ZIMBABWEAN artist and scientist, who helped Bob Marley write the hit song
Zimbabwe, Dr Gibson Mandishona, died last week in Harare.
A major contributor to arts and science development in Zimbabwe Mandishona,
passed away on Saturday, according to a family member.
He helped the late Bob Marley write his iconic song Zimbabwe played live in
Harare's Rufaro Stadium on the Independence Day, April 18, 1980.
According to media reports from Harare, Mandishona had been unwell recently and
succumbed to his ailments.
His influence in the arts sector is, however, likely to outlive him by far, considering
his interaction with one of the best and most influential musicians ever to grace
Zimbabwe and the universe.
Mandishona was in Ethiopia when he met Marley.
Leading a band called the UN Jazz Band, made up diplomats, activists and
alongside former finance minister, Dr Herbert Murerwa, they met Marley in Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia.
They were working for the UN in Ethiopia when coincidentally Marley visited the
country in February of 1979.
At that time, Marley was recording his Survival album, and was told of the presence
of Zimbabwean, Dr Mandishona, who he in turn invited to his hotel.
Mandishona is widely quoted as having been told of Marley's prophetic feeling that
Zimbabwe would be getting independence soon and he was practising a song called
Zimbabwe.
Journalist Sifelani Tsiko, who may have heard one of the last interviews with
Mandishona, wrote: “So, while we were practising the song I would add my ideas
both in the instrumentation and lyrical bit of the song until it was complete.”
Zimbabwe is on Bob Marley’s Survival album, released in 1979, just in time for
Zimbabwe’s Independence.
Mandishona is said to have added some lyrics and made inputs of some
Zimbabwean drums and local sounds in the song that almost became a national
anthem after Marley's massive concert at Rufaro Stadium.
Mandishona would go on to have a major effect in shaping the arts sector in
Zimbabwe.

Besides, Mandishona was a celebrated research scientist and mathematician.

He was the first Board Chairman of the Harare Institute of Technology (HIT) and was
in 2021 awarded the Order of the Star of Zimbabwe Silver Medal during the 2021
Heroes’ and Defence Forces’ Day commemorations.