimbabwe's 32-year-old history.The young Mugabe was in action last weekend when he was part of a Zimbabwe select team that played against American And 1 streetball superstars.
"Stizz" - the name Mugabe jnr goes by when he is on the basketball court - is by all accounts a star on the court. After the game there was a general consensus among the watching public that Robert jnr has what it takes to play in the US college basketball league and perhaps get drafted into the National Basketball Association (NBA) league.
Zimbabwe All-Star coach Kelvin Ben told reporters that Robert jnr was a rare talent. "Robert junior is a top-class talent. Not many players of his age can do the amazing things he does." However, that can never happen as long as Zimbabwe is under targeted sanctions from the West. Just like his father, young Robert is also under sanctions and that could as well go for his basketball talent, which does not get total blessing in the Mugabe household.
The president, during an interview with the state media on his 88th birthday celebrations, revealed that his son was hooked on basketball and he (Mugabe) felt it was the reason his son failed his advanced level studies. "He (Robert jnr) did not do well in his A-Level exams," Mugabe said in The Sunday Mail.
"We have now had to get him private teachers. He enjoys this basketball thing. He likes it, he goes to the gym after that, but we were given the impression he was working hard. 'How are you doing?' we would ask him, and 'yes, the papers were not hard,' he would say," Mugabe added.
"We expected he would get through, but no, he became an undertaker! 'U's! (worst rating for an examination) That is what they call them undertakers. The whole group were all undertakers; about six of them (friends)," Mugabe said.
Robert jnr is just one of the children from well-off families who are given an "A-list" education in some of the country's prestigious private schools. Until recently, the well-resourced top schools have been the leaders in sporting and academic excellence.
Things started changing in 2010 when mission and rural schools led the pack in best advanced level examination results. The situation did not change for the better for the group A schools in 2011. Statistics from the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council indicate that more schools from less privileged communities are producing improved results.
The Deputy Minister of Education Sports and Culture, Lazarous Dokora, told journalists that the public should be made aware that some popular schools failed to impress. "There are several popular schools, such as Kutama and Goromonzi, where there is always a scramble for Form 1 places. These well-liked schools do not feature among the top 10 schools and this should send a clear message to the parents and headmasters," he said.
Robert jnr attended the prestigious Catholic-run Kutama College, which is at the heart of Mugabe's home area, Zvimba. The president is the most prominent product to come out of the institution in the 1940s. Just like any father who wants to leave a legacy behind, he sent his child to the exclusive school.
But school fees at these private institutions are not what all Zimbabweans want to fork out for, Mugabe included. In 2009 he refused to pay fees for his youngest son, Chatunga, at the private Hartman Primary School. His argument was that the fees were not pegged in tandem with the Consumer Price Index. SUNDAY TIMES
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