marble nkomo
Raymond Jaravazam, [email protected]
WITH the national flag draped around his coffin and moments from being lowered into its final resting place, hundreds of mourners gathered around the graveside to bid farewell to a man who dedicated his existence to saving lives and shaping the city’s medical landscape.
Dr Barbatus Msimanga, a veteran medical practitioner who operated a popular private practice in Bulawayo for decades, together with his wife, Goodness, was laid to rest at Lady Stanley Cemetery yesterday. It was a solemn occasion as mourners cast their final goodbyes to Dr Msimanga, yet others chose to celebrate and cherish the life of a general practitioner whose consultation rooms brought a sense of calmness and reassurance for many of his patients.
Dr Msimanga died at 83 in Bulawayo last Friday after a long battle with prostate cancer.
He was conferred with the Liberation Hero status by President Mnangagwa in recognition and honour of his contribution to the development of the Bulawayo medical fraternity that he served with aplomb and dedication for many years.
“His Excellency the President and First Secretary of Zanu-PF Cde ED Mnangagwa, has conferred a Liberation Hero status to the late Dr Barbatus Msimanga,” announced Zanu-PF Secretary General Advocate Jacob Mudenda, in a message read on his behalf by Bulawayo Province secretary for information and publicity, Cde Archie Chiponda.The announcement came as the national flag draped on Dr Msimanga’s coffin was neatly folded and presented to his family as a symbol of the status bestowed on their late relative by the Government.
Dr Daud Athanasius Dube, a close friend and former classmate of the late Dr Msimanga at Empandeni Mission in the early 1960s, gave a moving eulogy of their time together at school.
“We gather to lay to rest a deeply private yet profoundly impactful man — Barbatus Panenga Msimanga — otherwise known as BP to those who walked closest with him.
“At Empandeni between 1963 and 1965, we donned robes and graduated Form Four together, alongside Uncle Patrick Nyathi and Bishop Mafurutu. We chose books over guns, yet carried the same invincibility of the Freedom Fighters who fought for the liberation of our country,” said Dr Dube.
The two shared a desk again at Fletcher High School for their Advanced Level studies.
“After A Level, I flew to London on a Boeing 747 in 1972, where I qualified as a surgeon and arranged a scholarship for BP to train as a doctor in Europe,” said Dr Dube.
“At first, he hesitated, saying he was now married and had a child, but I insisted that he come overseas to study. The rest is history as he packed his bags with his young family and flew to Europe and returned home a qualified medical doctor.”
Dr Dube described how, in their early days as childhood friends, they played together in Mzilikazi suburb in Bulawayo.
“From Kezi and Sontala in Matabeleland South, we boarded DAF buses as boys and grew up as neighbours in Mzilikazi.
“BP’s roots ran deep in traditional healing. His father was the healer of Mzilikazi,” he said.
“BP lived sincerely and privately. So privately that in October 2025, he carried prostate cancer without telling me, his oldest friend and a surgeon.
“Mrs Msimanga and family ensured he had the very latest tests and treatment on the planet, but the tumour had spread.”
Dr Msimanga is survived by his wife, Goodness, three children and several grandchildren
Online Reporter