Hundreds witness ex-Bosso chairman laid to rest

Lovemore Dube, lovemore.dube@chronicle.co.zw

FORMER Highlanders chairman, Josiah Dube, was laid to rest at Emhlangeni Cemetery in Inyathi Mission yesterday.

He died at his Inyathi Centre home on Friday at the age of 87 after a long illness.

His burial was attended by hundreds of people, including Chief Mtshane Khumalo, several government officials and senior members of the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa.

He was born in the Dromoland area of Inyathi in 1937, and was the last born in a family of 10. He was the only surviving sibling and his death was described by family spokesperson, Elkanah Dube, as a sunset.

Elkanah said Josiah had left a void that would never be filled.

His family was forcibly moved to Nkayi after Lonhro acquired Dromoland. They settled in Zenka where Josiah attended school and completed his primary education at Ingwenya Mission, now John Tallach, in Ntabazinduna.

After a brief teaching sojourn at Magazi Primary School in Nkayi in 1953, he enrolled at Mbuma Teacher’s Training School in the district for a two-year course, which he completed in 1955.

Josiah did his O-Levels at Matopo Mission and found himself in class again in 1960 and 1961, studying electrical installations at Luveve Technical School.

While at Luveve, he became the Youth Branch chairman of the National Democratic Party (NDP).
Josiah was expelled for his political activism after he boldly stood at an assembly and sang Nkosi Sikelela iAfrica alone defying the institution’s white authorities.

Between 1968 and 1969, Josiah obtained his A-Level certificate through correspondence.

Between 1970 and 1972, Josiah studied for a Bachelor of Sociology degree at the University of Rhodesia where he again dabbled in politics. He was detained twice for six weeks in 1970 and 10 weeks in 1972.

From 1973 to 1977, he worked as an insurance policy salesman at Legal and General in Bulawayo.

In 1977 he crossed the border into Botswana en route to Zambia to join the struggle.

“In June 1977, when he could no longer stomach the politics of the day, whereby the country’s racist and oppressive regime enforced strict segregation, discrimination and violence against Blacks, he left Rhodesia via Botswana en route to Zambia to join the liberation struggle,” said Elkanah.

On arrival in Zambia, Zapu sent him to Moscow in the then USSR to study politics and trade unionism, a course he completed in 1978 at the Moscow Trade Union College.

Josiah was director of Zapu (Administration and Secretary for the Revolutionary Council) between 1978 and October 1980.

He survived the 1978 bombings and was also a member of the Zapu Central Committee until the Unity Accord in 1987.

Josiah was the general agency manager for an insurance company before being made regional manager at Fidelity Life.

He became Highlanders chairman in 1988 leading the club to a trophy haul only matched by the 1986 run.

Highlanders board chairman, Luke Mnkandla, who was a committee member when they were recalled by members in 1989, said Josiah had suffered that embarrassment because of being a good man.

“There was a bad apple in the executive; members were agitated and baying for his blood, but Josiah stood by our colleague who was wrong and we were booted out,” said Mnkandla.

Mnkandla added that before Josiah was club chairman, his cars were ever available to accompany Highlanders wherever the team played.

Josiah was among those who campaigned for the setting up of a university in Bulawayo (Nust), and at the time of his death, he was lobbying for a similar institution next to Inyathi High School under the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa.

Josiah will be remembered for bringing on board Roy Barreto as Bosso coach and the promotion of youngsters like Peter Ndlovu to the first team after several senior players left in 1989.

His team in 1988 was among the best in the land with the likes of Alexander Maseko, the late Willard Khumalo, Rahman Gumbo, Mercedes Sibanda and Madinda Ndlovu, regulars in the Warriors set-up.

Peter Nkomo was voted Goalkeeper of the Year and drafted into the 1989 World Five-A-Side Soccer Cup.

Josiah is survived by his wife Caroline, daughter Simangaliso and sons, Sifiso and Sipho.