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Walter Mswazie Masvingo Correspondent
MASVINGO City Council has bestowed the Civic Honour of the City on Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) vice chancellor Professor Rungano Zvobgo in recognition of his sterling work of making education accessible to communities.
The local authority also honoured N Richards Group chairman Graham Richards and the late former Mayor Alderman Femius Chakabuda during a colourful ceremony held at the Civic Centre’s Charles Austin Auditorium on Friday evening. Masvingo Mayor Hubert Fidze presided over the ceremony.
Richards was recognised for his work with the less privileged and small to medium enterprises in the province.
Ald Chakabuda died last year after collapsing at his home in Masvingo.
In his acceptance speech, Professor Zvobgo, said he has previously received national and international awards, but the city’s award recognising his service to the community and contributions towards nation building was the most important to him as it was coming from his own people.
He said like his late brother, Edison, a national hero who was a renowned lawyer, liberator and politician, he was striving to leave a mark in the area of education so that people in the province will have something to remember him for.
“Out of 25 or so national and international awards I’ve received, this one is more important than any other. They didn’t mean even half of this one because this one comes from Masvingo people. We’ve brought education nearer to their homes, we’ve put up university infrastructure,” said Prof Zvobgo.
He said his late father was a school headmaster for 35 years and built a school and clinic.
“Our motto as a university is, we don’t reside in mediocrity as we’ve established the state of the art Herbert Chitepo Law School, Mashava Campus and Benard Chidzero School of Business which was Mandava Hotel. We’re on the verge of completing a state of the art Mugabe School of Education in the industrial area which will be like no other in the Southern region,” he said.
Richards also thanked the city for recognising his work.
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