Zimbabwe
Giraffe Heroes Zimbabwe (GHZ) was launched in 2014 with the purpose of inspiring more and more citizens of that country to “stick their necks out” to help solve the tough public problems that challenge that country.
The organization joined similar groups in India, Nepal, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Singapore and Argentina. Although completely independent, all are inspired by the work of the Giraffe Heroes Project in the USA.
The strategy of Giraffe Heroes Zimbabwe—as all the other Giraffe groups—is simple. GHZ finds brave Zimbabweans of all ages and walks of life who are already acting courageously for the common good.. When it tells the stories of these"Giraffe Heroes" over both traditional and social media, others are moved to get into action too. Telling the stories of heroes to motivate others to action may be a very simple strategy, but it works—as it has in every culture for thousands of years.
Giraffe Heroes are chosen by a jury of citizens from nominations received from all over the country. The main criterion for being a Giraffe Hero is that the person has taken courageous action that serves the common good.
From the Desk of the Chairman
My name is Terry Mutsvanga and I am the Chairperson of Giraffe Heroes Zimbabwe. It is my pleasure to introduce you the GH Zimbabwe (GHZ) Chapter. We have already honored over 80 Giraffe Heroes—brave citizens who are "sticking their necks out" to fight for the rights of all Zimbabweans.
GH Zimbabwe strives to recognize “unsung heroes” that have positively contributed immensely in society and to tell their stories to the nation, inspiring others to stick their necks out too. In this way, we hope to leave a legacy of positivity to future generations through our work.
We are now calling upon nominations for individuals from around Zimbabwe whom you think deserve to be honored for their outstanding contributions inasmuch as advocating for social and economic rights as well as contributing positively in communities they reside in.
Do you know of a fellow Zimbabwean—man or woman, young or old, from any tribal, economic, political, social or professional background, who is acting bravely ("sticking her or his neck out," just like a giraffe!) to help solve one of our country’s pressing problems, including, for example, poverty, poor infrastructure, mismanagement, corruption and enormous challenges in almost every sector of the economy? If you do, email the information to me at Terry Mutsvanga terrymutsvanga81@gmail.com.
Thank You
Check out the Giraffe Heroes Zimbabwe Facebook Page!
The Giraffe Heroes of Zimbabwe
Youngerson Matete
Youngerson Matete is a youth activist and founder of Project Launch 263, a nonpartisan and youth-driven organization that seeks to mobilize young people in both urban and rural Zimbabwe and to educate them on the importance of participating in the electoral process. Matete has met with often physical resistance from both government agents and political opponents, but he continues to reach out to millions of young voters before the next election. More
Jeremiah Bhamu
Jeremiah Bhamu is a human rights lawyer in Zimbabwe who represents activists jailed by a politically biased judicial system. Other lawyers are reluctant to do what he does because they fear persecution. Bhamu has been arrested in the past for his efforts but continues to offer legal services to those who need it. More
George Makoni
George Makoni is a human rights activist and community builder who has been arrested and jailed several times because of his defense of citizens’ rights in Zimbabwe. His nonpartisan organization has been a leading voice in promoting transparency in public offices and in enlightening rural communities on their rights and in providing voter information. More
Nash Mphepo
Nash Mphepo is a comedian and filmmaker who uses art to highlight and expose human rights abuses perpetrated by the Zimbabwe government against its citizens. As a result of such bravery, Hphepo has faced several ugly brushes with government security forces and has been assaulted and arrested whilst carrying out his work. More
Nasper Manyau
Nasper Manyau is a Senator and human rights activist in Zimbabwe who has been highly active in fighting for the support of People Living with Disabilities. She has been detained and jailed by the police whilst conducting her duties as a human rights defender, but that hasn’t stopped her from carrying out her tireless commitment toward fighting for the rights of the disabled. More
Godfrey Karembera
Godfrey Karembera, popularly known as Madzibaba we Shanduko (“Prophet for Change”), is a Zimbabwean human rights activist displaying immense bravery amidst a government crackdown targeting journalists and activists critical of the government. He's been beaten up and tortured by the police on numerous occasions whilst leading pro-democracy campaigns and has served jail time at one of the country’s most notorious prisons. More
Nkhosikhona Dibiti
Nkhosikhona Dibiti is a journalist and human rights activist from Matabeleland who has been instrumental in conducting a vigorous voter registration campaign in the remotest part of the province. Despite the threat of persecution from the authorities, Dibiti's brave work has resulted in marginalized communities accessing vital voter awareness information. More
Dereck Nziyakwi
Dereck Nziyakwi uses theater and comedy to expose rampant human rights abuses perpetrated against the people by the state in Zimbabwe. His political satire has earned him praises from citizens across the country but that has also attracted persecution from the brutal police system including several arrests. More
Liam Kanhenga
Liam Kanhenga is a Zimbabwean human rights activist working on voter awareness and registration programs targeting thousands of college and university students as the country prepares to choose a new President in 2023. For his efforts, Liam has been arrested, imprisoned, and beaten by police several times. Nonetheless, he does not relent in fighting bad governance and human rights violations being perpetrated by the current government. More
Allan Murozvi
Allan Murozvi is a human rights activist in Zimbabwe. Despite threats to his life, he has been fighting for the rights of villagers who are constantly being evicted from their ancestral land by the government led by autocratic President Emmerson Mnangagwa.. He is also the project manager of Platform for Youth and Community Development (PYD), a nonpartisan organization that champions youth participation in democracy and governance issues in Chipinge, Zimbabwe. More
Elvis Mugari
Elvis Mugari is a human rights activist and founding member of Occupy Africa Unity Square (OAUS) a civic rights organization that champions democracy and good governance in Zimbabwe. He has been arrested, detained and assaulted several times by the brutal Emmerson Mnangagwa regime for leading protests against gross human rights violations but that has not stopped him from continuing his activism. More
Kudakwashe Makanda
Kudakwashe Makanda is a human rights activist, environmentalist and member of a non-partisan organization promoting transparent, equitable and sustainable mining of black granite, a valuable building material found in abundance in Mutoko. He’s been arrested several times while leading campaigns against destructive mining practices. That has not deterred him. More
Takudzwa Ngadziore
Takudzwa Ngadziore is a human rights activist and President of the Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU). He has been imprisoned and beaten up by the police on numerous occasions for standing up for the rights of students in Zimbabwe’s institutions. At 21, Ngadziore continues to risk persecution and even death at the hands of state security agents who are swift to descend on democratic voices that fight for change in the country. More
Sheila Chisirimunhu
Sheila Chisirimunhu is a teacher and human rights activist who fights for the rights of teachers in Zimbabwe. As a member of the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Association of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ), Chisirimunhu has been assaulted, arrested, and jailed for demanding better living conditions for teachers in the country. Despite her persecution, she remains resolute in her quest for a democratic society in Zimbabwe. More
Glanis Changachirere
Glanis Changachirere is a Zimbabwean activist for women’s rights. In 2009 she founded the Institute for Young Women Development (IYWD), educating hundreds of thousands of women in their rights and helping them achieve education, jobs, and even positions in the Zimbabwe government. The patriarchal society has threatened and harassed her but she and IYWD continue to build rights for women. More
Wendy Gumbanjera
Despite very little available knowledge about COVID-19, Zimbabwean psychologist Wendy Gumbanjera volunteered to help those affected from the very beginning of the pandemic. Against the wishes of her family and friends, she went to the front lines to help. The virus has taken a serious toll on Zimbabwe, but Gumbanjera continues to risk her life.. More
Alan Moyo
University of Zimbabwe student activist Allan Moyo says his 74-day imprisonment has only sharpened his resolve to fight for a better Zimbabwe. The 23-year-old was arrested on December 7 last year and charged with inciting public violence against President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government. He was released on ZW$10,000 bail in March. More
Samantha Murozoki
Defying initial government sanctions and risking infection from the Covid-19 virus, Samantha Murozoki has been voluntarily feeding hundreds of people in Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe. They are finding it difficult to make ends meet during the national lockdown imposed as part of the measures to contain the spread of virus. More
Panashe Makufa
Despite risks of threats and violence, young photo-journalist Panashe Makufa has employed many tactics in his fight for consumers rights, freedom of expression and journalistic freedoms—from staging one-many demonstrations to court challenges to police actions against the media. His current fight is for the right to report freely on the Covid-19 outbreak in his country. More
Theresa Nyava
Theresa Nyava grew up poor in rural Zimbabwe, and her family couldn’t afford to purchase menstrual products for her or her sisters. Once in university, Nyava began donating money to underprivileged schoolgirls and lobbying for affordable menstrual products and services, later forming a nonprofit, Nyava has been denounced by many religious and tribal leaders, who resent her challenge to traditional ways of treating females. More
Stabile Dewa
Stabile Dewa, a vibrant Zimbabwe democracy and women rights activist is one of the seven people recently charged with treason in the southern African country. She was arrested in May returning from a democracy workshop in the Maldives and spent days in prison before she was released on a $1000 bail pending trial. More
Chief Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni
Outspoken and defiant, Zimbabwean traditional Chief Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni “speaks truth to power,” criticizing government political and land-use abuses and supporting human rights. For his efforts he’s been labeled a “security threat” and physically attacked by gangs sent by his opponents. More
Chipiwa Mugabe
Vibrant and fearless Zimbabwean HIV activist Chipiwa Mugabe is fighting for LGBTIQ rights in Zimbabwe despite the stigma surrounded with the topic. Chipiwa, a former sex worker has been arrested several times in Zimbabwe for her sexual health rights campaigns but she remains determined to push for the rights of marginalized people in society. More
Robson Chere
Robson Chere, a teacher and trade unionist in Zimbabwe has been arrested several times by the police for calling on the government to pay rural teachers a decent salary and improve their working conditions. “I will not just stand and watch myself and my comrades dying from man-made poverty,” he says, but I choose to speak out.” More
Tunamirai Zimonte
Tunamirai Zimonte fights to educate young people in Zimbabwe on the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse. Zimonte speaks and writes about this growing problem, facilitates training workshops and lobbies the government for enforcement of drug laws. He is continually threatened by drug dealers, and police are typically reluctant to take any action. Nonetheless, Zimonte perseveres. More
Misheck Kazembe
Despite paying their monthly water bills, the residents of Chegutu, Zimbabwe, have gone for years with inadequate supplies of clean water, resulting in outbreaks of cholera and other diseases. Misheck Kazembe set up a nonprofit organization to challenge the local governing Council to deliver the water. He is not stopped by threats by the local police. More
The Hwange Women
The Hwange Colliery Company Limited (HCCL), a Zimbabwe coal-mining company, has not paid its workers for years, sending many families into deep poverty. Spouses and widows of HCCL workers, as well as former workers themselves, have banded together to protest. The women have encountered harassment and threats but they continue their demonstrations. More
Tapiwa Marunge
Tapiwa Marunge, an albino living in Zimbabwe, founded Albino Alive in order to educate people about albinism and to help albinos who have traditionally been persecuted because of their condition. Marunge herself has faced hostility from people who see albinos as cursed, More
Freeblessing Murahwa
Freeblessing Murahwa is a trained dentist who provides free health care to citizens in rural areas of Zimbabwe. He forgoes a more comfortable urban practice to travel to remote malaria-infested areas to provide dental services that his patients can’t otherwise afford. More
Agnes Chindimba
Agnes Chindimba is the founder of Deaf Women Included—DWI—a nonpartisan organization that champions the lives of deaf people in Zimbabwe. Through DWI, Chindimba has mobilized resources for the deaf to start small businesses, and educated them to be able to register to vote. More
Trevor Lane
Trevor Lane established the Bhejane Trust, a nonprofit group that protects elephants, rhinoceroses, and other large mammals in Zimbabwe parks. Lane has been threatened by poachers more than once, but he keeps helping the police imprison them. More
Emmanuel Gasa
Emmanuel Gasa is an anti-HIV/AIDS activist helping those afflicted in Zimbabwe gain access to anti-retroviral drugs and educating people and about the disease. He’s been arrested by the police and harassed by citizens who don’t want anyone discussing HIV/AIDS. More
Philemon Jambaya
Philemon Jambaya is a young Zimbabwean journalist who defends freedom of the media. For his efforts, along with fellow journalists, he’s been beaten up by police. Jambaya started the Young Journalists Organisation advocating for journalists’ rights and he’s not about to quit. More
Kudzai Kadzere
Kudzai Kadzere is an attorney in Zimbabwe who typically represents clients who have been arrested and detained for protesting economic and political conditions. Kadzere advocates for these citizens’ rights, regularly bails them out of prison, and often faces threats of beatings from local police. More
Jasper Maphosa
Youths in Zimbabwe have always been used by politicians as agents of violence during election time in Zimbabwe and many have died as a result of political fights which the police have done little to stop. Jasper Maphosa is resolved to do something about it. More
James Jenwa
- James Jemwa has been assaulted and jailed numerous times merely for reporting on peaceful demonstrations. He’s one of many journalists who have been arrested and jailed for days without being charged. Jemwa continues with his work, despite the risks. More
Abigale Mupambi
Abigale Mupambi is one of the few women activists campaigning for implementation of Zimbabwe’s new Constitution. She's braved many threats to her safety in order to call out President Mugabe for his lack of support, and she travels throughout the country to urge citizens to fight for heir constitutional rights. More
Makomborero Haruzivishe
Makomborero Haruzivishehas long advocated for students’ rights, including enhancing learning conditions, reducing tuition, and gaining access to loans and grants. Some of his campaigns have challenged the government, and he's been beaten, arrested and imprisoned. More
Ben Freeth
- In 2008, Zimbabwe government supporters destroyed the farm estate of white farmers Ben Freeth and his father-in-law, Mike Campbell and forced them out. Freeth has been arrested and beaten, but continues to organize campaigns to prevent usurpation of lands without compensation. More
Davy Ndlovu
Davy Ndlovu campaigns for the rights of the San, a hunter-gatherer people threatened by land-grabbing by dominant tribes. Ndlovu has been attacked by both the government and local farmers, but he's succeeded in recovering much of the San culture lost over the past century. More
Zacharia Mushawatu
Zacharia Mushawatu founded Youth Advocacy for Voter Enlightenment and Progressive Orientation—YAVEPO. The organization encourages young people not only to vote, but to stand as candidates themselves. YAVEPO is threatened with assaults by supporters of the ruling ZANU-PF Party. More
Tinei Mukweva
Tinei Mukweva is a courageous and dedicated human rights lawyer in Zimbabwe who has defied all odds by continuing to defend human rights defenders in the country despite brutal persecution by the police. More
Malvern Mudiwa
Malvern Mudiwa us a courageous advocate for poor rural families languishing in abject poverty ever since the government and mining companies kicked them off their lands without just compensation. More
Alfred Dzirutwe
Alfred Dzirutwe mobilizes young people to stand up against tyranny and to demand job opportunities and the restoration of human rights in Matabeleland. More
Tafadzwa Muzondo
Artist Tafadzwa Muzondo transformed an old, dirty foot bridge into a scintillating arts center and educational site for the town of Highfield’s troubled youth. Though one of Muzondo’s controversial plays was banned by the government, and two others shut down, he continues undeterred. More
Maureen Kademaunga
Maureen Kademaunga started Women for Women Zimbabwe, helping women all across Zimbabwe gain the materials to register to vote, run for office, and stand up for policies that benefit women. Her events have sometimes been thwarted by police, and she’s been harassed .More
Kudakwashe Zireva
Kudakwashe Zireva campaigns for mining in Zimbabwe that doesn’t damage the land, impoverish the people, or provide an unsafe and unhealthy environment for citizens. Village heads and governmental agents have harassed him for his activism, but he doesn't quit. More
Nyasha Sengayi
Nyasha Sengayi works throughout Zimbabwe to advocate for the rights of women and girls. Despite continual threats to her life, she travels to remote areas and educates citizens about abuse and the remedies for abuse. More
Gift Mambipiri
In Zimbabwe, where the government controls the airwaves, Gift Mambipiri challenges the status quo by putting radio stations on the air and by organizing campaigns for more access to information. His events have been raided by police—and worse. More
Busani Sibindi
Busani Sibindi is an activist in Zimbabwe who wants justice for the thousands of people massacred in a tribal purge decades ago. The government threatens, arrests, and harasses him. Still, he persists, founding the Save Matebeland Coalition Trust and organizing protests throughout the country. More
Ephraim Mtombeni
Ephraim Mutombeni has been threatened, arrested, harassed, and beaten because of his advocacy of efficient, honest, transparent government in his hometown of Masvingo, in southeast Zimbabwe. More
John Manyana
In the rural area of Goromonzi, Zimbabwe, John Manyana and his Simukai Residents Trust fight to help farmers regain their land after it’s been seized by developers wanting to convert farms to urban structures. More
Warship Dumba
Warship Dumba continually fights for the rights of people in Zimbabwe even though his efforts have made him many enemies and got him tossed in jail. Dumba also seeks to educate citizens about their rights under Zimbabwe’s new constitution. More
Tonderai Dombo
At a University of Zimbabwe graduation ceremony attended by the country’s president, student activist Tonderai Dombo held up a placard protesting the lack of jobs. He was immediately arrested, detained overnight, fined, and—at least temporarily—denied his graduation certificate. But he won't quit. More
Kumbulani Zamuchiya
Kumbulani Zamuchiya is an award-winning Zimbabwean film-maker focusing on civil rights abuses. His documentary, “Voices from a Tent,” told the story of how villagers were evicted from their homes without compensation after a dam broke. Another film profiled Itai Dzamara, an activist kidnapped by suspected state security agents. More
Fadzai Mahere
Attorney Fadzai Mahere has continually challenged the Zimbabwe government about malfeasance and corruption. She’s been vilified and arrested, but she continues to speak out in favor of her fellow citizens’ rights and in support of the disadvantaged. Being a woman in a male-dominated profession—and society—has not deterred her. More
Mbizvo Chirasha
Mbizvo Chirasha is a poet, and of his poetry illustrates how the Zimbabwe government is oppressing its people. Chirasha has been arrested several times, but he remains an activist that continues to challenge the Mugabe regime. More
Ekenia Chifamba
Ekenia Chifamba has helped thousands of girls in need in Zimbabwe—girls who are victims of rape and other abuse, girls who are poor, girls who need counseling or education or access to the justice system or escape from childhood marriages. More
Stan Zvorwadza
Zimbabwe has been rocked by a series of strikes and protests as citizens pressure President Mugabe's government to provide employment as well as food to millions of citizens who are suffering. Stan Zvorwadza is a key leader of these brave fights. More
Obert Masaraure
Obert Masaraure leads the way in the struggle to provide decent education for the schoolchildren of Zimbabwe. More
Jenny Williams
Jenny Williams is one of very few women in Zimbabwe who have dared to stand up and fight for their rights, Cultures that have long discounted and suppressed women are hard to change. More
Joana Mamombe
UPDATE APRIL 2, 2019: Joana Mamombe, Zimbabwe’s youngest Member of Parliament at age 25, is facing treason charges for attempting to overthrow the government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa and if convicted she faces up to 20 years in prison.
Mamombe, a former student leader during her university years was elected an opposition MP in Zimbabwe’s capital during last year’s general elections becoming the southern African country’s youngest legislator. For the full update and the original posting, go here.
Mamombe was named Giraffe Hero years ago and has continued with her activism in fighting for justice and human rights.
Back then Mamombe felt that it was her duty as a citizen to defend other citizens’ rights, and she has put her opinions into action many times. Typically, she’s defiant about maintaining her participation in marches and other protests: “I’m not afraid to do that.”
She was arrested in March this year while attending parliament business. Her treason charges emanate from her January press conference statement in which she urged members from her constituency to ‘dress in black’ and embark in a ‘peaceful protest’ over the high cost of living in Zimbabwe after government hiked the price of fuel.
The protests in January led to the death of at least 17 people who were shot dead after soldiers opened fire on unarmed protesters.
Prosecutors charge that Mamombe wanted to overthrow President Mnangagwa’s government after she urged people to protest over the high cost of living at a press conference. Her arrest has been condemned by her party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), civic society groups and ordinary people.
Mamombe who was detained for days is currently out on bail and is among other opposition MPs and civic society leaders who are facing treason charges.
She is being represented in court by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR).
Mamombe studied Biotechnology at a local university and also studied in Norway and the United Kingdom.
She was the secretary general of the country’s largest tertiary student’s movement, the Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) from 2013 to 2015 and goes by the moniker ‘Mama Madikizela’ named after the anti-apartheid hero Winnie Madikizela, the late ex-wife of struggle icon Nelson Mandela.
After her detention for days Mamombe was granted bail by the High Court she tweeted the “struggle continues unabated.”
Her case is pending before the courts.
ORIGINAL POST: As the Gender Officer for the Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) Joana Mamombe has shown immense courage in fighting for student rights. More
Silvanos Mudzvova
Comedian and actor Silvanos Mudzvova toured the country with a one-man play calling sharp attention to the looting of diamond income meant for the entire nation. The authorities aren’t pleased. More
Patson Dzamara
How far would you go to track down the truth about a brother snatched off the street by suspected government agents? For Patson Dzamara, there are no limits. More
Grace Chirenje
For Grace Chirenje, it’s not easy being an activist—especially when you’re a woman. Especially when you’re focusing on empowering people who have never before been empowered. More
O'Brien Makore
O'Brien Makore is an urban planner and civic innovator with a great passion for finding innovative solutions to emerging urban development challenges. A key part of that is fighting corruption. More
Rumbidzai Dube
Rumbidzai Dube is a brave attorney attempting to help all citizens of Zimbabwe understand their constitutional rights. This does not please all those in power. More.
Tinashe Nyahasha
Tinashe Nyahasha is a young man with albinism who works tirelessly to encourage, support and inform parents and guardians of children born with albinism and other special needs. More
Patrick Mugadza
Pastor Patrick Mugadza was arrested for demonstrating for human rights and democracy in front of President Robert Mugabe. His sign read simply: "Mr President, the people are suffering." More
Ruvimbo Tsopodzi
Ruvimbo Tsopodzi , a 20-year-old girl, risked rejection and disgrace when, as a child bride, she fled her abusive husband and sued for her freedom. More
Hardlife Mudzingwa
32 year-old Hardlife Mudzingwa has been a leading advocate for the provision of safe, clean water to the citizens of Harare. Challenging the government on this issue hasn’t been easy. More
Mildred Muzanechita
When Mildred Muzanechita discovered massive corruption in the allocation of residential housing rights in Manicaland Province, she resolved to do something about it, despite the risks. More
Tawanda Chimhini
Tawanda Chimhini vows to continue fighting for full citizen participation in free and fair elections in Zimbabwe, despite government harassment of his efforts. More
Philip Muyengwa
He's been labelled an "agent of imperialism" by illegal mining syndicates and some village headmen in their pay, but that has not broken the spirit of young leader Phillip Muyengwa, More
Jesse Majome
Hon. Jessie Fungayi Majome has not only fought and overcome gender stereotypes in Zimbabwean politics, she’s managed to give the opposition a very strong voice in Parliament, despite the threats made against her. More
Tererai Obey Sithole
23 year-old Tererai Obey Sithole has been arrested and detained by police several times for advocating for students rights at one of the country’s major learning institutions.That has not deterred him. More
Lynette Mudehwe
Lynette Mudehwe has been arrested several times by the police but that has not stopped her from being an active participant fighting for a new democratic Zimbabwe. More
George Goliath
George Goliath is a Giraffe Hero for facing down threats and attempted assaults from police for his tough criticisms of government failures to improve Zimbabwe’s dangerous roads and enforce traffic laws. More
Mannick Connick
33-year-old Mannick Connick is a pioneer in constructing biogas facilities in his home area of Chirumhanzu, slowing the cutting of wood for fuel and preserving forests.. "Trees are life and it's our duty to preserve them,"he says. more
Promise Mkwananzi
Promise Mkwananzi is a human rights defender and currently Director of the Zimbabwe Informal Sector Organisation (ZISO) a nonpartisan body that promotes and safeguards the interests of the millions of Zimbabweans who work in the so-called “informal” sector of the country’s economy, more
Nyaradzo Mashayamombe
Nyaradzo Mashayamombe has been a leading campaigner fighting for the rights of girls in Zimbabwe, particularly in rural areas where cases of child marriage are rampant as well as incest relationships. more
Nixon Nyikadzino
Human rights activist Nixon Nyikadzino has had several brushes with law in Zimbabwe whilst defending citizens rights, but that has not deterred him from carrying out his duty. more
Marvellous Khumalo
Marvellous Khumalo, Director of the Chitungwiza Residents Trust, leads the fight against illegal demolitions. He's been arrested and detained on several occasions whilst defending widows and orphans who've had their properties threatened. more
Promise Muleya Simwinde
Promise Simwinde cofounded Promise Foundation Austria to help disadvantaged, but academically gifted children in Zimbabwe, starting with helping children in his own impoverished hometown of Binga to access primary school education. more
Samuel Wadzanai
Samuel Wadzanai (36), a street vendor in Harare, has been arrested and detained by the police whilst fighting for the rights of vendors being harassed in the city. more
Obert Chinhamo
Obert Chinhamo is one of the founders of the Anti-Corruption Trust of Southern Africa, which is one of the leading campaigners against corruption and bad governance. As a result to his work, Mr. Chinhamo has been under constant surveillance by those threatened by his work. more
Myness Musaamba
Myness Musaamba was an ordinary housewife before here community was displaced from Marange in 2010 to pave the way for diamond mining activities. She was one of the few who have dared to stick their neck and speak out against the injustice. more
Nkosinathi Moyo
The threat of violence has not deterred 28 year old Nkosinathi Moyo from being an active political activist who integrates and educate young people in democracy and good governance issues in his hometown of Kwekwe. more
Mfundo Mlilo
As a former student leader at the University of Zimbabwe,33 year old Mfundo Mlilo has been an active campaigner for human rights and democracy in Zimbabwe. more
Masimba Kuchera
Kuchera Masimba, born with a visual impairment, in high school began his life’s work as an advocate for the rights of people with disabilities. In one famous case, Masimba fought and won a court case against the government so that blind people could vote without government interference. more
Edgar Gweshe
In Zimbabwe, the state continues to trample upon the freedom of the press. A number of journalists have been arrested or beaten up for truthful reporting and 32 year old reporter Edgar Gweshe is one of the victims of state brutality. more
Chenjerai Hove
Chenjerai Hove was a prolific poet whose literary work was humorous, hard hitting and educative. From 1982 till his death in July 2015, Hove dedicated his time to writing short stories and poems that depicted the struggles and travails of Zimbabweans under the autocratic rule of President Robert Mugabe. Hove died in exile in Norway on 12 July 2015. more
Claris Madhuku
In 2010 more than 1700 households from Chisumbanje village in Chipinge were forcibly displaced from their homelands to pave way for a multi million dollar ethanol project run by a local business tycoon. Claris Madhuku resolved to fight for proper compensation and relocation for the villagers, many of whom were living in abject poverty. more..
Sebastian Bakare
Retired Anglican Bishop Sebstian Bakare, born in 1940, is an iconic figure in Zimbabwe whose work in the church and society has one connecting thread – quest for social justice and equality . Bishop Bakare has lived his entire life fighting for human rights, freedom and dignity for his people. more
Sally Dura
Regardless of her rural upbringing and background, 35 year Old Sally Dura has risen to the position of National Coordinator of the Women Coalition of Zimbabwe (WiCoz), an organization that champions the rights of women in the country. more
Tatenda Mombeyarara
“I am very passionate about labor rights and have been active since 2009 . This has led to confrontations with the state but that has not deterred me as I believe in fighting for the workers’ struggle,” said Tatenda Mombeyarara, a labor rights activist based in Harare. UPDATE. In late 2019 Mombeyarara was beaten by government thugs for protesting the new government of Emmerson Mnangangwa more
Sinikiwe Marupiwa- Zhou
Harare; A small garage in the high density suburb of Kuwadzana, has been turned by a passionate and loving heart into a center of hope for the mentally challenged children aged between six and nineteen.. more
Farai Maguwu
In 2008, the government of Zimbabwe took control of the Marange diamond fields, an important resource for the country’s economy, discovered just two years before. The government claimed that wildcat diamond miners were funding rebel groups and so needed to be controlled. However, activist Farai Maguwu claims that in addressing that perceived problem, the military and police created something far worse—systematic abuse of illegal miners,...
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Betty Makoni
Betty Makoni knows all about the traumas that can befall a girl child in her country, Zimbabwe. She lived through horrors herself and is making sure that other girls' childhoods are nothing like her own.
Makoni escaped abuse by getting a working scholarship to an all-girls boarding school and going on to earn two degrees. As a teacher in co-ed schools, she witnessed the prejudice and violence that beset her female students. Male...
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Tasara Wamambo (Masvingo Province)
Imagine being rendered destitute and homeless from ancestral land that you once called home for decades following heavy flooding that ravaged everything that you possessed?
Like the infamous Cyclone Katrina which pounded parts of Mississippi, that was the similar situation which characterised heavy flooding that pounded Zimbabwe’s Masvingo province in February 2014 leaving a trail of destruction.
The heavy rains destroyed the...
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Melanie Chiponda
When the “diamond rush” struck the impoverished populace in 2006, thousands of poor Zimbabweans flocked to the Marange district in the country‘s Manicaland Province in a desperate attempt to “get rich quickly”.
The fortunate ones became instant millionaires whilst the unlucky perished from injuries inflicted upon from dog wounds and multiple bullet wounds fired by “trigger happy” state security agents under the guise of maintaining...
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Dolorosa Mubvumbi (Mashonaland East Province) Deceased
In a number of African cultures, women are confined to the kitchen were they are expected to cook and perform all the household chores. Such is the patriarchal system that allows only men to engage in political and social activities, thus depriving the “girl child” access to challenging roles.
But that seems to be evolving in Zimbabwe as women are now taking up leadership roles in communities they reside. Such women can be found in both...
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Danmore Chuma (Harare)
When Zimbabweans voted “Yes” in favor of a new constitution, little did they know that it was just a “worthless paper” that the ruling ZANU PF government did not care to abide to.
Arbitrary arrests of citizens characterized by brutal police torture typical before the ushering in of the new constitution were to continue with civic society leaders being the latest targets of the state machinery.
One such citizen who was caught “in...
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Itai Dzamara
“I was heavily assaulted by the police and spent two days in hospital but that hasn’t broken my spirit. I will keep on fighting for what I believe in."
These were the words uttered by 37 year old journalist cum human rights activist Itai Dzamara whilst addressing scores of people who had gathered in the Africa Unity Square in Harare’s Central Business District (CBD). Before the assault, Dzamara had succeeded in leading a peaceful...
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Otilia Bvuma (Epworth Township)
The HIV/AIDS pandemic that has ravaged Zimbabwe since the 1980s has resulted in millions of children being rendered orphans.
The situation has been worsened by the failure of the government to provide a “safety nets” that are crucial in assisting towards the upkeep of such children.
Many of these children are leaving destitute lives were they are prone to drug and sexual abuse.
However a few citizens have tried to assist by...
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Dick Frey (Harare)
When Zimbabwe attained Independence in 1980 after 90 years of British colonial rule, a majority of white nationals took the backseat in participating towards participating in active politics or civic activism.
They were further alienated by the 2000 land reform which witnessed a greater majority of the population loosing farms and other properties. Ever since they have been playing a “Wait and see game” and it has become so “unusual”...
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James Bayanai (Midlands Province)
31 year old James Bayanai has set himself on a track to make his contribution to change the world through spearheading projects to promote literacy in rural Zimbabwean communities.
Since 2010 James has been involved in International Youth Advocacy and plenty humanitarian initiatives.
In May of 2010 while working in Cape Town SA for an Internet Service Provider, James Bayanai received a challenge of his life after reading in the...
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Kennedy Masiye (Harare)
The Zimbabwe government still violates citizens’ rights despite a new constitution. Human rights defenders, including lawyers, risk beatings whilst defending human rights violations victims.
Kennedy Masiye, a lawyer with the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), was recently severely bashed by the police whilst attending to protestors who were demonstrating in the Harare Central Business District (CBD) against the country’s...
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Beatrice Savadye (Kitsiyatota)
Beatrice Savadye is a 27 year old human rights activists and current Director for Real Open Opportunities for Transformation Support (ROOTS) an organization working to promote social and economic justice for young people in Zimbabwe.
Beatrice comes from a humble background where she had to pan for gold at Kitsiyatota and would be a street vendor after school and during school holidays so as to able to raise school fees. This is what...
moreCharles Nyoni (Harare)
“I was beaten the whole night by the police but that will not deter me from pursuing the fight for a better Zimbabwe “I am now very much committed and strong in standing up for the rights of my fellow citizens’.
Such were the courageous words uttered by Charles Nyoni following his discharge from a Harare hospital.
Nyoni had been arrested in Parliament after he had presented a petition in parliament calling for the government to...
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Innocent Chingwaru
Zimbabwe has not been spared challenges that other African countries have faced. Once a glorious bread basket of Africa, Zimbabwe has suffered economic, social and political instability for the past two decades, leaving the majority of the ordinary people vulnerable. Government operations like Operation Restore Order (May 2005), destroyed backyard cabins and shacks which were shelter to many as well as small markets for vendors. Many urban...
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Gladys Mavhusa (Chiadzwa)
Speaking against state sponsored violence is a huge crime in Zimbabwe. Those who speak out from rural communities do so at great risk to their
personal security and that of their families. The vulnerability of human rights defenders in rural communities is even more severe for women who are still treated as less equal to their male counterparts due to cultural violence. Nevertheless, some women have defied odds and began to stick their...
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Jerry Madzvova (Marange)
State security agents who were deployed into the Marange diamond fields between 2006 and 2011 have been accused of committing gross
human rights abuses. These include murder, torture, rape, robbery, extortion and forced labor. Within a few months Marange, a once peaceful and serene rural environment, had been transformed into a war zone.
However, not all state security agents became beasts on behalf of the state. Some refused to...
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Rumeni Forbes Makufa (Penhalonga)
The rate of environmental degradation due to alluvial gold mining has left the community of Penhalonga devastated. A once beautiful, serene
and quiet natural habitat has become ravaged, dusty and made uninhabitable by the mining operations of DTZ OZGEO. The company has caused such environmental damage as has not been witnessed in Manaicaland Province since time immemorial. The Mutare River, which epitomized the beauty of Penhalonga, has...
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