Adios, quick-witted and humble hero

 

Ray Bande
Senior Reporter

True humility is self-respect that keeps us from thinking too highly or too meanly of ourselves.

In fact, it is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.

It is thinking more of others.

Those are the lessons drawn from the late national hero, Ambassador Johannes Tomana during the days of his life.

Early last week, a dark cloud hung over Mutasa District in Manicaland after the province was robbed of one of the best legal brains to ever emerge in the country, Ambassador Tomana.

The country’s Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ambassador Tomana, was conferred national hero status.

He died after a short illness in Honde Valley.

However, the story of the late Ambassador’s phenomenal rise, like a phoenix from the ashes, to serve as the country’s Deputy Attorney-General starting in 2006, before being promoted to the position of Attorney-General in 2008, traces its very humble beginnings to St Mathias Tsonzo High School in Mutasa.

Back then, he used to help his mother mould bricks for the school as a way of funding his education.

Speaker after speaker at a memorial service held at Tsonzo High School last week on Saturday described the late national hero as a humble and selfless man.

Ambassador Tomana was commended for his humility which saw him providing legal services for free to the underprivileged.

Speaking during the memorial service, Anglican Church Manicaland Diocese Bishop Eric Ruwona, a personal friend to the late national hero, described Ambassador Tomana as a humble man who offered his services to the underprivileged.

“I am here, not only as a church bishop, but also as a friend to the late Tomana and his family. I presided over his wedding with his wife, Mrs Daphine Tomana. We went on to have a strong relationship and that is why he gave a helping hand on my wedding.

“The parish I was leading ended appearing like a legal clinic because Advocate Tomana would assist a lot of people, especially the underprivileged who would have lost their properties to greedy relatives. He would help them for free. Indeed, we have lost a good man,” said Bishop Ruwona.

The Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Honourable Nokuthula Matsikenyere commended the late Ambassador Tomana for his patriotism.

“He loved his country and stood firm for what he believed was right for his country. Learned as he was, he chose not to follow the path of some academics of today who see nothing good in defending the legacy of the liberation struggle.

“Ambassador Tomana was actively involved in contesting the illegal sanctions imposed on the country by Western detractors. He did all this because of his love for his country,” said Minister Matsikenyere.

Ambassador Tomana, a devote Christian who grew up in Anglican Church after attaining his education at the two schools run by the church — St Mathias Tsonzo High and St Augustine’s High — later joined the Johane Marange Apostolic Church.

A representative of the Johane Marange Apostolic Church, Mr Jonah Nyabadza said the departed diplomat and legal practitioner made a choice at a later stage of his life to join the apostolic sect.

 

“While some of us were born into this church and were told from an early age to attend this church, we have respect for people like Ambassador Tomana who made their own choice to come and join us.

“We will miss this man because of his humility. He was a humble man. A man of a few words,” said Mr Nyabadza.

Brother to the late national hero, Mr Reuben Tomana aptly summed the attachment that the late Ambassador Tomana had to the St Mathias Tsonzo community.

“We all know the passion he had for this area and this school in particular. This is why we felt that for his soul to rest in peace, we should bring his body down here and give the community he loved so much a chance to bid farewell to him for the last time,” he said.

St Mathias Tsonzo High School matron, Mrs Mary Mabvuta, who knew the late Ambassador Tomana from their high school days told The Manica Post that the iconic legal practitioner was super intelligent in class, even though he had a tough upbringing.

“Everyone around knows that he (Ambassador Tomana) had a tough upbringing. He actually had to help his mother mould bricks for the school in order for him to attend classes.

‘‘He was never shy about that. In fact, he outsmarted fellow learners in class because he was super intelligent.

 

“Even when he was enrolled at St Augustine’s High School, popularly known as kwaTsambe, he would not come back for holidays as he had to perform some menial jobs at the school to fund his education,” she said.

 

Perhaps, this explains his passionate attachment to St Mathias Tsonzo High School.

A long serving teacher at St Mathias Tsonzo High School, Mrs Chipo Tsvarai said: “He is the one who donated the first computer at the school.

 

Ambassador Tomana went on to install the schools’ girls hostels fence.

“He also made a number of cash donations to the school each time he came to officiate as guest of honour at our prize giving events.

‘‘It is sad that he passed on after he had already started a big project to build an educational complex and the plans had already been drawn.”

Ambassador Tomana’s high school friend, who remained in touch with the departed national hero in old age, Mr Amos Simbarashe Mashingaidze spoke of a multi-talented personality who was not only intelligent in class, but also a gifted sportsman.

“We became friends with the late Ambassador Tomana in 1978 when he came here with his family. He joined us in Grade Four. We went through primary school together.

“When independence came, he became the pioneer head boy (school captain) at St Mathias Tsonzo High School. He was a brilliant student in class and a talented footballer,” said Mr Mashingaidze.

He said the late Ambassador’s sense of patriotism was enhanced through political education that his generation received from freedom fighters.

“I remember very well that apart from the lessons at school, we also got political education from freedom fighters in 1978 when the war of liberation was at its peak. I believe this was the root of his political consciousness and his patriotism,” said Mr Mashingaidze.

He said together with the late national hero, they also participated in the liberation struggle through reconnaissance.

“We were sent to spy on enemies and would run errands for the freedom fighters. We would also help in carrying supplies to freedom fighters at the war front. It was a risky but we did that anyway.”
Mr Mashingaidze thanked President Mnangagwa for bestowing a national hero status on Ambassador Tomana.

“He is a true national hero. We sincerely thank Government for honouring Ambassador Tomana,” he said.

Advocate Tomana played a critical role in shaping the country’s legal ethos and the prosecutorial system.

In 2020, Ambassador Tomana was deployed to the DRC as the country’s Ambassador, a position he held at the time of his death.

Ambassador Tomana was laid to rest at the National Heroes Acre in Harare on Monday.