The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube, Social Media Editor
THE late Bulawayo City Council (BCC) director of housing and community services, Mr Isaiah Magagula will be buried on Thursday at the Lady Stanley cemetery, Bulawayo.
Mr Magagula passed away last Friday after a long illness that had seen him go over eight months on sick leave. He was aged 65 years old.
In a statement, Bulawayo Mayor, Councillor Martin Moyo said a church service for the long serving council employee will be held at the Bulawayo Amphitheatre.
“Mr Magagula will be laid to rest at Lady Stanley Cemetery. The Burial service will be held at the Amphitheatre from 9am after which he will be laid to rest at the Lady Stanley Cemetery,” said Clr Moyo.
Mr Magagula is survived by his wife Virginia, six children Nothando, Sobhuza, Njabulo, Bekithemba, Makhosi, Andile and Bukhosi and four grandchildren, Sipho, Sibane. Thulisiwe and Mbali.
According to the local authority Mr Magagula was appointed director designate of the housing and community services department on 1 October 1989 and assumed the substantive post from 1 February 1990 a position he held until his untimely death. Mr Magagula was due for mandatory retirement on 31 January 2017.
He did his Ordinary Levels at Solusi Secondary school, after which he joined the City of Bulawayo as a temporary clerical assistant in 1970 and became a permanent employee from 1971 – 1974.
He left Bulawayo City Council to join the then Rhodesian Broadcasting Authority as Producer/ Announcer for one year before pursuing studies in the United Kingdom.
In the United Kingdom, he studied for his Advanced Levels at the Centre for Business Studies, Woolwich, London before attaining a Diploma of Business at the same institution. He went on to attain a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Modern Studies from the Polytechnic of North London.
He also held a Master of Arts Degree in Architecture: Housing Studies with the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. Mr Magagula later re-joined Council on 4 March 1981 as a senior clerical assistant before being promoted to administrative assistant in the department of housing and community services.
He rose through the ranks and held various positions in council which included: administrative assistant I (1 August 1981 – 30 April 1983), liquor administration officer (1 May 1983 – November 1983), Principal Sales Officer (1 December 1983 – July 1985) and liquor undertaking manager later changing to assistant director of housing and community services – Liquor Undertaking (1 August 1985 – September 1989).
He was also a member of the Zimbabwe Institute of Management.
