Pioneer journalist Shiyntum W Bimelanyuy laid to rest

The late Shiyntum William Bimelanyuy began as a newspaper vendor in Nigeria before becoming a reporter.

Pa Shiyntum William Bimelanyuy, popularly known as ‘Shakespeare,’ who collapsed on the 15th December 2014 and went into coma, died five days later in the Shisong Cardiac Centre, was laid to rest at his Njavnyuy-Kumbo residence in Bui Division in the North West Region on 5th January 2015.

The corpse was removed from the Shisong mortuary on the 5th January 2015 and driven to the Njavnyuy Eucharistic Centre where a requiem mass was said for the repose of his soul. The mass was said by three priests with Rev Father Maurice as the chief celebrant.

In his homily, he said late Pa Shiyntum William lived a good and fulfilled life. He called on Christians to pray for the repose of his soul as well as to emulate his exemplary life. The funeral service was witnessed among others by the Senior Divisional Officer for Bui, Nzeki Theophile, Honourable Mrs. Mbiybe, the Mayor of Kumbo, Njong Donatus and the many mourners.

After completing Standard Six in 1948, Shiyntum William Bimelanyuy taught as a pupil teacher at Saint John Roman Catholic School, Ngondzen in 1949 before travelling to the Federal Republic of Nigeria where he worked as a newspaper vendor and later as a writer for the Nigerian Times. This permitted him to acquire a huge knowledge in world events and equipped him with journalistic experience. He also wrote competitive articles for the BBC World Service and won prizes.

Through his journalistic experience, he spoke the Queen’s language well, earning him the nick name ‘Shakespeare.’ He returned to Cameroon in 1967 and worked with Lands and Surveys in Bamenda, the Cooperative Department in Buea, the Bamenda Administrative Garage and the Department of Finance. In 1981, he was transferred to Kumbo to work with the Ministry of Public Health, former CDNP where he went on retirement in the late 1980s and lived till his death on Saturday 20th December 2014.

Married in 1958 to Mama Margaret Wirsiy, he had six children. The son, Shey Shiyntum Justin Njoka, who doubles as the Manager of Kumbo Water Authority, who delivered the eulogy of the family, said their father was born some 82 years ago to Papa Tatah Simon and Mama Catherine Wirnsungnin. He leaves behind his five children, wife, 15 grandchildren as well as his nephew, Pius Lukong of SOPECAM Yaounde to mourn him.