adminMaurice Kenneth Kuziwa Mutowo, the former director of GSM at the UZ, breathe his last.
Born on June 5, 1963, Dr Mutowo dedicated 18 long years of his life to serve the University of Zimbabwe.
He enrolled at UZ in 1984 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree in Economic History and being the best student, he was awarded the University Book Prize.
He followed on that achievement with a Master of Arts Degree in Economic History, which he obtained in 1990.
In the year 2000, he was awarded a Masters of Business Administration Degree.
His academic pursuits later took him to the University of Cape Town, where he graduated with a PhD in 2011.
The title of his Thesis was “The Resources-Based View of the Firm: A Path Dependence Investigation into the Sources of Sustainable Competitive Advantage of Zimbabwe 1945- 1980.”
From November 1994 to July 2005, Dr Mutowo was the Senior Assistant Registrar for UZ Publications and he rose to become part-time lecturer from January 2001 to July 2005.
Dr Mutowo was appointed lecturer and consultant for GSM in August 2005, where he taught MBA, MSc in Tourism and Hospitality Management and Bachelor of Business Studies. From January 1989 to October 1994, he was an Editorial Manager for Sapes Trust, a local publishing house. He was appointed director of GSM in 2009, a post he held at the time of his death.
Paying tribute to the late Dr Mutowo at the funeral service held at the University Chapel, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Zimbabwe, Professor Levi Nyagura, in a speech read on his behalf by PVC Academic Professor Chipo Dyanda, expressed profound sadness on the sudden loss of Dr Mutowo, one of the senior and dedicated members of UZ academic community.
Said Professor Nyagura: “Dr Mutowo was a source of inspiration to all the colleagues with whom he worked and interacted. His major legacy was the love he had for both staff and students, as he visited almost every faculty to share and exchange ideas on the growth and development of the institution he so loved.”
Apart from his academic achievements, the late Dr Mutowo was a writer and did a lot of consultancy work for various organisations such as Zimpost, National Railways of Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe Development Bank.
“Indeed, the University has been robbed of a critical human resources cadre, whose loyalty and dedication to duty was inimitable. His replacement as director of GSM will undoubtedly be a difficult exercise,” lamented the Vice Chancellor.
Dr Mutowo was not only an academic par excellence, he was also involved in community work as well, ranging from external examiner, moderator of Police Staff College examinations, board member for Farm Community Trust of Zimbabwe (2001-2009): business consultant, facilitator for strategic planning workshops for 19 different organisations and trainer for private companies. He was a member of the Zimbabwe Institute of Management (MZIM) at the time of his death.
On behalf of the university community, and indeed on his own behalf, the Vice Chancellor expressed deep condolences to the Mutowo family, friends, students and colleagues, who were suffering from the loss of a dedicated friend and colleague.
Dr Mutowo is survived by his wife Jesca and two sons.
May His Soul Rest in Peace.
Dennis T. Rwafa is the UZ Information, Protocol and Public Relations Officer
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