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Nqobile Tshili Chronicle Correspondent
UNIVERSITY of Zimbabwe (UZ) senior lecturer, prolific author, linguist and the first man to pen a PhD thesis in isiNdebele has died. Tommy Matshakayile-Ndlovu, 71, who was also key in the writing of the first isiNdebele dictionary, died on Friday and will be buried today at Harare’s Glen Forest Cemetery.

Yesterday The Chronicle spoke to his colleague and a fellow lecturer at the UZ, Eventhough Ndlovu, who narrated Matshakayile-Ndlovu’s works.

He described him as a mentor and an educator.

“Dr Ndlovu was an educator, academic, husband, father and a teacher. He was passionate about teaching of local languages.

“He made strides to promote through several Ndebele novels he wrote,” said Ndlovu.

He said Matshakayile-Ndlovu penned his PHD thesis in isiNdebele in 2004 and remains the only academic to have done so in a local language in Zimbabwe.

“He obtained a PHD which was written in isiNdebele in 2004. There’s no one who has done such a thing in the country. We’re also encouraged to do the same in local languages,” he said.

Ndlovu said Matshakayile-Ndlovu was one of the pioneers and promoters of local languages and is part of the founders of the Department of African Languages and Literature at the UZ.

He said the late lecturer authored several books which were used as set books in schools namely Ukuhluzwa Kwamanovel EsiNdebele, Ithemba Kalibulali, and Umkhuba Lamasiko AmaNdebele among others.

“He was key in the creation of the first isiNdebele dictionary and mentored several outstanding individuals who include Dr Samukele Hadebe, Albert Nyathi, Sabelo Gatsheni Ndlovu. He wasn’t just an academic but a fountain of knowledge and his death is a great loss to us,” he said.

Ndlovu who was also Matshakayile-Ndlovu’s former student said his former lecturer also translated an English novel Waterstones by Yvonne Vera to isiNdebele and named it Izintombi Zamatshe Ezimsulawa.