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Trust Khosa

NINETY percent of his time is consumed by intermittent sleeping.

The other fraction is dedicated to family, relatives and passing court rulings.

A proud centenarian, the wheelchair-bound grandpa is the oldest documented man in his family tree at 107.

He has lost sight but is still very intelligent.

With age taking a toll on him, the astute centenarian now uses hearing aids.

A resilient academic, historian and traditional leader, Mr Clanous Devera Chirikure is an oasis of knowledge.

So resourceful is he that he has recorded his life experiences in a book.

His tough upbringing has not derailed his dream to pursue education.

From being a relief teacher, qualified tutor, school head and retired District Education Officer, not to mention his social interactions spanning over eight decades, Mr Chirikure is a repository of knowledge.

Now a substantive Chief in Gutu, his life has always revolved around administration, mentorship and academics.

To ensure his knowledge is not interred with his remains when he dies, he has written books, chronicling his life and genealogy.

Some of his manuscripts are being kept at his homestead in Nemashakwe.

This writer was also “gifted” with a book chronicling Chief Nemashakwe’s history titled “Mamuko — Nhorondo Yedzinza YaNemashakwe”.

“I do not want my history distorted, everything they want to ask is in this book,” these were his words from educationist Mr Chirikure in an interview recently.

Chief Nemashakwe and his wife Svodesai

The grandpa was also comfortable to have his eldest son Chirikure Chirikure guide the interview.

However the interview with Chief Nemashakwe had its own challenges since he was down with a bout of flu.

Added to that, the traditional leader has become a slave to sleep.

The “sleeping” bug is now catching up with his 85-yeare-old wife Svodesai Chirikure nee Sithole.

“These are my living heroes but age is catching up with them. I can safely say 90 percent of his time is taken by sleep but you can talk in those moments when he is awake.

“He is not comfortable with media interviews but you were lucky that I am guiding you.

“This book is all he feels will do justice to all your burning questions,” said Chirikure.

The literary arts guru, who led us in this conversation, revealed his father’s secret to longevity.

“He always tells us that God’s grace has taken him this far. Discipline is one thing that has made him a reputable man that we cherish in this life.

“My father is also particular with diet. If the food is poorly prepared, he does not eat.

“In my youth, I noticed that he liked small grains and traditional delicacies.”

Chirikure, who is Chief Nemashakwe’s firstborn, said his father prioritised education.

“My father and his two brothers — Kaka and Sanangurai — were orphaned when they were too young and lost livestock to greedy relatives.

“Despite the loss, he still pursued education and managed to educate the seven of us.

“He also sent 16 other kids from his brothers to school, which showed that he prioritised education,” narrated Chirikure.

Chirikure Chirikure and his father Chief Nemashakwe

At 107, Chirikure’s father is still presiding over court cases with the aid of his counsel.

“Of course, he might be way older but he is handling cases and passing fair judgments.

“A few minutes before dozing, he was on the phone presiding over a case in Gutu with the assistance of his counsel.

“He is hardly in Harare but this time around he only came for medical check-ups.”

In his journey as an educationist, Chief Nemashakwe, who went to school when he was way older, rubbed shoulders with some of the finest academics.

“At Goromonzi High, he was in the same class with Professor Walter Kamba, the first University of Zimbabwe Vice-Chancellor.

“I reminded him (Professor Kamba) when I enrolled at the University of Zimbabwe.

“He also educated many generations while philanthropic work remains one of his callings.”

As a way of giving back to the Gutu community, Chief Nemashakwe has also donated one of his complexes as a library.

“He has a heart of gold. The space we are using as a library came from him.

“Investing in education has always been one of his biggest wishes, which saw him making a great contribution in the areas that he worked and the people that he interacted with

“As a school headmaster back in the 70s, he also played a role in the construction of schools,” narrated Chirikure.

The seasoned writer has strong religious beliefs which keeps him going.

“He embraces Christianity with African tradition. He is one person that is not shy to be identified with his cultural beliefs.

“I have also learned quite a lot from him because of his stance on traditional beliefs.”

Chief Nemashakwe got similar praise from Kaka Chirikure’s son, Sonnie, who was raised by the traditional leader.

“My uncle married late and he looked after many of his brothers’ children, including myself.

“He was a disciplinarian who whipped me in line. I followed his template as a teacher before I retired as a District Education Officer in Gutu.

“He has always been particular about his diet. For your own information, he never tested opaque beer and he drank clear lagers.

“Unlike some people who become a nuisance when drunk, my uncle would behave,” he said.

Brief profile  

Chief Nemashakwe was born in 1917 in Mushayavanhu, Gutu, in a family of six — three boys and three girls.

As a young lad, he was reluctant to go to school but was persuaded by Mr Arimos Makonese to enrol in Sub A and B at Sengai Primary School.

In 1935, he lost his father and all their livestock was seized by relatives.

He dropped out of school and got a job as a herd boy for Mr Makonese.

In 1936, he repeated Sub B and was taught by Mr Ismael Diza.

Determined to pursue education, he recovered one of his father’s beasts, which he sold for £2 and enrolled at Silveira Mission.

In 1938, he dropped out of school and again became a herd boy for Mr Makonese.

Lady luck smiled on him in 1939 when Mr Makonese facilitated his enrolment at Pamushana Mission.

One of Mr Makonese’s sons was learning at the same school.

Under the arrangement, the young Chirikure would come and work for Mr Makonese on holidays.

In 1940, Mr Makonese was transferred to Harare and he found himself learning at Alheit Mission, where learners from poor families worked in exchange for school fees.

He finished Standard 6 in 1944.

In his quest to raise money to further his studies, he worked as a relief teacher between 1945-6. In 1946, he enrolled at Goromonzi High, when the first secondary school for black students was opened.

He used to work for white teachers at the school.

He finished Form 4 in 1952 and enrolled at Waddilove Mission for a teacher training course in 1953.

In 1953, he returned to Alheit Mission, this time as a teacher. A year later, he became a headmaster at Chitsa Primary School. Having secured a stable job, decent education, Chief Nemashakwe got married in 1960. For the 30 years that followed, he taught at different schools in Gutu and environs before retiring in 1992, as the District Education Officer in the area.

Chief Nemashakwe is blessed with 21 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

He looked after 23 children including seven of his own.