Zimpapers Logo

Mr Joyce Cephas Mbudzi

Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
KWEKWE Polytechnic College principal Mr Joyce Cephas Mbudzi (65) is retiring after 45 years of service, 17 of them at the Midlands institution.

Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education Science and Technology Development, permanent secretary Professor Francis Gudyanga announced Mr Mbudzi’s retirement during a graduation ceremony at Kwekwe Polytechnic on Thursday.

Mr Mbudzi, who once served as acting director for standards development and quality assurance in the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education Science and Technology Development, said he was going into farming.

“I acknowledge that the man who has been the principal of this institution since 1999 Mr J. Mbudzi is in his last working week as a government employee.

“We commend the uncommon drive, diligence, determination and the energy you exuded in your exercise of duty.

“You have earned so much respect in your immediate community, your Ministry and the country at large. We say farewell to you.

“Your legacy will forever be remembered,” said Prof Gudyanga.

A qualified teacher and lecturer, Mr Mbudzi was born in Masvingo in 1952.

He started teaching at Chibi High School in 1972.

Mr Mbudzi said he managed to serve the country for 45 years as a civil servant because of his love and enthusiasm for his work as well as his country.

“It’s because of the enthusiasm and love for my job that I stayed for all these years. In life I always do things not because of money but because of the love and passion.

“This is the profession I entered into at a tender age and of course there were challenges here and there but I remained resolute for my own development and that of the profession,” he said.

After Mr Mbudzi started working at Chibi High in 1972, later that year, he enrolled at the then University of Rhodesia, now the University of Zimbabwe, where he left with a degree in Mathematics.

After university he went back to Chibi High School.

“From January 1972 to August 1979, I taught Mathematics at schools like Zimuto High School in Masvingo and Ascot Secondary School in Gweru. From 1979 to 1981, I was a lecturer at the then Gweru Teachers College. From 1981 to 1982 I was acting Vice Principal at the Zimbabwe Integrated Technical Education College which is now Zintec,” he said.

Mr Mbudzi also worked at Mkoba Teachers College and Chinhoyi Technical College at different times between 1988 and 1993.

“In 1993 I was elected councillor for Ward 2 in Gweru and was elected Deputy Mayor up to 1995 when I was promoted to Vice Principal at Mutare Technical College in 1996,” said Mr Mbudzi.

He said in 1999 he was promoted to Kwekwe Polytechnic as the principal until his retirement. — @pchitumba1