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Mashudu Netsianda Senior Reporter
HUMBLE, determined and selfless. This aptly describes the personality of the late Beitbridge town secretary and renowned academic and businessman, Dr Sipho Singo, who died on January 18, 2014.The former freedom fighter, Dr Singo, succumbed to heart failure at the age of 56 at Polokwane Provincial Hospital in South Africa. He was buried at his farm in Mazunga on Saturday last week.
The first time I got to know Dr Singo was in 1987 and by then he was a headmaster at Vhembe High School in Beitbridge. I was a Grade Two pupil at Dulibadzimu Primary School at the time and his school shared a boundary fence with ours.
Because of an acute shortage of classrooms, we attended lessons under a tree and every morning Dr Singo would pass through our school clutching his briefcase. His love for children saw him develop a strong bond with us such that whenever he passed through our school yard, we would shout, “headmaster, headmaster,” much to his delight.
Dr Singo would in turn greet us with a catchy smile, a reflection of his true character.
Unpredictably, 22 years later, I met Dr Singo and he had just been appointed Beitbridge town secretary. That bond that I had developed with him during my childhood was subsequently regenerated through our day-to-day professional interaction.
A man with a great sense of humour and exceptional humility, Dr Singo’s vision was to see Beitbridge transform into a modern city. I vividly recall when I first interviewed him soon after his appointment. From the onset, Dr Singo made it clear that his priority as town secretary was to foster development and change the face of Beitbridge Town. True to his word, he never deflected from his dream till his last breath.
Through Dr Singo’s efforts, the Beitbridge redevelopment programme resumed and several dusty roads in Dulibadzimu were tarred, traffic lights were installed and more trees were planted to give the border town a new look. Dulibadzimu Stadium and bus terminus were refurbished and more residential stands were released to home seekers.
Dr Singo spearheaded the World Bank funded $2,65 million Beitbridge Emergency Water and Sanitation programme, which resulted in improved water supplies to the town and an end to constant sewer bursts.
He was a man of action who was more than determined to achieve his goals. Instead of delegating duties to his immediate subordinates, Dr Singo would prefer to visit the sites of projects despite the scorching sun to monitor the work on the ground.
Beitbridge East MP and Home Affairs Minister Cde Kembo Mohadi described Dr Singo as a great leader and strategist.
“We have lost one of the greatest minds and implementers in the country, who had a strong passion for development and was committed to ensuring the speedy transformation of Beitbridge Town into a modern economic zone and city,” he said.
Despite his social standing, Dr Singo was a rare character who was willing to share and impart knowledge to the common man on the street. Throughout his life Dr Singo maintained a simple demeanour that won him the trust and hearts of many.
I had an opportunity to interact with Dr Singo when I was Chronicle’s Beitbridge Reporter and there were moments when we would be at odds over a story, which he perceived to be negative in his context. Dr Singo would however quickly phone me inviting me to his office.
“You must highlight positive development in Beitbridge. We are a young and growing council and we need all the support from you, journalists, not negative reports,” he would say.
Then minutes later, the issue is over, he would crack jokes and we would both laugh and forget our differences.
Indeed, Dr Singo left a great legacy in Beitbridge and the country at large.
May His Soul Rest In Eternal Peace.
Online Reporter