adminLovemore Mataire Senior Reporter
Prominent University of Zimbabwe academic and senior lecturer in the English Department, Dr Vimbai Gukwe Chivaura, was buried yesterday at his Dovendale Farm in Concession.
Dr Chivaura was on Thursday declared a liberation war hero after recommendations by the Zanu-PF Harare Province.
He was buried with full military honours befitting his status.
Earlier in the morning, Dr Chivaura’s body was taken to University of Zimbabwe Chapel for a church service.
Speaker after speaker spoke about Dr Chivaura’s humility and his love for African culture and his country.
University of Zimbabwe Vice Chancellor Professor Levy Nyagura said Dr Chivaura was one of the few lecturers who remained at the institution at the height of economic difficulties in 2008.
“Dr Chivaura was one of the few lecturers who remained steadfast during the economic challenges even though there was a lot of temptation to leave the country. I am sure he had already discovered his calling at a tender age. He was a selfless person dedicated to his country,” said Prof Nyagura.
A close friend, Dr Rino Zhuwarara, said Dr Chivaura’s struggle was focused on the need for mental decolonisation of fellow Zimbabweans.
“His war was that of the mind. I am sure you remember Steve Biko who used to say that the ‘greatest weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed’,” said Dr Zhuwarara.
Speaking on behalf of Mashonaland Central Minister of State for Provincial Affairs Advocate Martin Dinha, the deputy director for provincial affairs Mr Admore Shereni, said Dr Chivaura’s death was a great loss to the nation and the province.
“We are not only gathered to mourn a dedicated patriot and nationalist, but also a renowned intellectual who during his lifetime immensely contributed to the well-built academic base of Zimbabwe and beyond,” Mr Shereni said. He applauded Dr Chivaura for his role in the transformation of the English Department at the University of Zimbabwe whose curriculum was euro- centric.
Dr Chivaura joined the Faculty of Arts as a Research Fellow in 1983 and was formally appointed to the position of lecturer in the Department of English on May 1, 1986.
His appointment together with other African lecturers like Dr Thorel Tsomondo, Dr Zhuwarara, Dr Ranga Zinyemba, Mr Musaemura Zimumya and Ngugi wa Mirii and Kimani Gecau saw the radical transformation of the Department of English into what it has become today.
Dr Chivaura is survived by his wife Sophia and four children.
Online Reporter