Obituary: Chipinge mourns distinguished Prof Maposa

30 Jun, 2017 - 00:06 0 Views
Obituary: Chipinge mourns  distinguished Prof Maposa The late Prof Maposa

The ManicaPost

Freedom Mutanda Post Correspondent
His oft quoted expression, ‘Hakuna munhu unoata pasha pebhiriji’ was one of the enduring quotable quotes at the funeral of Professor Richard Shadreck Maposa more than two weeks ago at Manzvire Village in Chief Musikavanhu’s dominion.

Professor Maposa (popularly known as RS) is no more. Here was a man who battled vicious challenges as he stepped up the academic ladder from humble beginnings. He was born in 1965 to Agnes Makuyana and Enock Maposa. The 1973 class of Mr Ndhlovu had two small boys one of whom was Richard. These boys went on to become Professors; Professor Lovemore Madhuku is the other boy.

Those who had intimate knowledge of him such as Needmore Maposa testify that Richard Maposa was a rare breed of a scholar. He virtually made the first position his own when he became a pioneer student at Rimbi High School in 1981. Hitherto, the education bottlenecks in colonial Zimbabwe would have buried the gem that was Richard in the Chipangayi Estates as he would not have the fees to go to a boarding school. Years later, Richard attended Hartzel High School for his A-Level and he always joked that his fellow students asked him where he did his lower secondary education. They thought if he had not been at Chikore or Mount Selinda, then it means he had not gone to a school of repute. Thus, his favourite expression rings in many people’s mind as I write. No one is pre-ordained to be a failure, was his catch phrase. Indeed from Hartzel, he went to the University of Zimbabwe where he majored in History and Religious Studies. He had sojourns at Ellis Gledhill, Chikore, Mutare Teachers Çollege, Great Zimbabwe University, ZEGU and finally UZ where he was Chairman of Religious Studies and Philosophy.

He co-authored several articles with his friend, Dr Fortune Sibanda from GZU, and in a graveside eulogy, the latter said the late Professor always said, ‘if you don’t publish, you perish.’

His passion for scholarship made him an academic of international repute. As a critical thinker, he co-wrote the Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University charter and helped in the drafting of the Gazaland University charter which is sponsored by UCCZ.

UCCZ President, Reverend Ephraim Ngadziore appreciated the role played by Professor Maposa for giving his all in an attempt to make his people acquire higher education.

“In the case of my home boy, it is fitting to say when deeds are done, words are nothing.

“He has passed on at a relatively young age and his footprints are everywhere for everyone to see,’’ said the man of cloth.

Because of his prodigious affinity to learning, he encouraged his family and extended family members to ‘Rova bhuku sebhuku.’

Hundreds of mourners celebrated the Professor’s life. He died on  June 2, 2017, after a long battle with diabetes and left behind his wife, Nakai and three children, Tawanda, Takudzwa and Tapfuma.

Teachers, villagers, UCCZ leaders and friends attended the burial on 6 June 2017.

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