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FORMER Bulawayo councillor and National University of Science and Technology (Nust) lecturer Dr Paul Malaba who died on Thursday afternoon was yesterday buried at West Park Cemetery.Dr Malaba, 56, died at the United Bulawayo Hospitals after a short illness.
Hundreds of mourners including politicians, residents, students, councillors and academics attended an emotional funeral service for Dr Malaba at his home in Selbourne Park suburb ahead of burial at West Park.
Nust Vice Chancellor Professor Lindela Ndlovu, Bulawayo Mayor Martin Moyo, MDC Bulawayo provincial chairperson Oscar Ncube and senior party members also attended the service.
Speaker after speaker described Dr Malaba as a humble and intelligent man who had a passion for serving his community.
“Malaba was a tolerant and humble man who wanted political differences to be solved constructively. We have lost a champion of democracy as he had the party and the nation at heart. He was an easy-going and soft spoken man who always had time for those in need,” Ncube said.
Dr Malaba served as a councillor between 2008 to 2012 during which he served on the finance and development committee, town lands and planning committee, environmental management and engineering services committee, health housing and education, audit, municipal procurement board and the future water supplies and water action committees.
He also served as council’s representative on outside bodies such Hillside Advisory Council and the Rhodes Matopos National Park Committee.
Dr Malaba was born in Bulawayo on April, 27, 1957 and attended Induba Primary School where he did his Sub-A. At the age of 13 he joined the liberation struggle at the recommendation of the then Chief Mvuthu.
He crossed into Zambia where he was handed over to his uncle as he could not undergo military training because of his age.
In 1978 he enrolled at the University of Zambia on a scholarship facilitated by Zapu where he studied for a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics.
He later worked as a teacher at Victory Camp in Zambia where he taught Mathematics. Dr Malaba secured a scholarship to study at Indiana University in the United States and on his return home he became a lecturer at the Bulawayo Polytechnic College before joining Nust.
He is survived by a son.
Online Reporter