The Sunday News
Ekasi stories, With Clifford Kalibo
THIS was the inscription that was written in bold print in black paint on the wall of the Woodwork/Carpentry classroom at Maphisa Primary School in Sizinda Township. That was in the 1970s to early 1980s.
The inscription caught your eye as you entered the classroom and immediately a cold shiver of fear would run down your spine and your skin developed goose pimples as you thought of Mr Siso, the carpentry teacher, a no-nonsense disciplinarian who did not hesitate to mete out corporal punishment for any slight indiscipline.
By popular demand from my readers, I am this week back again on Maphisa Primary School in Sizinda Township, one of the oldest and most popular Primary Schools that was established 58 years ago, in January of 1963.
Before I talk about Maphisa Primary School, I think it would be in order to shed a brief of background information on the origins of the word Maphisa.
The period between 1893 to 1896 in the history of Zimbabwe was marked by the Anglo-Ndebele war. One of the fiercest, bravest, intelligent and military geniuses of this war was none other than Maphisa Mnondo Fuyana. Maphisa Mnondo Fuyana was the leader of the ixhibi/ibutho known as Sizinda.
He was a very astute military tactician, whose Sizinda troops were a strong, disciplined, well trained and dedicated force.
At the time of the Anglo-Ndebele war, Maphisa Mnondo Fuyana was now at an advanced age and therefore did not participate in the war physically. It was however, his brave son Mdilizelwa Maphisa Fuyana who defeated Leander Starr Jameson at the historic battle of Phuphu.
Soon after the war Maphisa Mnondo Fuyana settled near present day Figtree at Centenary and his area was known as Sizinda. In essence Maphisa Mnondo Fuyana was the Chief of Sizinda. He died at Sizinda.
His son Mdilizelwa Maphisa Fuyana relocated in 1912 and moved his people to Mbembeswana, Donkwedonkwe and Sontala areas in Kezi, in the Matobo District in Matabeleland South. So there it is, the brief history of Maphisa and Sizinda.
Sizinda Township was first occupied in August of 1962 when the tenants were relocated from a Railway Compound which was known as Number 5.
The following year in January 1963, Maphisa Primary School opened its doors to its first ever pupils, and with the first Headmaster being Mr Stanley Hadebe who was a gentle and soft-spoken man with easy going and cool mannerisms.
He headed the school so brilliantly and in an exceedingly remarkably way for many years till his promotion to being an Education Inspector, whereupon he was succeeded by Mr Z Z Thodlana a renowned educationist. Mr Thodlana was succeeded by Mr Bulle another veteran educationist, who was succeeded by Mr Brown a distinguished educationist also.
The pioneer pupils at Maphisa Primary School enrolled for Sub B in January 1963, having done their Sub A at Feri School at Number 5 Railway Compound. Feri School was situated adjacent to the present day NRZ Belmont Marshalling Yard.
Among the first pupils in 1963 were Strike (brother to Edgar, Forbes and Felix), Shadrack, Rupeya, Foschina Harris and others. The very first teacher who taught the first Sub B class was Mr Dzikiti, a very tall and broad-shouldered man with a side beards and a neatly trimmed moustache.
Mr Dzikiti was a very good teacher such that the majority of the pioneer pupils did so well even in higher grades and even at Secondary School Level.
Strike was later to become a Guard in the then Rhodesia Railways before being elevated to the position of Controller at Dabuka Marshalling Yard in Gweru. The following year, 1964 the pioneer pupils went on to do Standard One and were taught by Mrs Xaba, a very good and cheerful lady.
The year 1965 saw the pioneers in Mr Nekatambe’s class, the teacher was a jocular man and always in a jovial mood. Mr Nekatambe took the class for the first two terms after which Mr Tshuma took over the class.
Those who remember Mr.Tshuma will know him to have been a very sociable man who loved horse betting and was also an avid imbiber.
After hours Mr Tshuma was to be found within the vicinity of Sizinda in the “watering hole” where he enjoyed the wise waters. Come 1966, the Standard Three class teacher was Mr Ndlovu (Guguru) a short, dark and bespectacled gentleman , who was good at Arithmetic.
To be continued next week.
Till we meet again next Sunday.
Feedback : Clifford Kalibo / 0783856228 / 0719856228/ email : [email protected]
