Online Reporter
Arron Nyamayaro
TEARS flowed, grief was everywhere and there were scores of broken hearts as Hellenic Academy said goodbye to one of their own in Harare yesterday.
Daniel Mukudzei Moyana, a Form One pupil, was found dead in a swimming pool at the school on Thursday last week.
He had attended a swimming lessons session just hours earlier. His father William said he has lost a child who, at such a young age, excelled in Spanish, Afrikaans, Greek, French, English and Shona.
“Throughout his school journey, Daniel was an exceptionally gifted student who won countless awards and excelled at everything he did.
“He possessed a sharp, inquisitive mind with a deep love for science, geopolitics, history, and languages.
“His linguistic talents were truly remarkable: he excelled in Spanish, Afrikaans, Greek, French, English and Shona.
“Coupled with his brilliant intellect was a wonderful sense of humour and a quick, subtle wit that brightened up every conversation and brought immense joy to those around him,” said William.
He added:
“Daniel came into our lives on the morning of March 30, 2013, in Gweru.
“From the very beginning, he brought a quiet grace into our home.
“Though his early infancy brought a few months of colic and plenty of sleepless nights for us, Daniel showed his strength early, overcoming it and settling into a childhood marked by wonder, gentle curiosity, and joy.”
Then, the occasion hit him.
“We are gathered here to celebrate the beautiful, bright and deeply faithful life of our beloved Daniel Mukudzei Moyana, a cherished child of God, a tenderly loved son of William and Mary, a faithful brother to Tomutenda.
“A grandson of Wilson and Vonai Moyana, and Ray and Jenita Silubonde, and a dear cousin, nephew to aunts and uncles, and friend to countless people in this room and across the world.
“From those earliest days, his profound love for books and knowledge was unmistakable.
“Daniel’s formal education began at Midlands Christian School’s Treasure Trove, sharing a beautiful full circle moment with his Grade 0 teacher, Mrs Patterson, who had also taught his mother many years before.
“As our family’s journey expanded across borders, so did Daniel’s horizon: from Genesis Educare Centre and Maronite Catholic School in Johannesburg, to The British School in New Delhi and, most recently, Hellenic Academy in Harare for Form 1.”
The school has been closed since Monday and will reopen its doors, for normal activities, today.
His mother, Mary, described Daniel in a way that made his presence feel real even in his absence.
She remembered a boy who started swimming at the age of six, moving through three different schools in three countries.
At Hellenic Academy yesterday, grief moved quietly through the corridors long before the burial service began yesterday.
It carried itself in low voices, in solemn faces and in the way pupils stood a little longer than usual – like their hearts were still trying to understand how the ordinary rhythm of school life could suddenly be broken.
Pupils, who had known him only as a classmate, a younger brother in the school community, began to see that Daniel’s spirit had always been steady.
The mood among the Hellenic Academy pupils was heavy but organised – each child trying to do the right thing, not knowing exactly how to hold sorrow without breaking.
Some stood with their hands clasped.
Others wiped away tears.
Before Daniel was laid to rest at the Glen Forest, the pupils paid their last respects – standing in silence, walking slowly, and looking at his shattered family.
Even when the service ended, their sadness did not dissolve into normal school routine.
It will take a while.
