When an elderly person dies, a library has burned down – the saying is a cliché, but has never been truer than in the case of Pathisa Nyathi, who passed away at the age of 73 on 2 November.
Nyathi was a living library and archive of Zimbabwean history, cultural practices and African philosophy. Through his work, he documented and preserved the customs and traditions of Zimbabwean people, especially the Ndebele.
As a scholar of African literature and cultural production, I had the opportunity to interact with him. We were preparing a co-edited book called Power, Politics & Production: Essays on Ndebele Language & Cultural Production. It had been accepted for publication by his publishing house, Amagugu Publishers. He was generous with his knowledge and advice. His enthusiasm for our book was contagious.
