BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA
In Marondera and his rural home Hauna, the boy is known as one of the many sons of prominent businessman and politician Luke Masamvu. Having grown up in a polygamous family, hard work and excellence has been his motto considering that more than 40 of his siblings have already obtained degrees, while those younger than him regard him as their role model.
Today, Mike Masamvu stands tall after becoming one of the best O’Level students in the country. He scored 19As and a B in the 2019 November Zimsec examinations.
His examination result slip went viral on social media with some regarding it as fake while others described him as “insane”.
“I am not insane, I am a hard worker. I am glad that I have written academic history in the country and I am hoping to do the same in my next endeavour. I just realised my weaknesses and strengths. I worked hard on tough subjects like Additional Mathematics and Physics. On other subjects I just used natural intelligence,” he told the The Standard yesterday.
Yesterday, the Masamvu family threw a party for the boy at Karimazondo Hideout, some 30km from Marondera town, where the who-is-who in the farming town, as well as Cabinet ministers were invited.
Close to 500 people attended the glamorous event to celebrate the boy’s achievements. The 17-year-old former Marist Brothers Nyanga High School student is now going to Star Leadership Academy in Chishawasha before travelling to Eswatini where he will be enrolled at United World Colleges.
In Chishawasha he will be trained on leadership, entrepreneurship skills as well as community service.
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“I will be doing the International Baccalaureate which offers six core subjects among them a foreign language like Spanish,” he said.
He, however, expressed sadness at scoring a B grade in Religious Studies when he should have picked up another A, especially given his religious background. “I wanted to get 20 As. I am not happy about this B I got in Religious Studies. I want to do technoprenuership. I want to form my own company that will be concentrating on technological issues,” said the whiz kid.
At Marist Brothers, of the three students who sat for 20 subjects, Mike came out tops with the one who came second obtaining 18As and 2 Bs while the third one got 17As and 3Bs.
“When I opened the results slip, I said to myself here is the champion. I have made history and I want to continue doing so. I am not privy to the system in Eswatini, but I feel I will do my best and succeed like before,” he said.
Mike’s other siblings Kenneth wrote 15 subjects and obtained 9 As and six Bs, while the other one, Kelvin, wrote 10 and passed six subjects. They celebrated together their success with Mike.
Masamvu, a former legislator and Zanu PF stalwart said he was shocked after hearing that his son had broken academic records.
“I knew he was going to pass, but not by this margin. I am happy that my son has made history. God has blessed me with brilliant children,” he said.
Masamvu has 14 wives and 69 children.
Nine of his children have obtained degrees at different universities while a total of 10 are currently at universities. Four of his children are doing both O’ and A’ Level, Form Threes (5), Form Twos (six), Form Ones (5) while 25 of them are at primary level.
All his children are at boarding schools.
