Online Reporter
Ronald Mpofu, [email protected]
Phakamani High School and the wider education community in Matabeleland South are mourning former head Mr Paulos Ncube [62], who died in the early hours of Monday following a long illness.
Mr Ncube who led Phakamani High from 2002 until his retirement in 2023 was laid to rest in Plumtree on Friday.
Colleagues remember him as a strict but humble leader who turned the school into one of the largest and most respected in Mangwe district.
Current Phakamani head Mr Nkululeko Vundla described his predecessor as a mentor and a man of integrity.
“Paulos Ncube was a humble and principled man. He never looked down on anyone. He was cheerful, mixed easily with people from different backgrounds, and was a ‘cash talk’ man,” Vundla said.
Mr Vundla said Ncube mentored numerous school heads across the district and played a key role in expanding Phakamani.
He also chaired NASH Mangwe for several years and served as provincial soccer head.
“When I was a teacher at Mtshabezi High, he vetted out most of our under-16 soccer boys at Thekwane High, claiming they were over age. That left our team depleted,” Vundla recalled.
“He was an inspiration to many heads in Mat South.”
Empandeni High School head Mr Mandla Ndlovu paid tribute to Ncube’s role in shaping a generation of school leaders.
“To some of us, Paulos was a mentor. He initiated us into headship almost two decades ago when we were acting heads. He and other seniors embraced us and guided us all the way,” Mr Ndlovu said.
He highlighted Mr Ncube’s impact on school sports, noting he took NASH Mangwe to conferences and competitions across the country, from Hilcrest and Peterhouse to Beitbridge, Manama, and Victoria Falls.
“A man who went on to disqualify his own team from a competition he was convening as head of soccer. What a principled man he was,” Mr Ndlovu said.
“His NASH Mangwe remains. The principles he instilled in it remain an envy to all in Mat South. Go well, our mentor.”
Family spokesperson and son Mr Bukhosi Ncube described his father as family-oriented and disciplined.
“He lived a fulfilled life. Very humble and loved the simple things. A pot of wisdom. He naturally wanted everyone to win,” Bukhosi said.
Mr Paulos Ncube is survived by his wife, Lonny Ncube, and two children, Bukhosi and Paula.
