Raymond Jaravaza , ray.jaravaza@chronicle.co.zw
SOME 34 years ago, Professor Thabani Ndlovu was a pupil at Bazha Secondary School, a modest rural institution nestled deep in the mountains of Matobo District, Matabeleland South province.
At the time, he was often told — like many other learners from Bazha — that he would never amount to anything special.
Had he internalised the negative perceptions surrounding the villagers of Ward 18 in Bazha and its neighbouring communities, he might have resigned himself to a life of poverty and obscurity.
Bazha Secondary School, with over 300 learners and 18 teachers, once operated without electricity or internet connectivity.
Yet from these humble beginnings, Ndlovu (51) has risen to become a highly regarded academic based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where he has distinguished himself as a global scholar and specialist in commerce.
On Monday, he returned to his roots, visiting Bazha Secondary School and sharing his remarkable journey with Zimpapers on the sidelines of a Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (Zera) event.
The Government commissioned and handed over a US$100 000 solarisation project at the school, a development graced by the Minister of Energy and Power Development, July Moyo, and local Member of Parliament Edgar Moyo, who also serves as the Minister of Local Government and Public Service.
For this very community, served by both a primary and secondary school, struggles with low pass rates have long been a disheartening reality.
Allen Dube, headmaster of Bazha Secondary School, noted that the average pass rate has hovered around 20 percent over the past decade, leading many villagers to accept that academic excellence is a rarity in the area.
Yet, it is precisely from this challenging backdrop that Ndlovu stands as a potent source of inspiration, having defied the odds to become a celebrated academic.
His personal testimony vividly illustrates how he defied these very odds.
“Some 34 years ago, I used to walk 30 kilometres from my grandparents’ village in Fumugwe to Bazha Secondary School where I did my primary education up to Grade Seven. We didn’t have much money at home so it meant walking the long distance to school,” he recalled.
Financial constraints nearly derailed his education, but a perceptive teacher at Bazha Secondary informed him about Government assistance available for underprivileged children.
“So, Form One to Form Four I was on social welfare assistance, and in Form Four I used to be a top student in eight subjects out of nine.
I would get an ‘A’ in eight subjects, and then get a ‘C’ in the ninth subject, which was Maths. So, I was projected to fail in Maths.
But then I got a brilliant teacher, who is late now, who sat down with me and said, ‘Look, you are brilliant in everything else—you have the potential to pass this subject.’ He gave me some techniques, which helped me to pass Maths,” said Ndlovu.
His burgeoning academic prowess became undeniably evident during a prize-giving ceremony where he was repeatedly called to the front.
“Basically, I was being called to the front six, seven, eight times, until the guest of honour, who was the regional director for education for Matabeleland South, asked me what plans I had for the future.
I told him my family did not have money and he promised to get me a scholarship, which he managed to get at Mpopoma High School.”
Another significant turning point came when Edgar Moyo, then working in the education ministry, learned of the young man’s brilliance.
“Edgar Moyo was one of the examiners marking our Ordinary Level examinations and he, together with other examiners, were surprised that a boy from Bazha Secondary School could ace all his subjects,” said Ndlovu.
After completing his A-levels at Mpopoma High, Ndlovu’s academic excellence continued to attract opportunities.
He worked for several companies in Bulawayo, including a firm responsible for loading cash into ATMs and a local retailer that highly valued his qualifications in Commerce and Accounting, which he had earned at the National University of Science and Technology (Nust).
His career path then broadened onto the international stage.
“After years working in Zimbabwe, I relocated to the United Kingdom where I worked for different companies and then enrolled for another degree at the University of Nottingham.
I then worked for one or two companies, did a PhD, and then worked for several universities. In 2017 I got a job in the UAE, which is where I am now.
So I manage a university programme across 16 campuses in the United Arab Emirates.
That’s basically my story. My story is a perfect testament that every child can achieve their dream,” he said.
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