Gibson Mandishona: Academic giant with a lasting legacy
“STATISTICS is the most practical application of Mathematics. It is the scientific art of collecting mathematical data on people, establishments, communities within the country and organising this data so it can be interpreted to help people — politicians, planners, research workers, whatever — in planning.
“We live with statistics on a daily basis. We talk of the economy of the country, the size of the population and growth rate, the price of consumer items, trade, import, export . . . the practical side of statistics.”
This is how the late intellectual giant, mathematician and energy scientist, Dr Gibson Manyowa Mandishona, who passed away on September 9, at the age of 83, summed up subjects that were very close to his heart — Mathematics and Statistics.
It is little wonder that he, as a jack of all trades, could easily juggle and accommodate his different interests in his hectic schedule as a public figure.
Apart from being one of the most brilliant minds in the country and probably in the world, judging by a myriad of accolades and appointments he got at home, regionally and internationally, Dr Mandishona was an inventor and loved the arts, particularly jazz music. He was also a writer and painter.
All these interests were nurtured from a very young age before they blossomed, as Dr Mandishona matured, and they remained very dear to him until his death.
Dr Mandishona was born in Chegutu, Mashonaland West province, on February 2, 1940, and later moved to Mbare (Harari Township at the time), where he attended primary school.
It was at this tender age that the music bug bit him, after being exposed to several musical groups.
Dr Mandishona was among the youths who frequented places like the Boys’ Club at Mai Musodzi Hall, which was the centre for various recreational activities, such as cinema shows, supplementary feeding (“stew”) and vocational works.
This was where he acquired his artistic skills, which earned him money to pay for his first musical instrument, a four-string “ukulele” mini-guitar, which was his first inspiration for music.
This was after his painting, “Double Decker Bus”, won him first prize of five pounds in a competition.
His love for music was also inspired by his elder sister, Grace, who was a member of the melodious nurses’ Gay Gaeties group.
He then joined The Star Gazers, where he played guitar jointly with the late Andrew Chakanyuka.
Other members were Willie Dzara, Bill Saidi, Reober Pauti and Chesterton Mhango.
The singers later formed The Milton Brothers with Faith Dauti.
After primary education, he went to Tegwani Secondary School and later Fletcher High School.
It was at these two institutions that he fell in love with Mathematics.
He then proceeded to the University College of Rhodesia, where he studied towards a Bachelor of Science in Physics and Mathematics degree.
He became politically active and was one of the first members of ZANU’s student body.
Together with others, he organised demonstrations and protest marches against the Rhodesian regime.
After graduating, he joined a chemical manufacturing company based in Salisbury (now Harare) in 1965 and worked there for four years, during which he was responsible for coming up with industrial production statistics. This ushered him into the world of statistics.
His desire, however, was to teach Mathematics, and this prompted him to travel in 1969 to Britain, where he attained a diploma in Education at the University of Exeter and thereafter, he enrolled for an MSc in Economics and Agricultural Statistics at the University of Kent.
He then studied towards a second Master’s degree in Theoretical Statistics, Computer Science and Demography at the University of Nottingham, before becoming an assistant lecturer at the same institution.
Despite the pressures that come with college life, Dr Mandishona never lost sight of his love for music.
He taught himself to play the jazz piano. He then set his sights on attaining a PhD in Statistics, which he received in 1974.
He went on to lecture Mathematics and Statistics at North London Polytechnic.
At the same time, he wrote a number of articles on the practical application of Statistics and Mathematics in developing countries.
In 1975, he left Britain for Ethiopia, after he was appointed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa to work at its Addis Ababa headquarters, providing advisory services to other African countries while lecturing and writing.
During his time in Addis Ababa, he also travelled to the United States to carry out projects, in collaboration with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
Being cognisant of the heating up of political temperatures back home, Dr Mandishona negotiated for and supported ZANU trainees and combatants in Addis Ababa and facilitated the training of the first black Zimbabwean pilots in Ethiopia.
He actively provided resources for the Zimbabwean struggle in Ethiopia, working closely with organisations that offered material and financial support to the liberation movement.
He worked closely with Zimbabwe’s first Minister of Education, Dr Dzingai Mutumbuka.
As part of his activism and dedication towards the upliftment of Africans, Dr Mandishona formed the UK Black Student Alliance, which was responsible for educating black students in the nuclear field, as this was prohibited by the racist regime.
He also continued with his music, fronting a jazz outfit that included former Finance Minister Dr Herbert Murerwa and Cephas Chama Mangwana.
It was during that time that he met the late Jamaican musician and reggae icon Bob Marley, with whom he shared an aligned vision for the emancipation of black people globally. They co-wrote the song “Zimbabwe”. Bob Marley later performed the song during the country’s independence celebrations in 1980.
Dr Mandishona returned home in 1980 after independence and was part of the first group of black experts appointed by the Government to head key institutions. He was appointed the first black director of the Central Statistics Office.
One of his first major tasks was to organise a census.
The census was significant since it was the first time black people were counted doorto-door, and the results had a huge impact on city planning, infrastructure development and black voting rights, which are all based on population figures.
Elsewhere, he immediately set out to broaden the scope of his department through the creation of new sections and divisions, which resulted in the workforce increasing from 80 he inherited in 1980 to 500 within three years.
He also worked hard to reach out to the masses to encourage them to make use of the statistics that were being generated by his department as a way of fostering development.
Despite this mammoth task, he found time to continue experimenting on renewable energy devices to improve environmental sustainability and protection, something he started in 1977, when he assisted in the construction of a canvass type windmill for water pumping in a rural village not far from Addis Ababa.
He built his own prototype biogas plants and a producer gas generator (gasifier), a pedal-powered pottery wheel and a groundnut thresher.
In 1981, he was elected chairman of the sub-committee of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. In 1984, he was elected president of the council of African directors of statistics at a regional statistical conference in West Africa.
Then, in 1986, he was elected chairman of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation advisory committee at FAO’s international professionals meeting in Rome and three years later, he was appointed to the board of the Parastatal Commission as president of the African Statistical Association in Abuja, Nigeria.
In February 1990, Dr Mandishona became vice chairman of a national council that would be responsible for a multi-sectoral co-ordination of Aids and STD prevention and control programmes.
Two years later, he received a Scientific Research Council Certificate of Merit from the late former President Robert Mugabe for research and development work in renewable energy systems.
He left the Central Statistical Office in 1993, after being appointed project manager of a five-year US$7 million Zimbabwe Global Environment Facility to promote the use of solar systems in rural areas that was initiated by the Government and the United Nations Development Programme.
The project saw the installation of over 20 000 solar systems in rural homes, business centres, schools, clinics and cooperatives.
He installed the solar street traffic lights (the first ever in the country) on Prince Edward Street (near Prince Edward School), which are still operational.
Later, he spearheaded the first International Solar Energy Society hosting of the World Solar Summit in 1996 in Harare.
He was part of the founding directors of the Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre (Sirdc) in 1993, and was the inaugural board chairman of the entity from 1995 to 2006.
After the end of the tenure of the solar project in 1998, he founded the Centre for Renewable Energy and Environmental Technology (CREET), which spearheaded the installation of biogas and solar-powered plants in rural communities.
In January 2001, he was appointed chairman of the National Revenue Authority board that was tasked with overseeing the merger of the departments of Taxes and Customs and Exercise.
He subsequently became the inaugural board chairman of the new organisation, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra), a position he held until 2010.
In April 2007, he was appointed chairman of the inaugural 13-member board of the Harare Institute of Technology.
Dr Mandishona also served on the boards of Zimra, NMB, Fidelity Life Assurance, Community Technology Trust and UZ Development Technology Centre.
He was a past director of the National Social Security Authority, the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority, the Industrial Development Corporation and the Zimbabwe College of Music and the National Arts Council. He was also the patron of the Jazz Festival.
He was part of many charitable organisations, including chairperson of the Painted Dog Conservation in the Hwange National Park.
As part of his charitable efforts, Dr Mandishona organised the National Hunger Concert fundraiser in 2002 and the proceeds went to 10 old age and children’s homes.
He also started the Korekore Women’s Co-op to empower rural African women in the green economy through use of pig dung to generate electricity.
He was the board chairperson of the Community Technology Development Organisation from 1992 to 2004.
Dr Mandishona was a writer (editor of Zimbabwe Township Music) and Shona poet.
In recognition of his illustrious career and excellence in various fields, Dr Mandishona was awarded the Order of the Star of Zimbabwe Silver Medal by President Mnangagwa during the 2021 Heroes and Defence Forces Day commemorations.
His most recent accolade was the Commonwealth Award from the London Graduate School based in Dubai.
Dr Mandishona has left a profound legacy that will endure forever and his work will continue to impact on the lives of Zimbabweans and beyond for generations to come.