Dr Mashudu Rubson Dima

Dr Mashudu Rubson Dima

Dr Mashudu Rubson Dima was born in 1937 in a small village called Tshitangwe, in Miluwani, Venda.  In the same year, the village experienced a plague of locusts  (Nzie Tshikume). In 1950 he was bitten by a wild dog and went to Sibasa Clinic for treatment. There he encountered a nurse by the name of Vho Peninah who gave him the name Mashudu (meaning Fortune), because she said he was very fortunate.

As a young boy, his family lived next to Dzivhani who was the head of Makwarela Primary School. Because his father wanted him and his siblings to attend school, Mashudu started to attend night classes at Dzivhani’s home, and did so until he passed standard two. He could not go further as his family could not afford to pay the school fees.

Dr Mashudu did his Junior Certificate through correspondence, while helping his siblings financially to complete their studies. He got his Matric at the age of 65.

Dr Mashudu was a bus driver and a supervisor working at Venda Development Corporation in the former homeland state of Venda.  He has been working with a variety of academic students from all over the world in their research. In 1961 Dr Dima became an African Health Practitioner and has since been awarded many certificates and other awards.