Chronicle Editor
Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday News Reporter
AT some point during President Mnangagwa’s speech, read on his behalf by Defence Minister, Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, he mentioned some of the renowned names that have passed through the hallowed halls of Thekwane High School in Bulilima District, Matabeleland South Province.
At that point, it was clear this was a homage to the outstanding leaders who, from various fields, have left an indelible mark on the country, pushing it towards the direction of progress before and after independence.
Most schools around the country boast alumni, who have put that on the map, pupils who, through deed and action, have left admirers curious about those who moulded them in the infancy of their lives.
Some boast famous footballers, others have produced athletes while some have given birth to some of Zimbabwe’s brilliant minds.
Thekwane, however, stands out for its ability to produce men and women who have left an indelible mark on public service in the country.
In his speech, President Mnangagwa was spoilt for choice on who to praise in front of a crowd that, bathed in the full glare of winter sunlight, showed full appreciation for every name that was mentioned.
From academia, the names of Prof Rungano Zvobgo, Prof Mqhele Dlodlo and the late Dr Maclean Bhala, were singled out while from the field of law, Justice Sansole also found himself in the mix.
Bureaucrats were not left far behind, with the former Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, the late Salome Dulcie Nyoni, the Deputy Director in the Women’s Affairs Ministry, Ms Gugu Mahlangu, Director-General of the Medicine and Drugs Control Council, the late Shingai Mangobe Musara and former Zimpapers CEO Justin Mutasa also getting appreciated.
That list of politicians that have imbibed wisdom from Thekwane’s fountains of knowledge proved that indeed, the school is a true nursery of peerless leadership in the country.
The late former President Canaan Banana, the late nationalist leaders Ndabaningi Sithole, Nathan Shamuyarira, Dr Charles Utete, Edison Zvobgo, Dumiso Dabengwa, Dr Michael Ndubiwa, Prof Eliphas Mukonoweshuro are just some of the leaders that graced the modest classes of the school nestled on a dusty corner of Matabeleland South province. Others include former Attorney-General Prince Machaya, Dr Lazarus Dokora, Ambassador Willie Nzenzo Nsimbi and Witness Rukarwa.
Perhaps what makes all these names and more all the more remarkable is that they all hail from different provinces and tribes from across the country. This on its own speaks volumes of the trust that the institution commands across the country, with parents confident that their offspring were guaranteed an unparalleled education once they drop them into the hands of the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe-run school.
“Thekwane drew students from all over the country and was a cosmopolitan community from the start, with students from all tribes in the country and region. The institution was known for its academic excellence and applicants came from all over the country. The establishment of the library in 1952 boosted this intellectual prowess. As a result, many notable students and academia who serve the country in different capacities passed through its hallowed halls,” President Mnangagwa highlighted.
President Mnangagwa’s views were echoed by Reverend George Mawire, who highlighted the institution’s storied history as a source of pride for a school that had never shied away from its influence on the country’s liberation history.
“The Methodists from time immemorial have left an indelible mark in influencing positive change through education and political influence; that makes the brand special. We boast of mission schools from centuries ago that have shaped the thought patterns of many political leaders past and present and we wish to maintain the legacy of providing quality education, which meets the needs of today’s learners,” he said.
From the time Elijah Mhlanamano, Mqiqima Mangoye, Jonathan Ntaisi, Dzinqilani Malumo, Vilani Nkobi and Kangezi Pile walked through Thekwane’s gates in 1924, becoming the school’s first cohort of students under the tutelage of founder Mr Herbert Carter, the school has maintained impeccable standards of academic excellence.
As, shovel in hand, Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri joined leaders of the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe in breaking new ground over a proposed clinic at the institution, few had any doubts that Thekwane stood poised to serve as the midwife to some of the country’s best academic and political minds as it steps into the second century of its existence.
Londile Moyo
Online Reporter