Chinhoyi Pensioner Scoops $50,000 Lotto Prize
Nobert Elvis Kufakunesu says he sacrificed a $1 meant for his cigarettes to play the winning lotto ticket
CHINHOYI — Chinhoyi pensioner Nobert Elvis Kufakunesu is the latest Zimbabwe Lotto jackpot winner after scooping the first prize of $50 000. The 62 year-old Kufakunesu is the 10 winner of Africa Lotto since its inception in 2010. He says he is still trying to come to terms with his new status. Kufakunesu can’t believe that he won the first prize and he is a bit nervous about winning the lotto. Kufakunesu who was accompanied by his wife, Edith, at the presentation ceremony at OK Stores in Chinhoyi, says God has finally answered his prayers. The pensioner married Edith 40 years ago. Kufakunesu reveals that he sacrificed a $1 meant for his cigarettes to play the winning lotto ticket. The Chinhoyi resident, a father of five children and whose last born is 30 years old, says his immediate task is to finish building his house in Chikonohono suburb which is at roof level. “Everbody has ambitions in life. I have a house that I have been renovating and at one stage I almost abandoned it. This is the time for me to finish the renovations,” he says. Kufakunesu, who hails from Zvimba communal lands, says he started playing lotto about 5 years ago. He encourages regular lotto players to be persistent because one has to play to win. “You have got to be in it to win it,” he says. His excited wife hopes that her husband will buy a car soon after completing house renovations which were stalled by lack of money. Edith says she wants to use the car for personal purposes. “I want him to buy a car so that I will occupy the front seat and do whatever I want” Kufakunesu once worked as a cashier at TM Departmental Stores before he moved to First Mutual where he retired a few years ago. He says the television drama character, Gringo, drove him to the lotto stalls. Lotto general Manager, Eva Sande, presented the winners’ cheque to the excited Kufakunesu and his wife, amid pomp and fanfare. Indications are that some lotto winners end up notably worse after getting super rich. At least 19 lottery winners in U.S, who won millions of dollars each, lost it all in no time and are now living from hand to mouth. In some cases, families have fractured due to the adoption of a new life style. For example, one of the lotto winners used the money to buy a big house, fancy cars, designer clothes and dished out cash to family members and friends. The winner is now on food handouts living in a rented house.