Chronicle Editor
Bongani Ndlovu, Showbiz Reporter
Renowned cultural scholar and writer, Pathisa Nyathi is set to be presented with a lifetime achievement award by the British Zimbabwe Society (BZS) for his contribution to Zimbabwe’s arts and culture.
This honour could not have come at a better time as Nyathi was at the beginning of the month, commended by President Mnangagwa for his contributions towards the preservation of the country’s history and heritage.
A renowned author and scholar on heritage, Nyathi will be honoured on Saturday via a Zoom meeting during the BZS 2021 Research Day.
A number of speakers will tackle different topics on the day and proceedings start at 9AM.
In a letter to Nyathi, BZS president, Dr Knox Chitiyo said they wanted to recognise Nyathi’s consistent and long-standing excellence.
“The aim of the Lifetime Achievement Award (LAA) is to recognise consistent and long-standing excellence in a specific field. This year, the LAA is based on arts and culture. On behalf of the BZS, I am delighted to inform you that we would like to present the inaugural Britain Zimbabwe Society 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award to you.
“We recognise your outstanding contribution to Zimbabwean arts, culture, scholarship, education and community work during a career lifetime,” wrote Chitiyo.
Nyathi, who was honoured at this year’s National Arts Merit Awards Legends @40, said he was pleasantly surprised by the BZS honour.
“It came like a bolt from the blue, least expected and coming soon after my choice as one of the 40 legends in the arts, culture and heritage in Zimbabwe. That award (Legends @40) was given in recognition of my works in the culture sector over the years.
“Little did I realise that there were people in BZS who were keenly following my work in the same sector. It’s a Lifetime Achievement Award (LAA) that’s being awarded for the first time, thus, being the inaugural recipient of the award means a lot to me. That I’m being bestowed with a rare and cherished accolade is both unique and exceptional,” said Nyathi.
The BZS was formed in 1981 in response to Zimbabwe’s independence the year before, and in the belief that a new relationship was needed between the peoples of the two countries. It is a friendship group that encourages networking between Zimbabwe and the UK and elsewhere. It is not a political forum and it supports peer-viewed research and knowledge exchange.
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