Look How Far We Have Come ... A
History Of Watershed College
BY: SEE BELOW
WATERSHED COLLEGE WAS BORN, like all other things, out
of a dream. However, many dreams suffer a still birth and are
never realised. What made the Watershed dream a success was the
unwavering determination and single-mindedness of the founding
parents.
This is a quality which has transcended the
years, from 1987 when the school opened its doors to the present
day. Determination and hard work have become synonymous with
Watershed College.
After Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980 the government prioritised
education and soon most schools were burgeoning at the seams.
The founding parents of Watershed decided to build a school
close to the town of Marondera, a school that would capture the
rustic simplicity of the natural woodlands and whose tradition
would be steeped in self-discipline, self-esteem, commitment,
integrity and, of course, academic and sporting excellence. The
architect, Mr John Kirkman was given the task of integrating the
school buildings into the natural vegetation and he did a
splendid job. Watershed College grew out of Government policy of
reconciliation, out of a desire to create, to build, to express
the inner feelings of relief at the end of the war and the
beginning of peace. It grew, most of all, out of hope and faith
in a future Zimbabwe for all its people. The people who built
Watershed were people with an active faith in God. They were not
all Christians, but Christians were in the majority. However,
the spirit of the college was not to differentiate, not to
split, not to pull down but rather to join together, to accept
differences, to put aside prejudice and ego and to allow God’s
love to heal, to comfort and to grow.
This was certainly an ambitious dream for there was nothing except
the beautiful big lemon-scented gum trees, the imposing saligna
grandis gums, the primordial Msasa trees and at the site of the
present workshop was a group of pine trees, proudly pointing
their fingers to the skies. There was the duiker and the
reedbuck that inhabited the land while the eagles kept an
eternal vigil on the countryside. Tall thatching grass rustled
in the wind. That was nature at its Edenic best.
Watershed College was built on a piece of land that belonged to
Mr George Van Niekerk, 64 acres in extent and a paddock of his
Roraima Farm. Part of the Watershed tradition, that of
selflessness was hatched. Mr Van Niekerk gave the land for free.
At about the same time Peddie Farm, which starts from the
security fence and stretches down through the cricket field to
the farm and staff houses was purchased. With the formation of
the Board of Governors, sub-committees were established to
choose the emblem and the motto. The owl stands for wisdom and
loosely translated the motto Ex Arduis Florio
means through hard work we prosper. The school colours are beige
and sky blue- the colours of the sandveld soil and the clear
blue skies. The concept of building the school was well received
and people from all over the country and even as far as Zambia
and Namibia woke up to the honourable dream of building
Watershed College.
The school opened its doors on Tuesday 26 January 1987 on the second
Tuesday of the first term to 89 students. The foundation stone
at the Administration Block had been laid by the then Minister
of Education, the Hon Dzingai Mutumbuka on Friday 23 January
1987. The first intake was remarkable for its diversity.
Students, like Jason Black, were accepted with disabilities. He
walked with great difficulties on crutches with callipers. Some
were dyslexic while others were quite brilliant. There were 8
teachers. The target enrolment was 500 students and today, in
2011 the college enrols close to that number. The second Tuesday
of the first term has been appropriately named Founders’ Day, in
proud but humble recognition of the founding parents’ efforts.
No solid infrastructure was in place. That the dream came to
fruition was largely due to the collective spirit of the
parents. To start with, parents formed lift clubs to drive the
students to school. The pioneering students led a Spartan but
exciting life and they took it in their stride. Such was the
desire to succeed. Boys were housed in tobacco barns belonging
to some of the founding fathers, including Mr Robert Knott, who
is currently the chairperson of the Board of Trustees. Since the
kitchen was incomplete meals were mostly braais. There were no
uniforms. This was a luxury everyone dispensed with. In the
course of time parents formed a Watershed Parents’ Association
in order to raise funds for the school. They held dinner dances
and garden lunches. Farmers carted bricks and cement to build
the first classrooms. Students made their way to class over
duckboards spanning foundations and between lessons teachers
could help the constructing team with one founder member and
Head of the English Department, Mr Bisset, driving a tractor to
level the parking area. Needless to say, such dedication is now
part of the rich tradition of the college.
On the
advice of Mr Tom Muller, curator of the National Botanic Gardens
and Herbarium in Harare a piece of the original woodland located
next to the Library was enclosed in a fence for posterity. This
is known as ‘’the witness area.’’ It is plain forest, meant to
capture, at least in part, the original atmosphere which existed
at Watershed many years ago. Imagine the tiny creatures that
inhabited the area. Feel the scent of the plants. Realise the
intricacies of nature and the mystical air and perhaps you may
agree that Watershed is a living dream. Ally this with four
locations of rock art by the San who once lived here. They are
located at Zvipadze Farm. Imagine what went on in the San’s
minds as they mixed the colours and deftly superimposed nature
on the rocks. Be proud to admit that , like ourselves, they also
had a dream. Admit that we are not the last ones here. Many will
come, with even bigger dreams. This is part of the irony about
life. Look at the trees, the birds and the fields. They may not
be very important to you but they are landmarks in history.
Future generations will strive to capture their essence, in as
much as we strive to see our whole meaning from the past and
wish we had fully known how it would be important in shaping our
future.
In 1990 the college enrolled the first students for the Agriculture
Diploma Course with Mr Peter Chard as director. On completion of
the two year course students were awarded either a Diploma or a
Certificate in Agriculture from the college. As a measure of the
recognition awarded to the course, when the Agricultural Section
held a field day in September 1990 the opening address was
delivered by none other than Mr Anthony Swire-Thompson, the then
Deputy President of the Commercial Farmers’ Union. During the
same year the college purchased Zvipadze Farm, later renamed
Watershed College Farm. In 1995, managed by Mr Gilbert Masose,
the farm grew its best tobacco thus far, producing over
3000kgs/ha on dryland conditions, a notable achievement indeed.
In 1998 the Watershed College Secretarial Course began with 10
students. Examinations were written and marked overseas.
Internationally recognised certificates were awarded. In 2009
the college introduced the French DELF
examinations which are run by the French embassy. The following year
the college scored a first. Mrs A Charidza became the first
black female to head a private school
in Zimbabwe. The college has continued to strive to
produce well-rounded personalities who have excelled in the
various sporting and cultural activities offered by the school.
However, it has not been all plain sailing. Deaths of parents and
old students have occurred. One Form One lad, Jared Steyn was
taken from us. In April 1997 one of the teachers, Sarah Buckler
passed on. Another student, Shane Buckley, was electrocuted at
the school in 1989 and Reynato Fernandes was fatally injured in
a rugby match against Peterhouse Boys’ School. All these have
taught us invaluable lessons with their dying and have inspired
us to scale even greater heights. Sarah’s parents bequeathed her
estate towards the chapel fund and today the majestic and
imposing chapel is the focal point of Watershed College
Christian Faith. The foundations of Watershed College are laid
firmly on faith. To have faith is to give and to love as Jesus
did and the chapel is a growth of that faith. The foundation
stone of the chapel is a stone collected and brought from
Medjugorje in Croatia where an amazing spiritual process has
been taking place consistently since 24 June 1981. Mary, the
mother of Jesus is appearing to visionaries every day. Shane
Buckley’s parents also donated a sum of money towards the
building of the chapel as well as a memorial trophy for
achievement. Jared Steyn’s parents generously donated a trophy
for Creative Writing. Old students, teachers and those
associated with Watershed College have come up with numerous
trophies and prizes and each year in October, Speech Night is
very much anticipated as students hope to grab some of the many
awards on offer.
Tradition is built on the fine achievements of the past and the
college owes its very rich tradition to the founding parents and
students. Fittingly, the second Tuesday of the first school term
is known as Founders’ Day and is commemorated with great pomp
and fanfare every year. For instance, on Tuesday 18 January 2011
to mark the college’s twenty fifth anniversary, one of the
founding fathers, Mr Robert Knottt was the special guest and he
planted one of twenty-five trees. Each tree stands as a proud
reminder and testimony of each of the years that Watershed
College has been in existence.
Compiled by J. Zvekare, with the invaluable assistance of Mr
Robert Knottt.
Lest we forget the under-mentioned are the men and women who
formed the first staff body in 1987. May their spirit continue
to inspire us.
Mr T. Brown (Headmaster)
Mrs J. Brown
Mr L. Marowa
Mrs S. Buckland
Mrs S. Geach
Mr I. Banda
Mr S. Geach
Mr D. Bisset
The following are still at Watershed and were members’ of the
workers’ body. They know whatever pipes lie in the soil and
everything associated with the college.
