WATCH: How Thekwane moulded a rural boy into an academic luminary

HE was made head boy at Thekwane High School after he advocated Saturday lessons so that fellow pupils would have a chance to make it into universities, and more than 30 years later he is the Dean of the Faculty of Information Science at the National University of Science and Technology.

This is Professor Bhekinkosi Jakobe Ncube, who is among countless Thekwane High School alumni who have made a name for themselves in Zimbabwe and other parts of the world.

The Methodist Church-run Thekwane High School, about 13 kilometres north of Plumtree Town, in Bulilima District, Matabeleland South province will this Saturday celebrate its 100th anniversary.

It is one of the earliest secondary institutions established in 1924 by Reverend Herbert Carter, a Methodist Church Missionary. It is situated near Thekwane River, which takes its name from the hammer-headed stork, uthekwane, which used to be common along its banks, and is depicted on the school badge.

The school’s Mission Statement is “To mould righteous citizens by providing a high-quality and relevant education and to be an institution of high Christian and Methodist ethics. “Thekwane High School’s Motto is Qondani ekukhanyeni (Go towards the light).

A benchmark of academic and civic excellence, the school has produced luminaries that include one of Zanu-PF’s founding members and National Hero Dr Edson Zvobgo, National Hero, Zipra Intelligence Supremo and Former Home Affairs Minister the late Dumiso Dabengwa, the late educationist and former Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education Lutho Addington Tapela, Former Education Minister Dr Lazarus Dokora and one of the founding members of Lupane State University the late Dr Mclean Mackson Bhala.

Professor Ncube would travel about 8km from the Gwambe area in Bulilima where his family’s homestead was located, to Thekwane High School, which he attended from 1989 to 1994, completing his A-level studies.

The school, known for instilling discipline and focus in pupils, moulded Prof Ncube from a simple village boy to an influential academic whose life’s work has positively impacted thousands of people.

After acing his A-levels, he enrolled at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) where he completed a Bachelor of Arts in English and Ndebele Degree, then in 1998 he taught at Tinde Secondary in Binga.

In 1999 he went back to UZ to study a Postgraduate Diploma in Media and Communication Studies. Thereafter, he interned at the Chronicle for three months in the same year.

Ever-excelling at everything he does- like most students from the renowned school, he rose swiftly through the ranks.

In January 2000, Professor Ncube joined Chronicle as a sub-editor and rose to the position of Assistant Editor in charge of production before he joined uMthunywa as editor from 2004 until 2008.

Under his leadership, the paper developed a reputation for cutting-edge reportage that made most editions sell out.
He left to conquer new challenges at the National University of Science and Technology (Nust) in 2009. He started as a lecturer and rose through the ranks until the position he holds to date, Dean of the Faculty of Information Science.

Speaking to the Chronicle yesterday, Professor Ncube said being at Thekwane High School taught him about life.
“My deputy headmaster, may his soul rest in peace, was Mr KV Ndlovu from Tsholotsho. The guy was very good, he moulded me into what I am today.

He taught me to appreciate what I have. Because I remember people would ask why our parents brought us to boarding school, where we would frequently eat beans. We learnt that we had to make do with what we have,” he said.

Prof Ncube said he was chosen as a head boy at Thekwane because he advocated pupils to have Saturday lessons so that they could have a better chance to study at university.

“I was chosen as a head boy because I was a different breed which is very rare these days. I campaigned vigorously to have afternoon lessons on Saturdays and I’m very proud that I introduced them. This is because on Saturday afternoons we would just sit and do nothing. I campaigned to do studies so that we could do better in the exams and get into the University of Zimbabwe,” said Professor Ncube.

“Thekwane is a family school, where my father attended, my cousins, almost everyone went there, but my sisters didn’t go there. I attended because it was closer to home. It’s about eight or so kilometres from home.” Professor Ncube said he was one of two prefects in Form Four.

“Then I passed my O-levels very well. It was difficult to get As those days. In Form Six, I was the head boy, they used to call the position, the School Captain. I had my own room and the headmaster who was a local was very fond of me.

“Those days it was difficult for prefects to pass and go to university because at Thekwane they would run the school. During our days, we were in charge of everything including the dining hall. I was one of the few prefects to get enough points to get me to UZ,” he said.

Professor Ncube still speaks glowingly about Thekwane High School, describing it as a good school. After all, it is the school that also helped him build a family.

“I also met my wife Leaveit Ncube at school — she was a few streams behind me. I was a good 200 and 400-metre runner by the way. I represented Matabeleland South at the National Sports Stadium from Form 3,” said Prof Ncube, giving further credence to the notion that the school often produced all-rounders who excelled beyond academia.

He said he was pleasantly surprised that the Nust Vice Chancellor Professor Mqhele Dlodlo is a Thekwane alumnus.
Prof Ncube’s passion for the betterment of the school is still with him as he encouraged pupils to enrol at Nust and study various degrees, especially Journalism and Media Studies.

“I was talking to the former deputy headmaster James Ndlovu, to actually send their students to us so they can do Journalism like me, who did it at Chronicle. I also discovered that the Vice Chancellor attended Thekwane, and various people are alumni.

I am excited that the school is celebrating 100 years, as it has come a long way from teaching woodwork and agriculture, and we are teaching physics, and I hope the school continues the good work,” said Professor Ncube.

As his parting shot, Professor Ncube had a word for the pupils learning at Thekwane High School, saying they should “cherish that school and keep the motto Qondani Ekukhanyeni (Go towards the light).”

“They must cherish to be at that school. When we were there, we never realised how big it was. It is only now that we are out and see who the alumni are — as I said, my Vice-Chancellor is a Thekwane alumnus, and my former boss at Zimpapers Mr Justin Mutasa learnt there. So the message is to cherish that school and keep the motto Qondani Ekukhanyeni,” said Professor Ncube.