Online Reporter
Raymond Jaravaza, [email protected]
CHIEF Dakamela (born Mbusi Bekithemba Dakamela) is not your typical traditional leader. At just 30 years old, he has already carved a unique path — one that blends ancestral duty with academic ambition.
Last month, he stood proudly among 1 558 graduates at Lupane State University (LSU), receiving his Bachelor of Social Sciences degree from none other than President Mnangagwa during the university’s 16th graduation ceremony.]
It was a moment that symbolised more than personal achievement. It was a clarion call to the youth of Matabeleland: formal education is not just a tool — it is the key to transformation.
“Leaders are supposed to lead and as a young traditional leader who values education I took it up upon myself to lead from the front and enrol at Lupane State University to study social sciences.
“Now that I have graduated I can encourage young men and women in my area in Dakamela and Matabeleland region as a whole that education has the power to unlock opportunities and change their lives,” he said in an interview.
His words resonate with urgency and hope. Chief Dakamela is determined to shift the tide — not through rhetoric, but through example. His degree provides him with a crucial knowledge base to address socio-economic challenges within his community.
“We need educated young people to develop Matabeleland if our hopes and aspirations for a better and greater region are to be realised, and it all starts when our youths understand the power of education.
“I’m happy that I am one of the people that inspire our youths to reach for their dreams by enrolling at our top universities in the region and attaining degrees in various fields so that they can use their knowledge and expertise to develop Matabeleland.
“Nothing is impossible when youths set their eyes on a goal. Patience, persistence and hard work got me to where I’m today on the academic front,” he said.
The Chief’s journey to this milestone was paved with resilience. Orphaned at a young age — his father passed away when he was in Grade 2, and his mother in 2015 — Chief Dakamela’s life has been shaped by a deep understanding of human struggle.
“I lost my father at a very tender age when I was in Grade 2. I then lost my mother in 2015 and these things made me believe that in as much as we say we love learning from people who mentor us, sometimes we learn more from such occurrences.
“The world is the best teacher. For me, growing up with others, growing up normally helped me a lot. I did my primary school in Cowdray Park and my secondary or high school in South Africa in Johannesburg and was raised by my mother,” he said.
This grounding in everyday life, far from the confines of royal privilege, has shaped his leadership philosophy.
“When you grow up normally, you then understand the needs of the people. You understand what makes people tick and you understand people’s patterns and behaviour. You then understand a human being.
So, the thinking that a chief must be raised and taught a certain way has been a mistake because we are not in touch with people and how they have behaved and why they behave the way they do. So, growing up with people and living with them helps you understand a lot of things,” he said.
At just 24, he assumed the chieftaincy in Nkayi, a district in the Matabeleland North Province, one of the youngest to do so in the region. Now, six years later, he is not only leading his people but also inspiring a generation to believe in the power of education, empathy, and grassroots development.
