The Sunday News
GUIDED by the wise words of former South African President Nelson Mandela that, “Education is the most powerful weapon, which you can use to change the world,” a 54 year-old Filabusi businessman and politician, Spare Sithole is preparing to sit for Ordinary Level examinations for the first time ever in November.
He said he will be writing five subjects and is being assisted by tutors.
Cde Sithole, as he is popularly known, declared his desire to free himself from the shackles of academic handicap by sitting for the exams in November, having failed to do so in November last year due to pressing political commitments.
At 54, many would have given up on education but Sithole has vowed to attain a colourful O-level certificate from where he said he would work towards attaining a higher national diploma or certificate in business management.
In his words, possessing limited education was a great challenge for any man. He said without education it was not only difficult but suicidal to venture into any type of business.
“It is unfortunate that last year I failed to sit for my exams. I got too occupied with other urgent matters. After missing my exams in November last year I hinted that I will sit for them in June. But because I haven’t really gotten myself ready I have since found it rather essential for me to sit for them in November this year,” he said.
Cde Sithole said the reason why he had taken it upon himself to study and sit for his O-levels was to prove to the world that education was the key to success and anyone no matter how old could study.
“During the war, many of our kinsmen died without education. After attaining independence, many studied and decorated themselves with various certificates, diplomas and doctorates in various fields of education. This was possible after the war and look at where many of our fellow countrymen with various educational qualifications are — they have important positions in various corporates across the globe,” said Cde Sithole.
Despite having limited education, Cde Sithole runs a successful security company — Para Reserve Security and Private Investigators, which has since spread from Filabusi to Bulawayo and Gweru, with a total of 43 guards.
He said due to financial constraints then, he only went up as far as Standard Five, before leading a poor farm boy’s life in the developing Matabeleland South town.
Cde Sithole said he worked as a farm labourer and at a mine before joining the army from where he got the passion and determination to acquire education, something he said was a preserve of a few before independence.
“Education is the key to success and a better tomorrow. It is the key to a brighter today and that is what makes it important to me. With education we are able unlock solutions to many of life’s problems and issues that people face wherever they are in the world,” he said.
He said it was after he returned from the army, serving under the Para Reserve Unit that he felt he had a chance to better himself through education and had hopes of owning a business.
“I served under the Zimbabwe Para Military Company, as a company commander from 1983 to 1986, based at One Brigade. I felt my life was incomplete while I was serving and I constantly was at loggerheads with my conscience, as to how I would better not only myself but my family and Zimbabwe as a whole. That is when I decided to teach myself how to read and further my education,” he said.
He said after familiarising himself with the basics of education, he was able to converse better with people as he could reason better than he used to.
“Also, with a knack for protecting businesses and other investments from those that want to reap where they did not sow, I decided to establish my own company — a security firm. It was established with the experience that I had gotten from the army during my service days,” he said.
He started the security company from his own savings.
“Before I established the company in 2003, I thought of a suitable name that I could give it and the only logical name that came to mind was the name of the unit I served under — Para Military Company. So I decided to name my company Para Reserve Security and Private Investigators,” he said.
He noted that the company started off very small before it grew to become one of the big security firms in Filabusi adding that it was fast expanding to other cities.
“I have guards working in Bulawayo, Gweru, Gwanda and here in Filabusi. We are also applying for various tenders, so that we grow even bigger. There are obviously other well established security companies but we do wish and hope to see indigenous ones such as this one grow to be the best,” he said.
The security company which specialises in corporate and commercial guarding offers armed, unarmed 24 hour monitoring and armed response. It also offers neighbourhood patrol schemes, security at special events and has a dog section.
Cde Sithole is a beneficiary of the Government land reform program and now owns a farm in Filabusi.
He is urrently constructing a spacious and luxurious farm house, where he wishes to retire to.
The 12-roomed house that he is building in Filabusi has six bedrooms, three of which will be en-suites.
“I want this to be an example to all that benefited from the land reform. It was through my effort in farming and my business venture that I am able to build such a suburban structure on the farm out of town. Let us show our detractors that we are capable of doing positive things and develop ourselves as a nation,” he said.
Cde Sithole said he had nine children but was left with eight after one of them died.
“I had nine children but one of them passed away. I hope they will follow in my footsteps and become respectable citizens,” he said.
“I also have a farm, which I acquired through the land reform program. I love to be close to nature and I believe as a human being we have to produce food to feed the world,” he said.
Asked about his hobbies when not in the office, he said he enjoyed reading, particularly newspapers saying the language was simple but comprehensive and assisted him in his studies.
“If I am not in the office I enjoy reading newspapers, that’s basically all I do. It also helps sharpen my English. Ukufunda akupheli,” he said.
It therefore remains to be seen whether Cde Sithole will surely sit for the exams and not postpone to next year like he did last year.
