The Rhodesian Study Circle is a philatelic website for the areas of Rhodesia, Northern Rhodesia, Southern Rhodesia, British Central Africa and Nyasaland, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Matjinge Mission
There is currently little information on the formation and history of the Matjinge Mission. The mission hosts both a primary, secondary and boarding school.
The schools continue to service boarders and local children today.
Mutero Mission
Mutero Mission began as an outstation of Mukaro Mission. It became its own independent mission in 1956. Located in the Gutu Tribal Trust Land in Masvingo Province, Southern Rhodesia (among the Shona peoples), it was established by the Bethlehem Missionary Society (SMB) under the leadership of Bishop Haene.
Simon Mutero, the son of the local chief, persuaded his father to win the support of chief Chagwiza to permit the Roman Catholics to open a school in 1946. The area had previously been under the influence of the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC), but the local populace had become dissatisfied when the DRC closed down local schools. Mutero would go on to teach at the mission for over 20 years. When SMB missionary, Fr. Joseph Suter, first arrived, he saw “only a vista of treeless land without water or pasture. Water was obtained from a borehole; buildings were put up and primary and junior secondary schools established.”
The Mutero mission community in the late 1970s consisted of Bethlehem Father Anthony Wey, the mission superior, Fr Walter Kaufmann, Fr James Bernet, Fr Winterhalder, and five sisters of the Diocesan Congregation of the Infant Jesus (SJI) under the leadership of Sr Tarcisia Gundani, the superior. The sisters ran the primary and the secondary school and the clinic. All stayed at the mission throughout “the war of independence, in spite of the dangers and hardships, and being cut off from all outside communication from April 1979 to April 1980. Father Urayai would later join the Mutero from Serima Mission,
The mission presently consists of Chatikobo Primary School, Mutero High school (with a current enrollment of 765 students and 35 staff), and the Mutero Mission Clinic.
Commemorative Covers – Zimbabwe
Salisbury
The African Fine Art & Book Co produced a number of commemorative covers during 1979-80.
30 April – 11 May 1984
In 1984, Zimbabwe hosted the First Plenipotentiary Conference of the Pan-African Postal Union (PAPU) in Harare.
The objectives of the Union are:
1. To maintain and extend co-operation among Member-States for the improvement and rational use of postal services;
2. To harmonize tariff structure among Member-States with the view of establishing tariffs compatible with good services and a sound financial management of postal services.
3. To promote the establishment of multi-national regional and sub-regional postal training institutes in Africa, in co-cooperation with international and African Regional and sub-regional organizations with legitimate interest in postal services in Africa.
4. To harmonize, as far as possible the position of the Member –States during international meetings in the field of postal services and in particular at UPU meetings.
5. To publish information and research material on postal services for the benefit of Member–States of the Union and to encourage the exchange of information and staff between the administrations of Member-States.
6. To act as a servicing institution for its Member-States for integrated postal development providing them with the necessary technical support.
The purpose of the conference are:
1. The plenipotentiary Conference hereinafter referred to, as “the Conference” shall be the supreme organ of the Union. It shall assume the prime functions with a view to achieving the objectives of the Union.
2. It shall consist of Ministers responsible for postal Services of Member-States.
3. The Conference shall convene in an ordinary session every four years.
4. At the request of one or more Member-States, the Administrative Council or the General Secretariat and subject to the agreement of two-thirds of the Member-States, the Conference shall convene in an extraordinary session.
5. African Liberation Movement recognized by the OAU shall, at their request, be admitted as observers to the sessions of the Conference.
29 November – 7 December 1988
The International Labour Organisation’s Seventh Annual Regional Conference was held in Harare in 1988.
One of the key recommendations was a report on the rural employment promotion. The resolution, later adopted, was aimed at both developed and under-developed nations. It distinguished between issues on which national action was advisable by member countries themselves and areas of work which the Office should give attention through research, advisory services and technical co-operation.
This conference was the last for several years as the conference was then restructured and reorganised before the Eight Regional Conference.
Bulawayo
The Bulawayo Public Library was founded 1896 when the European settlers established public libraries to cater for their information, recreational, educational and cultural needs. A twelve man library Committee was chosen to run the facility and their major role was to fundraise for the library.
A foundation stone of the 8th Avenue /Fort Street site was laid on the 5th of November 1897 by Lord Milner during his visit for the opening of the Railway. In 1902 the library also house The Rhodesia Museum.
Since its establishment the library has remained popular to many readers in the city of Bulawayo and the whole of the Southern Region. The services that this library provides are largely as a result of enthusiasm and energy given over many years by the committees,librarians as well as staff members. The institution is registered in terms of the welfare Organizations Act (Chapter 93).
