By Brighton ChisevaCHIVI – Veteran educationist Aleck Tabe, who died last Friday (May 22, 2026), received a huge send-off at his rural home in Chivi as people from all walks of life paid their last respects to a man whose journey in the teaching fraternity spanned four decades.He survived with his wife, four children, two boys and two girls and 12 grandchildrenTabe was born in June 1958. He did his primary education at Chisenga Primary School and secondary at Lundi and Dadaya High Schools before enrolling at Morgenster Teachers’ College, graduating in 1980. He later became a headmaster at various schools and also a renowned farmer.He was promoted from teacher to deputy head at Makasi Primary School before being promoted to head at Tadzembwa Primary in 2001. He later transferred to Rujeko Primary School in Masvingo City, where he served until his retirement in 2023.Speaker after speaker emphasized the love he had for his work, his family, and everyone he worked with. Family representatives said they had lost a unifying figure who held the family together. His daughters-in-law described him as their pillar whenever they faced challenges with their husbands, saying he was the best person to approach.His elder brothers described him as the manager of their “family company”, saying he ensured that everything needed for the progress and unity of the family was done. They said he groomed countless family members, sending his siblings’ children and other vulnerable community members to school and supporting them through various empowerment programmes.The church described him as a devout Reformed Church member who never missed any church programme and was always ready to use his vehicles for church activities without asking for payment. They said he would transport firewood and congregants to church using his lorry.His firstborn son, Svitsai Tabe, described him as a rare gem who never asked him to contribute anything towards the education of his siblings, even though all of them were still in school when Svitsai started working.“There is an eightyear age difference between me and the one who comes after me, so it means I started working while he was still in school, along with the rest of my siblings. However, I never paid a single cent towards their education. He would say, ‘I will send my own children to school on my own. I don’t want you to one day bother them telling them that you contributed towards their education,’” said Svitsai.Svitsai, who is now also a school head like his father, said his father advised him to avoid misusing school funds or engaging in improper relationships with pupils.His namesake, Masvingo Mayor Alec Tabe Jnr, said his father imparted leadership skills to him, and as a result, he is now a mayor and able to connect with many people. He noted that many mayors attended his father’s burial as a testament to the elder Tabe’s farreaching influence.Fellow heads from Masvingo City Council schools also paid tribute describing him as a role model who groomed many.Masvingo City Council Chamber Secretary Vitalis Shonhai, who represented Town Clerk Edward Mukaratirwa, said the late was one of their finest heads at council schools and that he left his son to the council, who is now the mayor.“He was one of our best school heads until his retirement. He served well at our school, and when he retired he left us his son, who is our mayor. We work very well with him,” said Shonhai.Masvingo District Schools Inspector Ishmael Chigaba described Tabe as an advisor to him, even though Chigaba held a higher office.“The late was older than me, so he was my advisor despite my holding a higher office. He was elected to the Better Schools Programme board. He would bring the challenges of other heads and advise us on the best way to handle the situation,” said Chigaba.Opposition politician Amos Chibaya said he had been sent by former opposition leader Nelson Chamisa to convey condolences to the Tabe family.Masvingo Provincial Permanent Secretary in the Minister of State’s office, Dr Addmore Pazvakavambwa, described the late Tabe as a role model, saying serving four decades in government was no small feat.“The late Aleck Tabe was a role model. Serving 43 uninterrupted years in government is not easy. It shows who the man was, because many are expelled from work after abusing funds,” said Pazvakavambwa.The huge turnout was a clear sign of the late educationist’s impact. Long lines of vehicles stretched along the roads leading to the rural homestead, with registration plates from across the country. Government officials, opposition politicians, several mayors from different towns, school heads, teachers, MPs, councillors, education officials, the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe leadership, congregants, and ordinary villagers all gathered to bid farewell. The sheer number of mourners, from the powerful to the humble, spoke volumes about the respect and love the community had for the man who had shaped so many lives through education.
