Golf icon Tiger Woods’s demise, largely linked to his recently unearthed extra-marital affairs, provides some fascinating reading and opportunities for local men’s self introspection.
Code named “small house” in Zimbabwe, the phenomenon has kept many a wife on extremely high alert by trying to outdo some daring husband snatchers.
“James recently walked out on me and is now staying in a city apartment with his “small house”, my former best friend Martina.
It started like a meaningless affair but it has grown as strong as to cost me my marriage and our children now miss their father so much.
I am now only left with our wedding day photograph hung on the wall,” recounts Miriro, a devastated school teacher.
Sticking to one partner
Culturally, it was prestigious for a man to marry many wives in order to produce many children but the advent of Christianity introduced the one-man-one-wife concept which is now under serious threat.
The HIV/AIDS pandemic has further reinforced the need to stick to one partner. Radio and television communications strategies which include strongly worded advertisements scripted as follows are used to change behaviour:
“Do you know what your ’small house’ does when you are not around?” Frightening scenarios are then dramatized in order to discourage philandering:
“Your small house Mary has sex with Jonah, who also has an affair with Nyarai, who in turn sleeps around with Themba and many long distance truck drivers…”
But still, this does not seem strong enough a message to scare off some wayward married men from their escapades which pose serious dangers of spreading deadly diseases to their innocent wives back home.
Wives also to blame
According to some men, their supposedly nagging and uncharismatic wives are to blame for the migration to “small houses”, which are well known for having risky, multiple partners.
“Unlike Lillian my unappreciative and abusive wife, my girlfriend Mutsa is kind, gentle, caring and extremely loving.
She is neat and cooks delicious food besides always keeping my clothes neat. She knows how to handle me with care even during all my ups and downs. I cannot afford to be away from her for much longer.” says Danny, a confessed wife batterer.
No everlasting joy
Do “small houses” ever bring any true and everlasting joy? “None at all,” explains victimized Tapiwa Sigauke, “except for misery and sometimes death due to diseases and violent clashes among rival suitors, because of men’s uncontrollable lust and women’s love of money and riches.
Wives and children end up as destitute and beggars while never-ending inheritance disputes also arise.
In fact, some “small houses” are kept a closely guarded secret, only to surface at the man’s funeral when all illegitimate children are paraded for the first time for the extended family to adopt them. How unfair?”
Many lessons emerge from Tiger Woods’ voracious sexual appetite leading to his downfall.
Loss of huge corporate earnings, dissociation of his face or name from famous product brands and deprivation of many golf lovers from watching his rare display of talent in the sport.
Similarly, the “small house” phenomenon shall remain a huge liability and major setback to family life in Zimbabwe, regardless of status.
By John Masuku
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Barika ragara riripo
Comment by julliana mbiri — December 17, 2009 @ 8:48 am
owami ngedwa ngizamthatha ngaphi? pamberi ne small house, tinogona kubata varume
Comment by Anonymous — December 17, 2009 @ 2:44 pm
KO ISU MABHOYI HAUDI SEI UYA TIKUTAMBIRA CHINAMWARI HAUZODI KUKWIRA MUVHETI FUTI
Comment by RINA — December 17, 2009 @ 4:09 pm
Mungataure mungadii, pese pane mari panowanikwa zakwatira revakadzi.
Small house issue is linked to :
1) male ego/animal instinct
2) Mari, and lots of it.
MaSmallers mazhinji anonyuka after promotion, job change, increment, bonus, or kuhwina competition.
hapan asina Smallers. Haasati abatwa chete. Tibvunzei isu tokuudzai.
Comment by Matusadonnha — December 17, 2009 @ 4:35 pm
even women do have small houses, saka zvirikumasese kana kubhodhoro. vakadzi vanoitawo futi zvinogara zvakafongongora, saka men, don’t fool yoselves muchifunga kuti vakadzi vakapusa. Kana neniwo ndinayowo
Comment by sigobogo watuvhi jamus — December 17, 2009 @ 7:43 pm
Tiger listened to the devil, and we know very well what the devil comes to do in our lives, ie, to steal,kill and destroy,John 10:10.
Comment by Magaisa — December 18, 2009 @ 3:59 am
Iwe Rina taura nenizve iwe unditambire
Comment by Muz — December 18, 2009 @ 11:39 am
RINA RINA RINAAAAAAAAAAAAA NDIBATE IWE UNENGE URI HOT CHAIYO PLEASE PLEASE NDAPFUGAMA WANI
Comment by pfee — December 18, 2009 @ 11:56 am
Tanga neni RINA.
Comment by sezvizvizvi — December 18, 2009 @ 12:25 pm
@pfee unozondipisisa nemukadzi wako wamusiya
Comment by RINA — December 18, 2009 @ 2:44 pm
Tiger Woods is using his money to buy love. Of all those women he has, including his wife, you may find that all are with him because of the money. If you take away all his money, all those women will desert him in a flash. It’s a sad sad world even for the rich hey
Comment by All for money — December 18, 2009 @ 6:11 pm
THANKS RINA YANGE IRI SHUGA CHAIYO HAVAKAPENGA IWE NDAKUTORAMBA OSE MASMALLHOUSE ANGU. NDIWE VAPANYANGA BONUS YESE NDOUYA NAYO KWAURI. VANA VAKO VAYE NDOVAENDESA BOARDING WESE NEXT YEAR. VAGARA MUSHUGA MANJE SIYANA NANA ZVIZVIZVI AWO HAVANA DHOLAZZZ.
RINA NDEVANGA BOYZ PANOFIWA MUKAMUBATA.
Comment by pfee — December 20, 2009 @ 12:08 pm
@pffee ndakuda iwe ndokupa rese udye zvako asi ndona hombe chaiyo zvakutambiswa bodo
Comment by RINA — December 21, 2009 @ 9:30 am
Ndakahwa kuti Tiger Woods ave kumbomira kurova gorofu. Ko adiikumbomira kurova mhechenia kana apfidza kuhura zvemashuwa shuwa.
Kushaya kana musikana mutema waakaisa pa line up, varungu chete chete. Ande anoda nyorovhita wena.
Comment by Beche Harinaasingaridi — December 23, 2009 @ 10:20 am
NDOKUBATA SEIKO PAKISIMUSI TONDOIDYIRA KWEDU KWANAMUTAPE UKO NYANGA. HAUDI HERE NDIBATI PAZIMFACE IZVOZVI
Comment by pfee — December 23, 2009 @ 2:36 pm
@RINA NENI NDIRI MU NYANJA SEWE TINGASANGANE CHINAMWARI VS CHINAMWARI AMENO ACHATANGA KURIDZA MERE!!
Comment by ZULUMAN — December 23, 2009 @ 3:35 pm
@ZULUMANI UYA KANI UISE IWE
Comment by RINA — December 24, 2009 @ 7:07 am
We can talk and talk, but the small house remains for ever. I am a Christian. Reading thru the Bible I was shocked to learn of what King David did with Bathsheba kusvikira vazvara Solomon. Kana iye Abraham, the Father of all nations had CONCUBINES. So men should come open. Marry these so called small houses than kuhwanda ne ring. Its not good. At least two women its fine.
Comment by Unknown — December 25, 2009 @ 1:16 pm
pasi nechihure…..if people only new the pain and hurt the cheated spouse goes thru
Comment by mina — December 28, 2009 @ 6:02 pm
Tiger Woods deserves what he got himself into.You reap what you sow.Hapana nyaya apa.
Comment by Musoja Mutema — December 29, 2009 @ 2:56 am
Jesu ari kuuya, kwete zvekuseka. Nothing done in darkness shall not be known. God never meant for anyone man or woman, to have more than one lover. It has always brought problems and suffering to families and children.
Kuita small house hakusi kungwara.
We all know the right and best thing, let’s not be fooled. I always say, take your best shot. Get married when you are ready, prepared and after receiving constructive counsselling.
And keep your marriage. You have one heart, meant for one person. The adage, ‘two is a crowd’ means exactly what it means. No one can serve two masters, either he will love the one and reject the other.
Ask all first wives whose husbands took second lovers, or small houses.
And for those of you who are srious, you can start changing a generation by making the right choices today. Even if the trend of small houses runs in your family, you can still CHOOSE to be different. Even of your friends are all doing it, you are an INDIVIDUAL.
Small houses are evil, unGodly and have their repercussions.
Stay blessed folks!
Comment by silas — December 30, 2009 @ 10:46 am
Ma small house ari toxic.
Comment by Dhafu — January 2, 2010 @ 3:04 pm
siyanai namwari mutaure nyaya apa mwari mwari kuita sei we all know that 59%^ yevarume vemo bible vaiva ma poligamist imi ndimi makuzoziva zvinonda mwari kupfuura vari mu bible tibvirei apa
Comment by jobbars — January 3, 2010 @ 7:29 pm
Chihure hachibhadhare varume, inzwayi nesu takabvako kumhunga hakuna ipwa!
Comment by Elvis — January 4, 2010 @ 6:12 am
The good thing is that People will reap whatever they have been sowing!
One cant plant figs & expect to reap oranges. Mumwe ne mumwe nga sarudze zwa ari kuda kuita!
Comment by Nonoza — January 7, 2010 @ 8:56 am
So guys you think kuti kudya nemuderere every day zvinoita nhai??? Nhema dzenyu. Variety is the spice of life you see. Problem vanhu you run away from reality. Before varungu vauya mu Zim and Africa, vana sekuru vaive nevakadzi vangani, why barika racho raive risina problem, why kwaisava ne Aids yomodai kutaura nezvayo day in and day out. Today mava kuzviti ma Xians, mava kusvora tsika dzenyu but at the same time doing during the night what you are supposed to do by day. Imhuka ipi kunze kwe shiri ine mukadzi mumwe?????
Comment by CHIPO CHASHE — January 14, 2010 @ 12:58 pm
Kana uri mukadzi akamboitirwa smallers u wld understand. Hure rinobata murume zvakanaka kana richida mari chete.
Comment by Mheche — January 20, 2010 @ 7:48 am
Hure rinobata murume zvakanaka,becoz iwe murume unenge uchiriudza nhamo dzekumba kwako ,nokunetsa kwemukadzi wako saka rinenge rakuziva weakness yako.Varume makapusa sitereki.
Comment by ANONYMOUS — January 21, 2010 @ 6:27 pm
if you cant be with your wife dirvorce and then find something else not dipping you dick in so many whores thats why the chances of hiv spreading are increasing its either you shape up in a relationship or you shape out
Comment by mandi — January 27, 2010 @ 3:30 pm
idiot number 18 this one is for you even if GOD did it it does not mean its right what im trying to say is you mustnt do something wrong because a great person to you did coz whats bad is bad nomatter who does it and you dont know their reasons so dont just copy everything do the right and wise thing dude
Comment by mandi — January 27, 2010 @ 3:33 pm
small house MAKEKE
Comment by ini waco — January 30, 2010 @ 2:37 pm
nhai Chipo how can you talk of eating nederere everyday? let me shock you men to reality that you did’nt know and also give advise to vakadzi vanoswera vachichema murume ayenda ku SMALL HOUSE! firstly you men forget kuti ane basa hombe pabonde ndimi,what makes you think you have wat it takes kundifadza? how many times to those of you hv you heard your wives or small housers mourn and grone with pleasure? imi ndimi munenge muchingorira nekushanyarika with pleasure at the end of the day you make nothing happen for these women, ( keep note of it from today), madzimai we were created in such a way that we look for security in our spouses, either financially or emotionally, vamwe vongoda kunzi vanzi vane varume,so PLEASE take a look at what it is you offer before you brag about this rather embarrassing saga yamunoda kuzvipembedza nayo, hanzi kudya nederere everyday? you forget kuti anenge achidya mukadzi because ndiye ane buri, plus get over yourselves coz whoever the hell told you kuti kudya nyama 1 kunonakidza? beef, beef, beef, ndoswera ndarohwa moyo ko iko kurwara zvako!
Comment by mirirai — February 1, 2010 @ 8:47 am
dont know why pple want to misinterpret the bible for their own benefit. just becoz david was lusting over other women does not mean G od approved, he did that coz he was only human just like us. those who r encouraging these so called small houses, i say shame to you especially with HIV and other diseases around. why is it when you r sick you go back to your wives, why dont those girlfriends look after you if they r so caring.
Comment by angela — February 15, 2010 @ 2:05 am