Song for Hugh Keble Prosser

Mr Moses Mukoyi

HUGH Keble Prosser, I remember vividly his tall towering figure in a white cassock as he emerged from the CR Priory with a strident step … a bespectacled bundle of energy with an affable smile.

He was such an imposing personality, quick to share pleasantries most of the time but occasionally turning red into a hot flair of temper, yet like a spark soon returned to his usual amiable composure again. I sing the praises of a priest with remarkable energy, who could exert himself for punishingly long hours, conducting the morning martins, then school assembly every day, then a full teaching load, then evensong, then the demanding duties in the principal’s office, then the chatter and banter of conversations with all and sundry.

What a routine! Yet he had such a zest for work and life he never seemed to tire. I sing the praises of a scholar of high intellect, whose subject mastery in History and Divinity was conspicuous for its sheer depth of knowledge. The little details and anecdotes he gave often with a touch of humour that surrounded personalities in History or the Bible .

These were always a refreshing departure from the dates and factual drudgery of the typical lesson. He was simply a brilliant teacher. I sing the praises of that left handed principal who could write comments on every school report and who could identify nearly every student by name. It gives credence to the notion that students are individuals not just numbers. He loved students and cared about them. The poor were blessed with scholarships and paid holiday work. I am one of them.

In Keble, what a champion of freedom and the right to self determination! In the eyes of the colonizer he was a terrorist collaborator, who knowingly allowed students to cross over the border to fight for their liberation. He risked his life for the cause he shared with his students and Zimbabwe. To bury the remains of a freedom fighter- Comrade Pfepferere- at that point in our history was the height of bravery only reserved for the most daring and courageous. Keble had a bit of the daredevil in him. I sing the praises of a righteous man who spoke his mind in the mould of Bishop Lamont, Trevor Huddleston and other fearless fighters for human rights.

He was always informed and fired by the strength of his conviction….something that his detractors regarded as defiant and rebellious. He was often at loggerheads with Ministry of Education and even his bishop. Call him controversial or temperamental or whatever but the Keble I knew spoke his mind with a sincerity that was disarming. He called a spade a spade. He was no boot-licker or praise singer. If truth be told, he had a very high respect for authority. Twice His Excellency, the Head of State R.G. Mugabe came to St Augustine’s for Parent’s day and to officially open the R.G. Mugabe orphanage.

The respect and humility he showed then was in stark contrast to the erroneous perception that people may have had. Keble was a CR Father par excellence. If you remember Fathers Baynham ‘Mandebvu’, ‘Waddle who rode on a donkey down to Honde valley, Woodrow with his music, Daniel Pierce with his drama and American accent, Noel Williams and his passion for Marange tribal trust land , Dereck Williams and his Physics, Bishop Mercer…and Keble’s closest friend, Father Fawcett…He was among this group of selflessly dedicated men of God who were motivated by a Christlike vow of service , poverty and chastity…men who shaped the fame of Tsambe as we know it today and the destiny of thousands of students in all walks of life in Zimbabwe and abroad.

The spectacular success of those products is testimony of unparalleled commitment to the cause of African education by people such as Keble in the great missionary tradition. The world famous St Augustine’s mission…the Tsambe we love and cherish…was carved out of the CR vision. Keble was one of its exponents and exemplars. I liked his sermons on Sunday …always brief, to the point and directed deliberately to three points, three lessons, three things …a kind of Trinity approach, I guess. I shall never forget the day he left Tsambe.

Earlier at one assembly he had said, ‘ You don’t realise what this great mission means until the last day you drive down the hill.’ He did and shortly later I did. This sacred place will shape our sensibilities forever. Today I am happy for Keble. He lived his life and lived it to the full. To have been his student and worked under him as teacher and deputy is one of the most enriching experiences in my life. I know that this feeling is shared by all who had the unique honour of rubbing shoulders with him.

May his soul rest in peace.