IN a deeply moving and dignified ceremony, family, friends, Government officials, and cultural enthusiasts gathered yesterday to bid farewell to one of Zimbabwe's most cherished historians and cultural icons, Phathisa Nyathi.
The burial service at Lady Stanley Cemetery in Bulawayo was filled with a profound sense of loss, but also a heartfelt celebration of Nyathi's immense contributions to the country's cultural heritage.
Nyathi, who passed on last week at the age of 73 due to complications from diabetes, was renowned for his work in preserving Zimbabwe's traditions, spirituality and history.
The funeral proceedings began with a memorial service at the Bulawayo Amphitheatre, where the stage was meticulously decorated to depict a traditional Kezi rural home, a fitting tribute to Nyathi's roots.
The Nyathi family paid homage to his life as a historian by recreating a homestead scene, complete with a brightly painted kitchen hut, symbolising his deep connection to his birthplace.
Among the dignitaries present was Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Judith Ncube, who spoke on Nyathi's immense contributions to the cultural fabric of Zimbabwe.
"We are laying to rest a giant whose works transcended borders. Nyathi didn't just write about the past; he revived it for us all. People like Nyathi should not leave the nation poorer, but instead, their work and legacies must live on forever," she said.
Bulawayo mayor Councillor David Coltart, described him as "a well of knowledge," whose dedication to documenting Zimbabwe's past will be studied by generations.
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Ms Fikile Nyathi, said her father was in pain during his last days.
"Our father had been unwell since August and when we took him to the doctor, it was discovered that he had suffered a heart attack. He was already a diabetic patient and finding out that he had suffered a heart attack was quite hard on us as a family," she said.
Nyathi's son, Butholezwe described his father as a loving dad who cherished nurturing his children to achieve the best in life.
"I worked with my father for seven years at the Amagugu Cultural Centre in Matopo and that was by far, the best working years of my life. Our father was warm, loving and funny," he said.
Nyathi's close friend, Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Reverend Paul Damasane said Nyathi wrote 20 books that articulated the history of the liberation war against minority rule from the British colonisers, the highest number of publications authored by any writer in the country.
Nyathi was laid to rest next to his wife, Elizabeth who died in 2016.
