Leonard Chiposi
Leonard Chiposi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | September 8, 1928 Chimanimani, Zimbabwe |
| Died | October 10, 1993 |
| NSA member | South Central Africa 1964 - ???? Zimbabwe 1970 - 1993 |
Leonard Fani Chiposi (September 8, 1928 - October 10, 1993) was a Zimbabwean Bahá'í who served in administration of the Bahá'í Faith for much of his life, traveled to visit Bahá'ís in rural areas across Zimbabwe, and maintained good relations with dignitaries assisting the public relations of the Faith in Zimbabwe.
Background[edit]
Leonard was born in town Chimanimani in the East Highlands of Zimbabwe. His mother passed when he was young, and his father remarried having two sons and a daughter with Leonard's step-mother. His family were Methodists and two of his brothers became leaders in the Methodist Church. He completed secondary school, but was unable to attend university due to his families financial situation and the political situation in Zimbabwe reducing opportunities for native Africans in the country.[1] In his career he became a teacher in Chimianimani and later moved to Salisbury, now Harare, where he worked in administrative positions in industrial and commercial industries.[2] He later worked as a personnel officer for an international firm, and after retiring at the age of sixty he opened a butcher and grocery store.[3]
In 1955 he was introduced to the Bahá'í Faith by Moses Makwaya, one of the first Zimbabwean Bahá'ís. He declared in 1956 and his wife, Mabel, declared the following year. Mabel was the first African woman to become a Bahá'í,[4] and after passing in 1958 she became the first Bahá'í buried in the first Bahá'í cemetery of Zimbabwe.[5]
In 1956 he was elected to the Local Spiritual Assembly of Salisbury in a by-election, and in 1957 he moved to Highfield where he was elected chairman of the Local Spiritual Assembly. Also in 1957 he was elected the first indigenous delegate from Zimbabwe to the National Convention of South and West Africa.[6] He served on the Area Teaching Committee of Southern Rhodesia, and Regional Teaching Committee of Northern and Southern Rhodesia for a time. In 1964 he was elected to the first National Spiritual Assembly of South Central Africa,[7] and he was also elected as an inaugural member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Rhodesia when it was established in 1970, serving on the body, often as Chairman, until his passing in 1993, with the exception of some years when he was not re-elected.[8]
On October 10, 1993, Leonard was taken to hospital due to a suspected case of malaria and he passed away in the afternoon the same day. He was survived by seven children.[9]
The Universal Justice conveyed the following message after his passing:
DEEPLY SADDENED LOSS LEONARD CHIPOSI. LONG YEARS DEDICATED, UNSTINTING SERVICE INDELIBLY INSCRIBED ANNALS CAUSE GOD ZIMBABWE. FERVENTLY PRAYING HOLY SHRINES PROGRESS HIS RADIANT SOUL ABHA KINGDOM[10]
References[edit]
- Obituary published in Bahá'í World, In Memoriam: 1992-1997, pp 88-90.
Notes[edit]
- ↑ Bahá'í World, In Memoriam: 1992-1997, p 88
- ↑ Bahá'í World, In Memoriam: 1992-1997, p 88
- ↑ Bahá'í World, In Memoriam: 1992-1997, p 89
- ↑ https://news.bahai.org/story/275/
- ↑ Bahá'í World, In Memoriam: 1992-1997, p 90
- ↑ Bahá'í World, In Memoriam: 1992-1997, p 88
- ↑ Baha'i News (1964). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 405, Pg(s) 10. View as PDF.
- ↑ Bahá'í World, In Memoriam: 1992-1997, p 89
- ↑ Bahá'í World, In Memoriam: 1992-1997, p 90
- ↑ Bahá'í World, In Memoriam: 1992-1997, p 89
