Obituary: Rev Tangawamira’s life of educating and evangelizing came to a close

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By Dr. Takavafira Zhou

All roads in Mberengwa lead to Tangawamira homestead near Msume today for the burial of of Rev Raphael Tangawamira who succumbed to cancer of the liver on 27 September 2021. Indeed we encourage several people of Mberengwa, friends, relatives, former students etc to turn up in order to give Rev Tangawamira a befitting burial.

Rev Tangawamira was born on 14 June 1949 in a Lemba, Madi family of Mberengwa. As with the case with many lemba boys then, he was a herdboy and delayed schooling. At a young age Rev Tangawamira decided to become a pastor after being inspired by what was then called a school inspector who doubled up as a reverend, no wonder why he later became a pastor.

After completing his University studies he became a graduate teacher at Msume Sec School in the early 1980s. He moved to Mnene to become Mr Chinyoka’s Deputy and moved back to Msume to head the school from the late 1980s. He then transferred to Masase as head in the period 1990-1992. He transferred to Chegato Secondary School and was subsequently posted to Mnene Secondary as head in 1996. When the late Isaiah Mashayamwando Shumba former Chegato High School head joined politics in 2000, the Lutheran church moved Rev Tangawamira to Chegato.

Rev Tangawamira was Chegato High School head between 2000 and 2014, after which he then retired. He brought back Chegato High School into the fold of top 100 High Schools in Zimbabwe, a phenomenal rise after the disastrous effects of the Zimbabwean crisis that slowed down in 2008. He was allowed to extend his service in the then Ministry of Education, Sports, Arts and Culture by a year to mentor his Deputy, Morris Ngara, who finally took over as the school head at a relatively young age because of Rev Tangawamira’s tutelage.

Rev Tangawamira is survived by a wife who is also a reverend, and six children, among them, Amicable, Farai Tangawamira Vhudzijena, Kundai Tangawamira-Ravengai, Dr Anotida and Zvikomborero.

All of them are living a modest life in Zimbabwe, UK, Namibia and South Africa, thanks to Rev Tangawamira’s herculean efforts in educating them as well as our late mother, who was indeed a woman of imposing personality. Our current mother is no exception and took a firm stand beside our father in his protracted battle with cancer of the liver until his last breath in Zvishavane on 27 September 2021.

It is clear from the foregoing that Rev Tangawamira was a pillar of strength in the Lutheran Church and as a family man. He is the only Lemba to have taught and headed at all Lutheran Church Secondary Schools in Mberengwa, viz, Mnene, Msume, Masase and Chegato. On his burial day, I want to remind all and sundry that he fulfilled the Lemba-Lutheran Church colonial agreement. After Lemba resistance to send their children to Mnene to receive education because of fear of eating meat not kosher killed, an agreement was made to build schools specifically for the Lemba with the consequent building of Msume, Chegato and Masase. Rev Tangawamira navigated our agreement and legacy, a legacy that has been respected by current headmasters and reverands at the respective schools and must never die.

Indeed Rev Tangawamira was a father to many of us, an advisor and mentor of great repute, an educationist with untramelled energy or strong will power, a farmer whose family never starved despite the arid region of Mberengwa, a brother to many, and a dependable colleague in fighting against the trenches of folly and ignorance, a reputable Rev, and a great Lemba leader.

Go well Mushavi Madi, our father, for you fought a good battle in your life time, and in the process inspired many who would continue to exude your inspiration and channel their pent up forces and anger to meaningful direction.

We will continue to cherish your works and inspiration Rev, Mushavi, Madi.

VaMupfure,
VaGato,
VaGokomere,
VaSakuringwa,
Vakaringa mukadzi vakamubaira n’ombe,
VaChikomo chimwe,
Chichigara Homba (brave men),
Chisingagari marume matyi (cowards),
Vamushava n’ombe,
Kushava rumbudzi mukadzi unofa,

Vari Pusela,
Vari Boronwenje,
Vari Gurungubwe,
Jerera raMadi,
Nevari Vuhindi
NeMapakomhere,

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Tinokukumbukai,
Murungu nanguvo,
Muzungu wakabva Sena,
Fambai zvakana,
Rev, Mushavi, Madi, Musoni, Madzingira Weshambo chena.

TAPE!!!

—Dr. Takavafira Zhou is a member of the Lemba clan and an education unionist