ITS AN HONOUR TO BE A FORT HARIAN
When I was growing up, my late Grandpa, Aram Chidongo Mabilabo Qeko Jere (RIP) used to telling me that his number one dream was to go to South Africa and study at Fort Hare. This other day he told me that he was sad that his dream never came to pass. So I grew up knowing that there was a place and a school call Fort Hare in South Africa though I had an idea that I was to fulfil his dream years later.
As I was doing my B.A (Th) Honours degree at the NORTH-WEST UNIVERSITY in South Africa, many times I could remember what my late Grandpa used to telling me about his Fort Harian dream. By 2001, I made up my mind to go and study at place so that I fulfil my Grandpa's dream. Thus in July 2001, I moved to the University of Fort Hare to study a Master degree. It was the happiest moment of my life to be on this campus.
Fort Hare is so unique in the entire universe because of a number social political and economic factors. Ofcourse I dont want to dwell much on that on but just to tell you briefly why this school is such a great place . Fort Hare is a great school because this is the very place where almost majority of african leaders went and study. This therefore offers we fort harian a great honour to be part of this great african heritage. I mean its a great honour to walk,live and study on the same campus where great african leaders did their school.
Secondly is that this University played a key role to the death of apartheid in south africa.
Briefly, some of the notable great sons of Africa who graduated from this University include the following:
Dr. NelsonRolihlahla Mandela ( The first democratically elected President of South Africa and the Apartheid Icon),
Dr. Oliver Reginald Tambo ( Anti Apartheid politician in SA and once a President of ANC)
Dr.Govan Archibald Mvuyelwa Mbeki ( Father of Thabo Mbeki and once leader of ANC and South African Communist Party)
Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki (current President of South Africa)
Dr Mangosuthu ("Gatsha") Buthelezi ( Former Home Affairs Minister in SA and leader of the Inkata Freedom Party),
Dr. ZK Mathews (first Black lecturer at Fort Hare)
Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe(Founder of Pan African Congress to fight Apartheid in SA)
Kaiser Daliwonga Matanzima (Former Prime minister of Transkai)
Dr.Desmond Mpilo Tutu (Anglican Bishop and a Freedom Fighter)
Chris Hani (Leader of the South African Communist Party. He was leader of the ANC military wing, " Umkonto we Sizwe" and was assassinated in 1993) ,
Dr. Manto Tshabalala-Msimang (Minister of Health in the Mbeki Cabinet in SA),
Dr. Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri (Cabinet Minister in the Mbeki Cabinet),
Makhenkesi Arnold Stofile (Cabinet Minister in the Mbeki Cabinet),
Bulelani T Ngcuka (Former Director of Public Prosecution in SA) ,
Dr. Barney Pityana (University of South Africa Vice Chancellor and the current South Africa Human Right Chair) to mention but a few.
Other notable graduates of this University include the following:
Sir Seretse Khama(First President of Botswana),
Kenneth David Kaunda (First President of Zambia),
Robert Gabriel Mugabe (Current President of Zimbabwe since 1980),
Joshua Nkomo (Former Vice President of Zimbabwe and a freedom fighter), Herbert Wiltshire Chitepo (prominent Barrister in Southern Africa during colonial struggle and was the leader of the Zimbabwe African National Union),
Ntsu Mokehle ( former Prime Minister of Lesotho),
Dr.Ticofa Parirenyatwa (First Medical Doctor of Zimbabwe),
Julius Kambarage Nyerere (First President of the Federal Republic of Tanzania),
Yusuf Kironde Lule (Former Prime Minister and President of Uganda),
Charles Mugane Njonjo (First Kenyan Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affair),
Orton Chirwa (Malawi's First Minister of Justice in the Dr. Kamuzu Banda government),
Masauko Chipembere (Minister of Education during the 1964 cabinet Crisis in Malawi) to mention but a few.
Now its a great honour to be part of this great heritage and I dont take this for granted. Its from this understanding that after my Masters degree, I decided to come back to this University for my doctoral study. Everything in me is so much convinced that I need to be at this University so that I continue to drink from the cool waters of academic prosperity which shall one day enable me to serve not only my country but the rest of Africa. Life at Fort Hare forces you to dream big because that is what it means to be a Fort Harian and in this case, huge and big dreams shall be fulfilled upon completion of this doctoral degree at this great school fo thoughts.
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