In a town of cameras, two men chose dignity
By Bigboy Madzivanzira
Harare — Yesterday evening at the busy corner of Julius Nyerere Way and Robert Mugabe Road, it was a shocking sight. A young man, perhaps in his early twenties, was walking completely naked through the evening crowd.
As has become normal in our city, many bystanders immediately pulled out their mobile phones. They started recording. Some laughed. Others stared in shock.
Two men did not take out their phones.
Godknows Kaseke (pictured) was loading passengers to Maruva when he saw the young man. He left his work and rushed to where Owen Nyauzira was selling shorts on the pavement. He negotiated to buy a pair at half the price. Not for himself, but to dress a stranger.
Once dressed, the young man quietly proceeded with his movements in town — a clear sign that he was struggling with mental health.
A Crisis We Can No Longer Ignore
Mental health issues are becoming common among our youths. Unemployment, drug and substance abuse, economic stress, and broken family support systems are pushing many young people to the edge.
Yet our public health system has not kept up. There is a serious gap in mental health infrastructure, especially at community level. When a family faces a mental health emergency, they often find no beds, no drugs, and no counsellor to turn to.
That is why the crisis has moved from the hospital to the street. Yesterday we saw it naked at a busy intersection.
Choosing Dignity Over Content
What Godknows and Owen did matters. In a town where many rush to take pictures instead of dressing him, they chose humanity over content.
They reminded us that before a diagnosis, before medication, there is a human being who still deserves dignity, clothes, and protection from humiliation.
We need more than two good men. We need functional community mental health services, youth-friendly clinics, and education that mental illness is not madness or kuroyiwa, but a health condition that needs care and support.
Until then, we will keep seeing our children walking naked in town.
If you see someone in distress, be like Godknows and Owen. Put the phone down. Restore dignity first.
About the Author
Bigboy Madzivanzira is a Medical Rehabilitation Practitioner, Health Promotion Practitioner and Family Therapist based in Harare. He is passionate about public health, mental health and disability inclusion, and writes on human interest and social justice issues. For feedback: 0773 367 913 / healthpromotionclinic@gmail.com