Retired Justice Sello Nare, Chairperson of the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC), has died at the age of 81.
His passing was confirmed by family spokesperson Lesley Ncube, who told CITE that Nare passed away on Saturday night in a Johannesburg hospital, South Africa, where he had been receiving specialized medical care following a prolonged illness.
Born in 1943 in Kafusi, Gwanda District, Matabeleland South, Nare had a distinguished career in education, law, and national reconciliation.
“Nare began his education at Kafusi Primary School and later attended Dadaya Mission on a bursary. He started his career in education, training as a teacher and working in Zvishavane and Gwanda as a primary school teacher between 1963 and 1970. He later became a headmaster from 1971 to 1973, teaching at schools like Chegato and Msume before shifting to a legal career,” said Ncube.
Nare’s interest in law developed during his teaching years, eventually leading him to join the Judicial Services Commission (JSC), where he advanced from court interpreter to judge.
“He was passionate about both education and law, and after independence, he devoted himself fully to the legal field,” Ncube added.
Nare was fluent in six local languages – Sotho, Ndebele, Shona, Venda, Nyanja, and English – and had a working knowledge of Kalanga, Shangani, and Nambya, skills that were valuable during his time as a court interpreter.
After training at the Judicial College, Nare was appointed a magistrate in the early 1980s and pursued his LLB with UNISA. His legal career included positions as a magistrate in Bulawayo, Hwange, and Chiredzi, as well as provincial magistrate for Mashonaland West and Matabeleland North.
In 1993, Nare was promoted to regional magistrate in Harare, and later became Senior Regional Magistrate in Mutare before serving as President of the Administrative Court in Bulawayo in 2003.
By 2006, Nare was appointed President of the Labour Court in Bulawayo, a post he held until his retirement in 2013.
In March 2018, President Emmerson Mnangagwa appointed Nare as the Chairperson of the NPRC, a pivotal role in Zimbabwe’s national peacebuilding and reconciliation efforts, following the death of his predecessor Cyril Ndebele in 2016.
“Justice Nare was dedicated to fostering peace and unity throughout the country. He tirelessly advocated for national reconciliation up until his retirement,” Ncube noted.
Beyond his legal career, Nare was deeply involved in his church, serving as an elder at the Church of Christ in Bulawayo. He was also active in academia, chairing the Lupane State University Staff Disciplinary Committee in 2014.
Nare was a keen farmer, managing his farm in Marula and maintaining a garden at his home in Belleview, Bulawayo.
“He was a humble and ethical man, committed to his faith and service to his country. The legal community is poorer without him,” Ncube concluded.
Nare is survived by his wife, Leticia Gladys Nare, their three children, and 11 grandchildren. Funeral arrangements will be announced in due course.