Kutama College
Kutama College (officially St Francis Xavier College), is an all-boys high school located near the town of Norton in the Zvimba area, 80 kilometres southwest of the Zimbabwean capital Harare. Kutama has a student population of about 700 pupils, and is considered one of Africa's top 100 high schools (#61 in 2003).[1]
The school moto "Esse Quam Videri" is Latin meaning "to be, rather than to seem". This is interpreted in the school as the more succinct "be what you are", reflecting the school's aim to instill pride in its students. In addition to academic learning, students participate in sports (including soccer, volleyball, basketball, table tennis), chess and (debating. In the seventies, it was one of the only three African schools which played softball together with St. Ignatius and Moleli Secondary School
Like most high schools in Zimbabwe, which follow the traditional British school system, students at Kutama are divided into four houses each having its own color: Champagnat (blue), Patrick (yellow), Chichester (red), and Michael (green). They are named after Marist Brothers, such as Marcellin Champagnat, the founder of the Marist movement.
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History
Founded prior to the Second World War by C.Ks, Kutama was one of the first institutions to offer high school education to students of African descent in colonial Rhodesia. Its Jesuit origins are reflected in its official name, St Francis Xavier College. The school is part of Kutama Mission, a Catholic mission originally run by Jesuits but now run by the Marist Brothers, a Catholic order devoted to educational work. The other Marist Brothers schools in Zimbabwe are Marist Brothers Dete, and Nyanga High School There was another multi-racial Marist School, Marist Brothers Que Que based in the then Que Que].
The school's first Headmaster was Father Jerome O'Hea, an Irish priest after whom the local mission hospital is named. Its most famous Headmaster was James Anthony ("Jachi") Chinamasa, a Kutama College old boy and elder brother of Zimbabwean Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa. The present headmaster is Br Bernard Chirombe, who served as deputy headmaster under Mr Stephen Muchenje who retired at the end of 2008. Mr Chinamasa was only came in 1990s. There were other notable Headmasters in the 70s such as Mr Marume who's deputy was Cuthbert Musiiwa a well-known writer in pre Zimbabwe era. This was the period when Kutama was producing very good results and the school staff included former politician Mr Tazvishaya father of the late Charles Tazvishaya (former school captain) and Thompson Tsodzo another notable Shona Novels writer. Charles Tazvishaya was personal private secretary to Prime Minister Mugabelater after independence.
Kutama Old Boys Association (KOBA)
The Kutama Old Boys Association (KOBA) is one of the oldest 'old boys' associations in Zimbabwe.
Notable alumni
- Robert Mugabe - President of Zimbabwe
- Alexander Kanengoni - author
- Chenjerai Hove - author
- Tichaona Jokonya - Zimbabwean Government Minister and Permanent Representative to the United Nations
- James Chikerema - activist,
- Bernard Chidzero - Zimbabwe's first finance minister
- Ignatious Chombo - Minister in the Zimbabwean government
- Washington Mbizvo - Minister in the Zimbabwean government
- Emmanuel Mashandudze - Business Intelligence Analyst at University of Witwatersrand
- David Anthony Chimhini - Mutasa North MP, founding Executive Director ZIMCET, former ZIMRIGHTS Executive Director, founding member of NCA and MDC and first MDC National Administrator
- Exodus Makumbe - Owner Exodus & Company (Pvt) Ltd
- Dakarai Mapuranga - Managing Director Platinum Agriculture Group and KOBA Chairman
- Joseph Mwanyopa - Kutama student
- Kudakwashe Zumbika - Founder and CEO of i-Consult Engineers