Cephas Msipa
Cephas Msipa was a Zimbabwean politician, philanthropist and national hero.
He was born in the Midlands Province in Shabane, Zvishavane on 7 June 1931.
He attended the following institutes for his education:
- Siboza School
- Dadaya Mission School
- University of South Africa
Academic Achievements:
- Barchelor of Administartion (while in detention at Gonakudzingwa)
Career:
Cephas Msipa started work as a teacher in Shabane and Kwekwe from 1953 to 1958. He worked as a Headmaster of schools in Highfields and Mufakose in Harare (1959-64).
He was appointed President of the Rhodesia Teachers’ Association between 1961 and 1964.
Political Career:
During his time as a teacher he became increasingly interested in politics and changing the world around him. He kicked off his political career when he joined and became a member of the Capricorn Africa Society and the CAP.
He later joined and became Chairman of the Advisory Board in Kwekwe and around the same time was a Midlands African Daily News correspondent.
In 1961 he joined and became a member of ZAPU. In 1964 he was dismissed from the teaching profession by the Government and retained by the Teachers’ Association with appointment of secretary.
In 1965 Cephas Msipa was arrested and served with a two-year detention order and later sent into indefinite detention in 1966 first at Gweru Prison and then Gonakudzingwa where he remained until 1970.
In 1971 following his release from detention he joined and became a founder member of the African National Council, and was appointed Secretary for Foreign Affairs.
In 1975 he was appointed the Secretary for Education within the African National Council. He was a member of the ANC delegation to the Geneva Conference.
Following the country’s independence he held various cabinet positions which included the resident governorship of Midlands Province.
He died on 17 October 2016 in Harare was declared a national hero and buried at the National Hero’s Acre in Harare.
