The ManicaPost
Phillip Mataranyika
ON January 25, 2020 we celebrated one of our own, a hardworking young man who because of his work ethic, will join a long list of luminaries, past and present who are called by a most sacred name — the Rhodes Scholars.
Cephas Svosve has made us proud by applying for and being accepted to be a Rhodes Scholar for the academic year starting September 2020.
Joining him on the long flight to England in September is another outstanding individual — Andile Dube.
Andile studied medicine and completed his degree in 2019.
He will be going to Oxford University to further his studies in medicine while Cephas will be furthering his studies in computational Mathematics.
Talking to Professor Mutambara, who himself, is a distinguished Rhodes Scholar, there are two processes involved for one to become a Rhodes Scholar.
One must apply and be vetted for their intellectual aptitude for them to be accepted as a Rhodes Scholar.
Once accepted, they must make another application to the University of Oxford where they go through another rigorous and thorough vetting process.
We are happy to say that both Cephas and Andile passed through the two gates and made it unscathed. Well done to both of you.
I am a curious student of the history of Cecil John Rhodes, who was born in Britain in 1853 in a family of nine — seven boys and two girls.
At the age of 17 he came to Africa for the first time, joining his brother Herbert, at a cotton farm, north-east of Durban.
Soon, Herbert would embark on a hunting trip that eventually took him to the diamond rush in Kimberly, leaving young Cecil in the custody of a new found friend Henry Caesar Hawkins, son of the local resident magistrate.
It is said that because Cecil was always sickly, his parents thought the African sun would help him get better.
When diamonds were discovered in Kimberly, Herbert and some friends trekked all the way from KZN to Kimberley to join in the diamond rush, leaving Cecil behind.
After teaming up with Henry, Cecil would also join in the diamond rush.
In Kimberly, Cecil wasted no time, becoming one of the influential people in the diamond industry and indeed in the world through one of the world’s best known diamond company, De Beers, which he founded.
Cecil’s vision was always to grow and entrench the British influence across the globe. He thought it was the responsibility of the British people to civilise the world through education.
Once the business of setting up De Beers had been done, Cecil went back to England so he could go back to university, enrolling at Oxford University.
It was after going through the Oxford experience that he thought it important for others across the globe after him to have the same experience, thus he bequeathed most of his estate to the Rhodes Scholarship Fund.
It is that vision of many years ago that has brought us together as we celebrate two outstanding individuals — Cephas and Andile — who will later this year join a group of other world scholars on the same programme at Oxford University in England.
There may have been some rough edges in Cecil John Rhodes’ agenda, especially that to do with colonialism and imperialism, but would like to highlight some similarities between what Cecil John Rhodes did back then and what Nyaradzo has been doing in their few years of existence regarding education.
We have supported a number of young people through school.
I don’t think it is because Cecil had a lot of money that he created the Rhodes Scholarship Fund. It is also not because Nyaradzo has a lot of money that we created the Nyaradzo Group Scholarship Fund.
It is because of the value we place on education.
Through education we do not only change the individual’s life, we can change the world.
Zimbabwe needs people who place value on education and it is our wish and hope that after Oxford, both of you will come back and help rebuild our country.
Because at Nyaradzo we value education as much as Cecil John Rhodes did, we have had our own scholarship programme going for years.
Among graduates of this programme are doctors, engineers and other professionals.
I would like to say, now that you are done with school, you need to apply yourselves the same way at work, wherever you are, like you did during your school days.
Your country needs you, more than that, humanity needs you and the knowledge and skills you acquired at school.
Use them to advance the cause of your nation and that of humanity.
