By Mercy Matonga:
Tributes have been pouring in for Zimani Kadzamira, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Malawi (Unima), diplomat and brother to Cecilia Kadzamira, former official hostess for Malawi’s founding president, Hastings Kamuzu Banda.
Kadzamira died Friday morning.
Both family and academia have hailed his character and contribution to the Malawian society.
- Advertisement -
Speaking on behalf of the family, Shepherd Quindanguo Tembo described him as “a jovial person, a loving brother, loving husband, loving cousin to his relations and young in spirit.”
- Advertisement -
Kadzamira lived by example to his family in both academic and family life, he said, and he was exceptional with his intelligence.
“He was a person who did so well academically that he was a motivation to the family. He was calm and helped to motivate the younger generations,” Tembo said.
Vice Chancellor for Unima, Samson Sajidu, said Kadzamira would be remembered in the academia as a distinguished scholar and academic and university administrator who dedicated much of his career to the advancement of the university and higher education in Malawi.
“Professor Kadzamira will also be remembered for his contribution to academic development, university leadership, research and the advancement of the University of Malawi’s national, regional and international engagement,” Sajidu said.
- Advertisement -
He added that his passing was a great loss to the University of Malawi and the wider academic community in Malawi.
“The university extends its deepest condolences to his family, colleagues, former students and all who mourn his passing,” he said.
In a Facebook post, Director General for Malawi School of Government, Lewis Dzimbiri, said he would remember Kadzamira for his sense of humanity and intervention in human resource.
According to Unima, Kadzamira joined the University of Malawi in 1966 as a lecturer and rose to the rank of senior lecturer in 1975.
His other academic and administrative achievements included the attainment of associate professorship, Dean of Social Science, Vice Principal of Chancellor College and later appointed as Principal of Chancellor College in 1981.
He rose to become professor in 1991 and later served as Principal of Bunda College of Agriculture (now Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources) and Head of the Department of Political and Administrative Studies at Chancellor College between 1998 and 2001.
He subsequently served as Vice Chancellor of the University of Malawi from 2005 to 2009.
Records also show he served as Malawi’s ambassador to Japan at some point.
He was born in 1941. He is survived by a wife, Esime Baghwanji Kadzamira, and four children – one boy and three girls.
