Godfrey Nyoni, an accomplished lawyer who is now a partner at Moyo and Nyoni legal practitioners, is a proud alumnus of Foundation College. He did his primary education at Makulambila Primary School and completed his O-level at Makulambila Secondary School in Lower Gweru in 1994.
He did his A-Level at Foundation College and emerged the overall best student in the 1996 public examinations with 14 points (Maths B, Ndebele A, Divinity A). In that 1996 class, he had a tie with Robert Ndlovu who also scored 14 points. Robert is now a prominent Bulawayo lawyer.

Godfrey proceeded to the University of Zimbabwe where he read for a law (LLB) degree and completed it in 2001. In 2001, he briefly worked for eight months at Cheda and Partners as a legal assistant and later as a partner in a law firm, Nyoni, V Majoko and CP Moyo. Godfrey and CP Moyo later formed their own law firm called Moyo and Nyoni legal practitioners at 201 Pioneer House, between Fife Street and 8th avenue, Bulawayo.

Godfrey is an astute legal practitioner who is a member of Zimbabwe lawyers for Human rights, a trustee for Plumtree Business College, board member of EATC College (Bulawayo), board member of National Handicraft Centre, board member and legal advisor of the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society.

Geneva conferences

Every year in September, Godfrey attends annual conferences in Geneva representing Zimbabwe where about 186 countries deliberate on issues related to International Humanitarian Law under the auspices of the Red Cross society.
Asked what motivated him to succeed, Godfrey attributed it to hard work and a disciplined lifestyle.

Foundation College was staffed with high calibre teachers in the likes of Mr Ngulube (Maths), Ms Tracy Moyo (Ndebele) and Mr Matapuya (Divinity). To him, these venerated teachers changed his life to become a successful city lawyer. He will forever cherish the invaluable input of the College which put him on an enviable pedestal.

The going was tough. He recalls how he summarised all his Ndebele novels in note books as he could not afford to buy them as he came from a humble family that could not provide him with all the material and financial resources he required at School. However, through sheer determination, good company in the likes of Robert Ndlovu, Sijabuliso Siziba, a former classmate and Zimbabwean Magistrate now working in Francistown, Botswana and discipline instilled by veteran educationist Mr

Eben Ben Kawadza, the Principal of Foundation College, enabled him to fulfil his dream.
Godfrey advises ‘A’ Level students to choose their subject combinations wisely to avoid disastrous results. “Hard work and choice of focused and determined friends at a results oriented School guarantees success. As for those who wish to pursue the law profession, they need to be disciplined, avid readers and honest if they are to weather the legal storm,” said Godfrey.

A second lawyer, Herbert Mutasa is a renowned partner at a prominent Harare law firm Gill, Godlonton and Gerrans. Herbert made a resolution to enrol at Foundation College in 1998 to do his ‘A’ level arts subjects which comprised of Shona, Literature in English and Geography. He excelled in his ‘A’ Level public examination in 1999 with 14 points (Shona A, Literature in English A and Geography B)

Scholarship
After receiving his impressive results during a turbulent economic era, he was clueless as to how to achieve his lifelong dream of becoming a lawyer as his parents were in financially dire straits. Fortunately, an oil business tycoon, Mr Paunganwa of Bulawayo offered him a scholarship to read for a law (LLB) degree at the University of Zimbabwe from 2000 to 2004. Mr. Paunganwa had been impressed by Herbert’s results published in the Chronicle Newspaper.
Herbert was employed at Gill, Godlonton and Gerrans Law firm in 2004 as a professional assistant. Ever since that time he has never looked back. In April 2008 he was promoted to the enviable status of a legal partner.

When asked what contributed to his academic excellence, he said he owed his achievement to his committed ‘A’ level teachers at Foundation College, as well as self- motivation and hard work. Herbert recalls how he and his colleagues from Foundation College were held in awe by fellow students from local Schools who belonged to their study group. They would meet regularly during weekends to discuss challenging Literature in English topics in the serene environs of Nketa Park, in Bulawayo. From the group discussions, it was clear that the college students were by and large academically dominant over their peers from local schools in Bulawayo. This realisation bolstered his confidence to excel in his public examinations.
Herbert would like to advise all current and future ‘A’ Level students to focus on their studies, work diligently and to consult their teachers. “Teachers at school are there to guide and the greater school work load lies with the students,” said Herbert.

Herbert finds the law profession exciting but demanding. It requires a probing and studious personality with the ability to understand the dynamics of law. Fortunately, for Herbert, Foundation College prepared him adequately for this challenge during his youthful days. He encourages all those who aspire to follow in his footsteps to aim at attaining 15 points or better at ‘A’ Level.

He stands beholden to Foundation College for the success he is enjoying today and to this end; he is mulling an idea of setting up as a social responsibility gesture, an annual prize for the best student in ‘A’ Level literature for Foundation College.

Multiple University degrees
A third lawyer, Thompson Hove, is a public prosecutor in the High Court o f Zimbabwe, Bulawayo. He is a holder of two undergraduate degrees and is currently studying for a master of laws (Corporate laws) with UNISA. Thompson completed his ‘A’ Levels at Foundation College in 1992 and passed with flying colours before proceeding to read for a B.A degree at the University of Zimbabwe. He completed his degree in 1996 and worked for the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture from 1994 to 2006. In 2001, Thompson graduated with a Graduate Certificate of Education at the University of Zimbabwe.

In 2002, during his stint with the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture, he registered for a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree with the University of South Africa (UNISA) and completed it in 2006.
Upon completion of his LLB degree, Thompson joined the Ministry of justice in the Attorney General’s office as a public prosecutor. Thompson confided that he has fond memories of Foundation College which laid a robust foundation for his further studies. According to him, College teachers were hard working. Extra lessons, the famous crash programmes and afternoon consultations were pivotal in his academic achievements at ‘A’ Level. He will not forget the good and solid educational foundation acquired at Foundation College that became a launch pad and provided him with a much desired impetus to scale greater scholastic heights. “Perseverance, goal orientation and discipline guarantees success even in the most trying times,” said Thompson.                  

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