Veteran Masvingo Teachers' College lecturer calls it a day

‘When I have done the work you gave me Lord, give me that crown' is undoubtedly a befitting statement for Tamuka Nyakunhuwa Shumba who recently retired after over three decades at Masvingo Teachers' College, trading the paper for the hoe after leaving the teaching profession for farming.

After a glamorous career spanning for almost five decades, veteran lecturer Shumba has called it a day after so many teachers around the country have gone through his tutelage at Masvingo Teachers College.

Born on November 20, 1955 at Musume Hospital in Mberengwa in the Midlands province, Shumba did his primary education during the colonial era, which was his Sub-A at Vhumukwana Primary School before temporarily dropping out after being hospitalized with Tuberculosis but later proceeded to grade 7 at Makuva Primary School.

He enrolled at Musume Secondary School for his secondary education from form 1-4 and later sat for Advanced level examinations in Maths and Geography at Chegato High School. After completing his advanced levels, Shumba started his teaching journey by first testing the waters doing temporary teaching at Manyenge and Chaza primary schools when he got his EC number that he would use for the rest of his career with the Public Service Commission (PSC).

The veteran educationist trained as a primary school teacher at Mkoba Teachers' College in Gweru and taught at various schools like Chikowore primary in Mhondoro, Chachitsa secondary before joining Masvingo Teachers in May 1990. One of the memorable times in his career was when he welcomed current president of Zimbabwe Emmerson Mnangagwa from Mozambique at Dambudzo secondary school with one of his colleagues now at Masvingo Teachers being his pupil.

"I taught at Dambudzo secondary school from 1981-86. I welcomed Emmerson Mnangagwa back from Mozambique in October 1981 together with Dr Sonile Gwede as my Head Girl (1981-84). I then transferred to Chachitsa secondary and mentored one Mr Makuchete (Gwede and Makuchete are among the four lecturers Shumba taught).

The legendary Shumba who was a guru in the field of research at the teacher training institution expressed how grateful he would be in case issues that trigger debate and other thought-provoking issues are raised.

"I enjoyed lecturing especially when there arose arguments, discussions and debates. Dictating lectures was boring, thus engaging them stimulated motivation in students. I taught in various areas including Theory of Education, HIV/AIDS education, Social Studies and Geography for secondary teachers as well as Research.

"Engagement made research interesting and an exciting experience to both the supervisor and supervisee especially towards Action research. May I encourage other lecturers to engage students in discussions. Team teaching breaks the monopoly and promotes team work," said Shumba.

Commenting on the kind of person the veteran educationist was, former colleague and MTC lecturer in the Department of Theory of Education (TOE) Charles Chimbindi said Shumba was a committed and sociable team member and his legacy at the institution will be cherished.

"Mr Shumba was a committed member when it comes to work, he was sociable and he is a team player. Anything was possible to him," said Chimbindi.

Shumba's former high school student who was now a colleague at MTC, Philosophy lecturer Dr Sonile Gwede said that Shumba was his role model as he was a principled and hardworking man.

"Shumba my former teacher is and will always be my role model as he was a principled, hardworking, a straight forward man who achieved best results in every school he taught," said Dr Gwede.

Shumba said he has now set his sights on venturing into farming.