LOCAL arts motherbody, National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) paid tribute to the late Roman Catholic cleric, Father Emmanuel Ribeiro saying he left a rich legacy for the country in his literary and musical works.

A man of many talents, Ribeiro (86), who was declared a national hero, died on Thursday last week at St Anne’s Hospital in Harare after a short illness.

He will be buried today at the national shrine.

A novelist, music composer, and a passionate researcher, Ribeiro is credited for helping nationalists, including the late former President Robert Mugabe and Edgar Tekere cross into neighbouring Mozambique during the liberation war.

In a condolence message, NACZ director Nicholas Moyo said the late priest undertook and executed with distinction important national assignments.

“The National Arts Council of Zimbabwe has learnt with sadness, news of the death of the veteran writer, composer and Roman Catholic Priest, Father Emmanuel Francis Ribeiro who was one of the pioneering writers in the native language during the colonial era with his first two Shona novels Muchadura (1967) and Tonderai (1969) winning him prizes in competitions arranged by the Rhodesia Literature Bureau,” he said.

“Muchadura sold a recordbreaking 3 000 copies and has been used as a secondary school set book.

“In a wide-ranging career in the arts, Fr Ribeiro also wrote Shona epilogues for the Rhodesia Broadcasting Corporation’s African Service for two years and was also a correspondent for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).”

Moyo said the prominent priest was the head of the committee which composed the country’s national anthem and was part of the committee which designed the national flag.

“The late priest was also a prolific music composer having composed his first Roman Catholic Church song “Gamuchirai Mambo” in 1961.

“He composed 17 catholic church songs including Alleluia Munyika Dzose, Tauya Nezvipo Zvemupiro, Mambo Mwari Wamasimba, Hwayana yaMwari, and Mwari Ngaarumbidzwe among others,” he said.

“These works have stood the test of time and have become part of the country’s cultural and political heritages.”

The iconic priest was born in 1935 in Chivhu and attended Kutama Mission, Gokomere, and Gweru Teachers’ College.

He studied Theology at Chishawasha Mission before enrolling for a Master’s Degree at Bloomington College of Music in the United States.

Fr Ribeiro was trained at Chishawasha Mission from 1952 and was ordained on December 13, 1964.