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Charles Nyakurwa, founder of Deaf Hands @ Work, is recognised for his training and job creation programme with the deaf community.
Imagine living in a world where you are silenced and outcast – with no common language, limited means of income, and no way to connect with your peers. According to Charles Nyakurwa, this is the reality for many deaf people living in South Africa today.
Training and job creation for the deaf
Charles has been chosen as the latest UnLtd South Africa award winner for his social enterprise, Deaf Hands @ Work based in Masiphumelele, Cape Town. His project offers training and job creation for the deaf community using South African Sign Language (SASL) to bridge the communication gap. Alongside creating employment opportunities, Charles’ dream is to promote community awareness and break down social barriers for people living with disabilities.
UnLtd South Africa has recognized Nyakurwa for his determination to make a powerful social impact in the deaf community. The award consists of a package of financial and non-financial support to the value of R50 000. UnLtd South Africa’s latest competition, which was launched earlier this year, saw a variety of promising applicants causing the judging panel to deliberate long and hard before choosing Charles – proof that the social enterprise sector is growing and gaining momentum in the Western Cape.
According to Louise Willington, CEO at UnLtd South Africa, Charles was given the award by the judging panel because of his passion for his cause and because he is doing something practical to change the world for the deaf community. “Charles is extremely enterprising, you can see that throughout his life, and his experiences growing up have created his desire and commitment to change mindsets around disability. We look forward to supporting him and seeing Deaf Hands @ Work blossom into an established social enterprise,” says Willington.
Unlimited Support
UnLtd South Africa is a nonprofit organisation that finds, funds and support social entrepreneurs, using a model developed in the UK that has spread to India and Thailand. UnLtd South Africa seeks to help early stage social entrepreneurs on their journey by providing financial grants, mentorship, training and networking opportunities. Charles is the latest of a series of award winners who are celebrating success in the Western Cape thanks in part to UnLtd South Africa’s support.
A born entrepreneur
The definition of a self-made man, Charles grew up in Zimbabwe and had a successful academic career despite being orphaned at age 7. Through his youth he was involved in entrepreneurial endeavours and ran a small shop to put himself through school.
Growing up with his younger brother, who is deaf, had a major influence on his outlook on the world and his attitude towards business. The family did not have access to the appropriate equipment to measure the full scale of his brother’s hearing loss that made it impossible for him to get the quality of care and education needed for a young child with a disability.
Frustrated by the fact that his younger brother, a bright boy who is full of hopes and aspirations just like him, was ostracized purely based on being deaf – Charles made it his mission to break the silence and affliction of the Deaf Community. Unfortunately, a lack of resources and care for the disabled is not uncommon. Nearly 1.8 million South Africans are deaf or hard of hearing and a shocking 75% of deaf people are illiterate. Charles’ background in economics gave him the vision to create a business that could begin to solve the problem.
Mission
Deaf Hands @ Work was officially launched in December 2011. Its mission is to create employment for skilled and unskilled deaf individuals, irrespective of racial denominations and nationality. The long-term goal is to create a strong, motivated, qualified workforce from previously unskilled and semi-skilled people with disabilities. Charles aims to eventually achieve prime status as a disability brand with DHW offices spreading throughout South Africa’s nine provinces.
According to Charles: “Just one employed competent deaf individual can change the entire community reframing how people perceive disability as an inability. He or she can be a role model to a deaf child and a source of valuable inspiration.”
Mining has been identified as one the key drivers of the local economy and Meddy Matshalaga is one of the few women operating a mine.
She is the executive director of Three Gem Gold Mines in Zvishavane and chairs the Licensed Gold Buyers’ Association of Zimbabwe.
ND: Can you give us a brief background of your company?
MM: Three Gem Gold Mines started at the end of 2007. We started serious operations in 2008 when things were really tough during the Zimbabwe dollar era. The mine started with what you call custom milling (stamp mill) for small-scale miners in Zvishavane where we provided a service to small-scale miners who brought their ore for grinding to produce gold. We began to do mining at very low scale and, later, we received a buying and selling licence.
The company was established with $40 000 savings from my Development International consultancy business. I used the money for construction, bought transformers and a stamp mill.
ND: What motivated you to get into this line of business?
MM: I think two things happened. Initially, it was because I just wanted to have another business in case I got tired of working formally, but the real thing that really motivated me was some time back, I think in 2007, the Ministry of Gender and Woman’s Affairs hosted a field day in Zvishavane where I participated.
It was at that time the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe used to do a lot of mining in Zvishavane and worked with rural women, pounding and processing gold. So it was mainly woman labour. I loved seeing women participating, but I felt it was too much work for them on one hand, but on the other, I realised women could contribute to the economy in a positive way.
ND: How have you managed to get to where you are today?
MM: It has been a long story, I guess. I don’t know whether I can call myself somebody who has made it. But I think it is through hard work by somebody who had a passion for the sector. The sector is very active once you are in it, so you want to continue. However, I think the most important thing is to put some professionalism into the work.
ND: What is your opinion on the mining industry and general performance of the gold sector?
MM: I would say the mining sector is one of the key drivers of the economy. Gold is also one of the major minerals contributing to the export market and I am sure the gold sector will surpass the target of 13 tonnes anticipated by year-end.
We have had a favourable environment given Europe is struggling and prefers keeping its wealth in gold. This has encouraged a lot of production in the sector, but again I think the sector is not really being fully maximised. There is need for more resources and technological know-how on gold extraction.
ND: Given that there are very few women in mining, what are some of the challenges you face?
MM: The mining sector is heavily dominated by men even in extraction itself. Women need to be educated even in little things such as how to register a mine and how to handle labour issues. At times women get cheated to get some of their work done. There are, however, a number of women working hard and doing well.
ND: What advice can you give to other entrepreneurs who are in your line of business?
MM: The secret to running a business successfully for a long period of time is by running it professionally. Such issues as employees and banking are critical for a successful business.
The most important thing is to comply with the regulations of the country. If you are playing football understand what is wrong and what is right. Comply with the laws, labour law and Zimra (obligations). Just comply from A to Z. When you comply you don’t need to worry. You get visitors at your premises. Let us toe the line in all respects
ND: What do you think should be done to improve mining in Zimbabwe?
MM: Small-scale producers need support so that they can maximise their potential. They need access to compressors and education on how to grow their businesses.
If all miners could comply and contribute the relevant taxation they owe, then the economy will do very well. Look next door in Botswana, they are doing well as a country as their revenues are being channelled towards development through the construction of schools, roads and hospitals, among other infrastructure.
ND: What are your future plans?
MM: My future plan is to add value to the Licensed Gold Buyers Association of Zimbabwe (LGBAZ). We want to make it efficient and grow the association to enable it to provide services to its members so they can run their businesses professionally.
The growth of good practices by members will enable a significant contribution to the fiscus. We recently made an application for LGBAZ members to be allowed to export their gold so they could enjoy benefits of economic liberalisation.
Executive
head: Process at Anglo Platinum.Sitting on the executive committee of one of the world’s biggest multi-national mining companies
July
graduated in Engineering and Business Leadership from the universities of
Zimbabwe and South Africa respectively, and completed the Senior Executive
Programme with Columbia Business School. He was previously employed in Zimbabwe
by Anglo American Zimbabwe subsidiaries, where he held senior managerial
positions in metallurgicaloperations and technical services. He transferred to
Anglo Platinum in 2001, was initially
appointed business manager of Polokwane Smelter,
and later became head of process technology.
In September 2007 he was appointed executive head: process at Anglo Platinum.
Sitting
on the executive committee of one of the world’s biggest multi-national mining
companies, July Ndlovu, refuses to let power go to his head.
“I
am no different from the ordinary man on the street and I would not call myself
a successful person,” he says with true humility. “I am just an ordinary man
working very hard and I have been pretty fortunate to have the opportunity to
work with people who believe in me.
If
the truth be told, there are many other people who are as qualified as I am and
others who are brighter, but are still nowhere near where I am now.”
In
his fourth year as Executive Head of Process, Member of Executive Committee and
Member of Operations Committee at Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed Anglo
Platinum Ltd, Ndlovu (45) is one of very few blacks to hold such a post in
mining here.
How to be
a Millionaire
With
Anglo-Platinum being the world's leading primary producer of platinum group
metals and accounting for about 40 per cent of the world's newly-mined
platinum, Ndlovu’s phenomenal rise up its ladder cannot be downplayed, even by
the man himself.
Ndlovu,
who graduated in Engineering and Business Leadership from the Universities of
Zimbabwe and South Africa respectively, and completed the Senior Executive
Programme with Columbia Business School, is also the Chairman of Anglo’s
Zimbabwean subsidiary, Unki Platinum, which resumed operations late last year.
Cause for
celebration
As
the interview continues, Ndlovu begins to admit that his status in business is
something out of reach for an ordinary man. His rise from a boy born to a poor
peasant family in dusty Shurugwi, Zimbabwe’s Midlands province, is real cause
for celebration, a great inspiration to every Zimbabwean, and indeed most
Africans.
“I
enjoy being in business, making money for my shareholders, but I love more the
fact that things that I do, such as the company’s social responsibility, make a
difference in society,” he says.
“Platinum
group metals have gone a long way to solve some of the society’s most
intractable problems and being part of that makes me happy.”
Ndlovu
gives credit to his poor parents, who kept him on the straight and narrow and
believed in the last-born of the family of six.
“In
poor families, more often than not, the hopes and aspirations for children is
quite limited. But I was fortunate to be born to parents who found it within
themselves to believe and hope that their son could do something much more than
they had done themselves,” he says.
Simple
faith
“I
learnt that if you dream that you can be something else in life, if you
literally see beyond the horizon of the naked eye, have simple faith and
believe in your dreams – you can achieve great things.
“Each
one of us was born with a gift to be the very best that we can be. I realized
that and worked through it and always had the feeling that I should make better
my today than my yesterday. I also sought and got God’s blessings on my side.”
Ndlovu
has worked for Anglo-Platinum for most of his life, having had stints at
ZimAlloys, Zimasco and Bindura Nickel Corporation, before migrating to South
Africa in an intra-company transfer in 2001.
He
served as Business Manager of Polokwane Smelter and also as its Head of Process
Technology, before he rose to his present post in September 2007.
He
still has high hopes for his home country. Unki’s operations are part of his
grand plan to get Zimbabwe working again.
“It
is pleasing to employ local people, contribute to local economy and exploit
resources for the common good of the Zimbabwean people.”
And the
best way for a child to lay the foundation for a decent future?
“I
would like to advice the youth to take their education seriously because it is
the only way through which they can open doors to opportunity. To be able to
play the game, you need to first get the ticket and get in, and then you can
start thinking about playing the game.”
Ndlovu
also has advice for Zimbabweans in the Diaspora and great predictions for
Zimbabwe’s economic prospects.
“Getting
a chance of a breakthrough will always be difficult in a foreign land, but
there are still vast opportunities opening up in Zimbabwe, which we should take
advantage of,” he says.
“Instead
of killing ourselves trying to find work in foreign lands, we should go back
and leverage the skills we have acquired outside. Every Zimbabwean who has
lived outside the country has learnt something valuable that they should
consider giving back to their country. I have met teachers who have become
nurses and engineers who have become managers of Zimbabweans in the Diaspora.
“Zimbabwe
will reclaim its place as one of Africa’s best economies, but that will take
willingness, determination and selflessness on the part of our leaders.
Political divisions will not take us forward but only drag us down. We need to
stand together as Zimbabwean people to make progress. Thank God we are not
sinking any more.”
A person must be motivated by the joy to provide good services and be inspired by the importance and relevance of their job or business towards the betterment of their country. This is the same kind of desire that drove one of the movers and shakers in the corporate world to become one of the top achievers in the banking and corporate finance sector. It brings to mind the words of the Nigerian Christ Embassy Pastor Chris Oyakhilome who said: "You may be a trader, cleaner, teacher, civil servant or a chief executive, no matter the job or business you do, let your goal be to render service. And that way your greatness will be inevitable."
At 40, Mr Tawanda Nyambirai the TN Holdings boss has managed to achieve what most could have considered impossible for someone who is a lawyer by profession. How can a lawyer make a breakthrough in the complex banking sector? His secret is that of treating his customers as kings as he makes it his business to know what customers need and then reaches out to meet those needs.
He is the major shareholder in TN Holdings through his investment vehicle Nyambirai Associated Trusts. TN Holdings is the holding company for TN Financial Services (Pvt) Ltd, TN Asset Management (Pvt.) Ltd, TN Microfinance and TN Harlequin- a furniture division.
To meet people's needs, Mr Nyambirai saw it fit to bring the banks to the people and not the other way round. That is the reason why he places most of his banks in clothing shops, furniture and grocery outlets like Greatermans and Meikles to make it more convenient for the customers. The down-to-earth father of eight would rather describe himself as " a sinner saved by grace" as he is human and makes mistakes like any one of us. "I usually don't like talking about my personal life as there is a temptation to talk about the good and leave out the bad. "Mostly when I say I am a Christian people tend to build an image of me and half the time they forget that I am also human like anyone else who makes mistakes." he said. A staunch Warren Buffet fan, the TN Holdings Limited chief executive is inspired by the billionaire's investment principles.
He however, does not believe in having a mentor because he says it tends to elevate an individual and model someone as an example that is worth being followed. "I believe in genuine friendship and fellowship from whom I can learn and who can learn from me as well. Friends do not speak down on me but they are there to encourage me," he said. The Apostolic Faith Mission follower is motivated by the desire to change lives and assist the less privileged and make others avoid the pitfalls he fell into. Mr Nyambirai is motivated by love and focuses more on what he wants tomorrow to be like.
"I'm not building a business for today but I am modeling it in what I want to see it being tomorrow. As other banks are retrenching I am actually going against the grain as I am recruiting people because I know that the future of banking needs one to have skilled staff," he said.
Challenges are not meant to destroy you, they are meant to groom you and it takes self-confidence, discipline and focus to be an achiever, said the staunch Dynamos supporter.
Mr Nyambirai said that during the hyperinflation era many Zimbabweans lived like there was no tomorrow but on their part they remained conservative and knew that there was a tomorrow that required them to work hard. The lawyer-cum-businessman who was born in the farming community of Lalapanzi did his primary and secondary education in Chiungura in Gutu and A-Levels at Chibi High School. He went on to attain a law degree at the University of Zimbabwe in 1992 and he also holds a certificate in International Conflict Resolution studies from the University of Uppsala in Sweden. Mr Nyambirai comes from a broken family of 16 and is happily married to Ketty Nyambirai.
Mr Nyambirai described 2010 as a "good and blessed" year for him and his organisation as he was named the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce Harare regional and national businessman of the year award. His company was also awarded the best commercial exhibitioner at the Harare Agricultural Show. In December last year, Mr Nyambirai won an international prize in Geneva, Switzerland, known as the Platinum Technology award for quality and best trade name.
He also got a "special award" from Tsitsi and Strive Masiyiwa for being an individual who was most supportive of the charitable activities they carry out. The successful businessman reflects with a lot of pride to the law practice that he built since it delivered value to his clients who still have fond memories of him.
Mr Nyambirai said he was particularly proud of his achievement as part of the legal team that successful led NMB Bank to dually list on the Zimbabwe and London Stock Exchanges.
He said that he managed to create a thriving bank because he had been patient for eight years since 2001 and put all his strength in building a bank that will not be short of capital.
"From humble beginnings in 2001 TN Financial Services offered advisory services and we used it as a platform to build capital to start a bank. "We preserved the capital and kept little in cash therefore suffered little losses during hyperinflation," he said. TN Bank was among some of the banks that satisfied Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe minimum capital requirements way before the deadline last year.
He added that in a few years his bank expected to have one of the largest branch networks in the country as they were expecting to have more than 32 branches and most of these will be in Econet and Meikles shops by June this year.
I'm no Masiyiwa front
TN Holdings founder and chief executive, Tawanda Nyambirai has insisted that he is “his own man”, dismissing speculation that he was a front for thenon- telecoms business interests of South Africa-based mogul, Strive Masiyiwa.
Nyambirai founded TN Financial Holdings in 2001 and engineered the group’s listing on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange in 2010 through the reverse take-over of furniture manufacturer and retailer, Tedco Limited.
In addition, Nyambirai also chairs the Zimbabwe operations of Masiyiwa’s Econet Wireless while the telecoms entrepreneur has also become a key shareholder in the fast-expanding TN Holdings.
However, while admitting that it would be an honour to be a “front” for Masiyiwa, Nyambirai insisted that this was not the case.
“If there is anybody I would love to front for it is Strive Masiyiwa … it would be an honour,” Nyambirai said in an interview.
“Masiyiwa (is) an honest, generous, kind and humble man. He declared that his first (Econet Wireless) dividend after profit would go to charity and when he realized it he did just that and I personally distributed the money and would manage it for him and give it to charity so I know he kept his word ... he has educated over 40 000 orphans in Zimbabwe.
“So for people to say I am a front for him is a compliment and a privilege! But he is a shareholder and he is known and cited everywhere in the records as a shareholder at TN.
“People who do fronting deals do not do that. They are unknown in the background as the fronts play the role of owner. He would have been in the shadows.”
Nyambirai said Masiyiwa became a key shareholder in TN Holdings after the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) ruled that bank executives could not be controlling shareholders of institutions they are supposed to be running.
“When the RBZ said I should dilute my shareholding I asked myself who the best person to partner with would be and I thought ‘Strive!” Nyambirai said.
“I was humbled and honoured when he had the confidence in me and my business to buy the shareholding. I am my own man and I have a shareholder in Strive whom I greatly admire!”
He also said TN Holdings was awaiting regulatory approval for the establishment of a cattle bank, a first for Zimbabwe. The proposed bank would allow farmers and individuals to use their stock as collateral when accessing credit.
“At the moment we are moving through the regulatory corridors,” he said.
“Steps are being taken, we have people all over the country talking to people, telling how they view it if we launch a cattle bank and the outcome is amazing.
“What is overwhelming is that it is not only rural people who are enthusiastic about the idea but also urban people.
“We have people living and working in the city who also have cattle in their rural homes as wealth and assets and they are very interested in the concept.”
Nyambirai said although significant progress had been made in improving operating conditions for business, the lack of liquidity remained a huge challenge.
“We operate in an environment and the major characteristic is illiquidity. We are operating in an illiquid market and whatever we do, we have to deal with that challenge,” he said.
“The way it affects us is there is more demand for credit than cash and very little cash is available. We have had to come up with strategies to deal with that problem and we seem to be winning.”
Lynn Mukonoweshuro is the Group CEO of Kingdom Financial Holdings Limited (KFHL), as well as Chairperson of the Council of the Women’s University in Africa. She is one of Zimbabwe’s most important women, that when she agreed to meet with me, I was more than delighted.
On the day we were to have our interview, there was a time mixup on our calendars so that I ended up arriving at her office at 7am, instead of the 9am she had on her calendar. So because she had to be somewhere by 7.30am, we could not have the interview then, and she felt so really bad, moreso because I had come extremely early and now I had to go and then come back again. At 7am, Lynn looked like she had been in the office for hours, not that she seemed tired or anything — to the contrary, she looked serene and comfortable. The way you and I would look like round 11am. So naturally, when our meeting did finally commence, my first question (somewhat incredulously) was:
Q: What time do you wake up and how long is your working day?
“{smiling} My mother always said that ‘you shall sleep an uninterrupted sleep’, so don’t waste your time on earth sleeping’. I wake up between 2-4am. That’s because it’s the time I reserve for prayer, to usher in the day. I’m here at work by 6.30am and home by 8am. But I always make sure I’m home for lunch.”
Q: So you are CEO of Kingdom and Chairperson of the Council of the Women’s University. What else do you do? And as CEO, what exactly do you do?
“A lot of work. {laughs} I’m actually a servant in this whole organisation, which has five subsidiaries and branches in Botswana and Malawi. I also work with a lot of orphanages, I do strategies for churches and I’m on a number of boards.”
Q: In an interview you had in 2010 with the Standard, you said “working for Kingdom is a calling”, why is that?
“Work as if you work for God and not for man. The company’s vision is grounded in that verse, and so I work as if I work for God and not for man, and payment for me is a secondary matter. That’s why I see my work as a calling because I work for God.”
Q: I understand you are the first female CEO of Kingdom since inception. How does that feel?
“I don’t see gender when I look at people, I see human beings, so it’s not a really big deal for me, because if you go through life looking at everything from the point of view that says because I am a woman, then you will be in trouble. Besides, Kingdom has always been gender sensitive, we have a number of women in to positions. {similing} I think Nigel’s mom[Nigel Chanakira is the founder of KFHL] raised him well.
Q: Before you came to Kingdom, you worked at IBM Computers and Coca-Cola, please tell me about your experience there?
“I enjoyed my time working at those two companies. I’ve always believed that one must get a noteworthy exoerience whilst young. In order to do so, you join a brand because of their vision, and you grow with the company. This is why I’ve worked at the companies I’ve worked for before and now I’m here at Kingdom and I enjoy working here every step of the way and I’ve grown a lot since I’ve come here.”
Q: I read that you are married and have three children, how do you juggle being a mom, wife and business woman?
”{instantly she becomes excited, stands up and shows me a picture of her and her family on the wall, pointing out the individual members} My eldest son is 24 — he’s just finished university, the 2nd is doing his A’s, and the 3rd wants to be a doctor. She started her own soup kitchen with her friends when she was only in Grade six, now she’s in form two and she says to me one day when we had gone to a hospital ‘mommy I want my own hospital just like this one, and the poor won’t have to pay’, and i think to myself oh my. My family and I have so much fun and my husband is ever so supportive. I have a diary I keep where everyone knows they have to log on the day they want my time, if you don’t log on when you want me, then you can’t complain when I can’t make it to wherever you want me. We do work sometimes as a family, do charity work together for instance, I am so blessed to have a family like mine.” {you can tell she is very proud of her family as she says this }
Q: Growing up, did you ever envision yourself being where you are today?
”{laughs} I always thought I’d be a pilot, or if I didn’t end up a pilot I wanted to end up in the Sciences field. When I got to the U.Z however, most Sciences lecturers had gone to the U.K, and so I was forced to get into Business.”
Q: Speaking of, where did you grow up, and which schools did you go to?
“I grew up here in Harare and I went to Nharirire Primary School in Mbare” [with eyes wide open I’m like “really” because Mbare is one of the oldest Zimbabwean high density suburbs, and it is shocking that she went to school there because looking at her you could never guess] {she ofcourse, laughs, because she knows what I’m thinking}
Q: And your family, tell me about them
“My family was very small and close, two boys and myself, I am the last, the middle boy passed on. I was never spoilt, regardless of the fact that I was the last born, you see, moms then were differernt from moms now. And my father would treat my brothers and I equally, there was no gender differentiation.”
Q: What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
“{smiles} I create spare time. I enjoy interior decor and cooking, I love experimenting. So it’s very normal to find me revamping a room, it’s not as often as I’d like though. I’m also a very spiritual person and a great believer, so I create time just for me and my Creator.”
Q: So I want to know your favourite things: what’s your favourite food?
“Peanut butter in anything.”
Q: Favourite country?
“Switzerland — it’s so clean, it gives you hope that people somewhere can be clean.”
Q: Favourite music?
“I love Hillsong, and I’m into classic music so my other fav is Bethoven.
Q: To close our interview what would you want to say to those young women who look upto you, admire you and aspire to be like you?
“Be very focused, know what you want to do, let nothing come between what you want to do. Take it step at a time. But always be responsible.”
Human rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa has spent the last 20 years defending journalists and resisting government corruption in her home country of Zimbabwe. She has been physically attacked and faced threats against her life, and yet despite such adversity, she continues to fight for freedom and the ideals of democracy. In addition to journalists' rights, Mtetwa champions a variety of other social causes, including eradicating AIDS and poverty, protecting the rights of women and children, preserving the essential freedoms of peaceful assembly, association and speech, and helping poor farmers wrongfully evicted from their land by the government.
Prominent human rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa has spent years defending Zimbabwean journalists, many of whom have been arrested for their work. Mtetwa represented journalists from the Daily News, Zimbabwe's only independent daily newspaper, until it was shut down by the government in 2003. She has also defended international correspondents, including British and American journalists arrested inside the country while reporting on Zimbabwe's increasingly controversial elections. In this interview, Mtetwa talks about her ongoing efforts to protect press freedoms and the risks her job entails, including her own arrest and her assault while in police custody in 2003. She also explains how the ruling Zanu-PF Party continues to "mutilate" the country's legislature -- it has amended the constitution 17 times -- to stay in power. In 2005, Mtetwa received the Press Freedom Award from the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists.
What motivates you? And why on earth would somebody want to do your job when the ruling party keeps on stacking the legal odds so heavily against you?
Beatrice Mtetwa: Why do I do it? Well, certainly not for money, there's not much of that. I just feel very strongly that we need to continue showing up the system for what it is. We need to make sure we've got a record of this period in the history of this country. We need to litigate, we need to go to court to say the law says this, and see how it is interpreted because I feel very strongly that if anyone were to look back at this - you know, some of the cases we take to court - they have very good records to show how things were done. It is easy to say a judge is not being impartial; it's easy to say that, if you've taken a case before them and you see how they've made a decision. We go to the Supreme Court all the time with constitutional challenges, not because we expect to win. But for me it is very important that we must give the Supreme Court judges the opportunity to confirm what they are there for. We take the cases there; we know we are going to lose them, not because it's a bad case, but because the judges are politically compromised. And you are only able to say, "See what we mean?" Because the judgment will be there, it will speak for itself. And we'll be able to use it in the future to say that this person is not fit to be a judge in this new era. They should be out.
Are human rights lawyers ever threatened by the ruling party, or the police? Have you ever been harassed yourself?
You do get threatened; you do get harassed. I was beaten up one time by a policeman. I've been shoved around. But I do not consider that I've had it as bad as some of my other colleagues because, generally, the police know that if you do something to me, I'm not going to take it lying down. I'll publicize it, I'll do everything that needs to be done to be sure that everybody knows what happened to me. And also, I worked for the government in the 1980s, and you find that a lot of the people who are in these positions of authority are people that I know very well. Sometimes it's a bit difficult for those in authority to be as rough with me as they would like to be. Because they know that I am not a political person, that I'm doing this job... because it is the right thing to do, not because there is any glory or cash to it and not because I'm trying to antagonize the government. No, I'm doing it because it's a job that's got to be done.
Can you describe what happened when you were say you were beaten by a policeman?
I was assaulted by a policeman in October 2003. I had been in a car hijacking. In retrospect, I think I probably had been followed. I had an attempted hijack on the first of October in 2003 and then a second one on the 11th of October. And these were people that had been following me. And when the police were called, instead of the policeman coming there to really assist me, he said, "Oh, it's you. Human rights lawyer. Now we are going to show you who you are." They locked me up, and they said this happened to me because I was drunk. I said, "Fine, if I'm drunk, take me to have a Breathalyzer test or a blood test" - which they've got to do within two hours. But they didn't. They drove around with me, and he beat me up. His attitude was that when you talk about police brutality, you'll now be talking from experience. I wear glasses normally, and he smashed my glasses in and the glass was broken. It was actually quite traumatic, and I think that was actually the worst I've ever had in terms of being beaten up.
Have you ever been under surveillance?
Oh, yes, quite a number of times. I always feel that I am under surveillance - when they think that I might lead them to one of my clients when they don't know where he is. When Andrew Meldrum, the American journalist, said they were after him, I was under surveillance because they thought that I would lead them to where he was. I used to think this was very silly because the last thing that I would do if I knew where he was would be to drive to where he is. And it's very funny because they [surveillance people] always use the same cars; they just stick out like a sore thumb. So you're able to have a nice joy ride and check out how they're going to react in certain instances. So the job does have some light moments when some of the state officials bungle things. I'll tell you one story when they bungled big time. They wanted to deport one American evangelist, and obviously there was no basis for deporting her, but she was suspected of conniving with opposition politicians, so they started an operation they called Operation Zion. When they went to her premises to start the operation to have her deported, they left the entire file behind on her premises. She called me, and I said, "Just keep it." It was hilarious because it had everything, all their notes saying this is what we'll say she did, the entire plan... When we went to court to stop her deportation, we just used their notes saying that this has all been dreamed up. Nobody even came to defend that case.
Robert Mugabe, for all his brutality, is probably...
Oh, he's very bright, he's very effective.
It seems as if there are a multitude of functioning laws inZimbabwe . Are they more form than function?
The most incredible thing about Zimbabwe is that it looks like it is there, like it is working, like things are being done properly. The government doesn't go out there and do things without following the law. What they do is go out there and change the law and make it to what they want it to be. So there's all this veneer of respectability, you know, of a system that works. Why is it necessary, for instance, to amend the constitution to oust the jurisdiction of the courts when agricultural land is acquired? Because the government wants to say, "We are acting in terms of the law." But is that a fair law? Of course not. The government wants to be legitimate, and for it to be legitimate, it will go out of its way to make laws that will legitimize the illegitimate. That's basically how they're doing it.
How has this affected the fairness of elections?
We've got elections every couple of years, but the electoral laws are absolutely unbelievable because they are made to suit the particular system that the government favors. The government appoints the electoral officials, who will run the elections the way they want them to be. Zimbabwe is a signatory to the election guidelines that the Southern African government community signed. When the elections came last year, we actually presented the government with a report on the elections and how unfair the whole electoral system was and how the election laws do not actually follow the guidelines that we agreed to in 2004. The government's minister of Justice responded by filing papers saying that those are mere guidelines and that we are not bound by them. Yet they are the minimum standards for the conduct of elections in the region. Why should you pass laws that do not comply with the minimum standards that you have agreed to as a region if you actually want truly independent elections?
Has the president ever said anything directly about you?
I don't think he even knows I exist.
I'd be surprised if he doesn't - everyone else does. Describe some of the things known to have happened to people in police custody.
When people are in police custody, anything can happen. You can get beaten up; you can be tortured; you can be denied access to your relatives, food, lawyer; you may not be taken to the toilet. I had one client who I went to see in prison custody; he was given torn prison uniforms that exposed his private parts, and this wasn't just torn, it had actually been worn previously by someone who had had diarrhea and it had not been washed. It's just so dehumanizing. It's not enough that you've been put in custody; they really, really want to break your spirit.
Do people in opposition groups face a lot of legal restrictions?
The problem with Zimbabwe right now is that from looking at it and considering the political landscape, one can say, yes, there is political diversity. But there's so much you can't do. The laws that the government is creating make it virtually impossible for you to function properly, whether in opposition or as a human rights defender. The Public Ordinance Security Act criminalizes normal meetings that people must have if they are in politics. That law has never been applied to people in the ruling party. So opposition politicians have difficulty just meeting their constituencies because they must first go and inform the police that they want to have this meeting. They cannot organize protest marches because the law criminalizes that. You must get authority from the police to organize a normal march. And, of course, you are not going to get that. We had the mayor of the capital city of Harare arrested a couple of years ago because he was holding a meeting with residents of Harare in counsel property; these were counsel premises. And the police went and arrested him and said it was an illegal political meeting. Fortunately, the courts refused to place him on remand because the judge said, "Well, if a mayor cannot go out and meet residents, which is what he's there to do, that's his job, then I don't know why he'd be there. The police have no business stopping this kind of meeting." So clearly, if you are in opposition - and this was an opposition mayor - the government creates by way of legislation, by way of zealousness and general harassment, a way of stopping people going to meetings. There are so many of these examples that on a practical level, opposition politicians cannot function normally.
Who makes the law in Zimbabwe today?
The ruling party currently has a majority in parliament, and obviously, whatever laws the government wants to pass, they pass... Whether the law is constitutional or not, they can disregard any protest that the law might be unconstitutional because they'll be able to railroad it through using their majority status. The constitution is very easy to change in Zimbabwe if you have at least a 75 percent majority, and the ruling party has that. So basically, the ruling party is making the laws and obviously they make laws that suit them, that ensure they continue being in power, that ensure they make life as difficult as possible for those they perceive as being in opposition or those who are opposed to how they are running the country.
How many amendments have there been to the constitution? And what effect has this had?
The constitution has been mutilated at least 17 times as of last year, and I have no doubt there will be a further mutilation. I use the word "mutilation" deliberately because the ruling party has not amended the constitution to give people greater rights, greater freedoms. With every amendment, they have eaten away at the freedoms that have been there - sometimes, in fact, to reverse the gains that have been made in court. Prior to the Supreme Court being reconstituted, we had a lot of very good constitutional judgments where the Supreme Court would interpret the constitution to give greater rights to people. Each time the Supreme Court gave a judgment that gave greater freedoms, the ruling party would run back to parliament to pass an amendment that would take away the right that the Supreme Court would have given. So we've had a lot of amendments brought in specifically to try to defeat what the Supreme Court would have given. The most recent amendment, No. 17, was basically to say that if your land is taken from you, sorry, the courts have no jurisdiction whatsoever. Whichever way you look at it, it's clearly unconstitutional because if the government takes an action against you and deprives you of certain property rights, you should be able to get a court to determine whether they are fair or not, particularly in Zimbabwe's situation, where the land issue has been used to benefit a few well-connected individuals.
How has the land issue been defined by the courts?
There are a number of cases where black farmers' land has been taken and I have been able to go to court and say there is no color imbalance that is being redressed here. If you're taking a farm from a black Zimbabwean who bought it in 1995, when the government had first choice to buy that land, and the government said I don't want it and you buy it - and you have that land taken away from you and given to a ruling party person, clearly it is wrong for that person not to have the court entertain him. Farmers cannot go to court now because Amendment No. 17 says it's outside the court's jurisdiction as far as agricultural land is concerned. So these people will never be able to challenge the right to acquire their land comparatively when in fact they were supposed to be the beneficiaries. I'm sorry, that just cannot be constitutional.
You also have a lot of clients who have been journalists.
Zimbabwe has very repressive media laws, and those laws have made it difficult for journalists to practice their profession freely in Zimbabwe. As a result, we get more arrests in the media, and I found myself having a lot more journalist cases from 2002 when new information and protection of privacy laws came in that criminalized a lot of journalistic work. If you write a story the government doesn't like, you can be arrested. The Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act is a very poor name. Because it really doesn't give anybody access to information; if anything, it takes away access to information. It was this law that shut down at least four newspapers in Zimbabwe. So there's nothing that makes the media accessible. It is a very big piece of legislation; it makes it impossible to have independent media houses that can report independently because they get shut down. The government determines who gets registered [to operate] and who doesn't. Journalists can be locked up because they have reported what the government regards as falsehoods. You can go to jail for at least two years if you're convicted under that law. It forces media houses to register every two years, which is crazy because you go into the media to publish as a business. And to answer every two years as to whether or not you'll remain in operation means you actually make the media self-censoring. Journalists start to self-censor because you don't want to be without a job tomorrow. At the end of the day, this piece of legislation literally limits the flow of information in Zimbabwe because people are afraid of doing their job because they could be arrested or shut down.
What about judges? Are they subjected to the same sort of self-censorship?
The judiciary in Zimbabwe took a turn for the worse for us lawyers in 2001 when judges who were seen as independent were forced off the bench. And judges who it is generally believed look at things from the government viewpoint were appointed. For me, the system requires a complete overhaul because any judges who are there are dangerous because they are quite happy to do the politicians' dirty work, to interpret the law to suit those who made them judges. Even if there's a change, you cannot trust them. If you're willing to be used by the ruling party now, it means tomorrow you'll be willing to be used by whoever will be in the ruling party next, and that's just as bad. We need to get completely new judges who would be appointed in terms of a very transparent selection procedure.
Have judges fled the country because of judgments they've passed?
Certainly some judges have been forced to flee the country after direct threats. There was a judge who was dealing with one of the newspaper closure cases. He was threatened by people in government and he fled - literally fled the country. Those who left did so because they couldn't continue working under conditions where they were constantly under threat. The Supreme Court heard the war veterans demonstrate, and they were jumping all over the court while the court was in session, but nothing happened to those people. So clearly judges have been threatened. Even those who have remained from the old era - maybe two or so in the high courts - are afraid. They have stayed, but the freedom is just not there anymore. I don't think members of the judiciary feel that they have the freedom to really be judges, impartial judges, without interference. They know if they give judgments that aren't popular, they could lose their jobs and find themselves in deep trouble.
This interview between Alexis Bloom and Beatrice Mtetwa took place in February 2006 at a guesthouse in Harare. It has been edited for clarity.
Grace Muradzikwa is the managing director of short-term insurer Nicoz Diamond.
Muradzikwa is recognised as the first female managing director to win two IoDZ director of the year awards since their inception in 2004.
The Nicoz Diamond boss is credited with spearheading the formation of vision, mission and values of the short-term insurance group. Nicoz Diamond is listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange. Grace Muradzikwa also created the vision, mission and value statements for the regional operations in Malawi, Zambia, Angola and Uganda where Nicoz Diamond has management contracts. The Nicoz Diamond managing director gives general direction and has overall responsibility over strategy formulation for Nicoz Diamond and regional operations that the company manages. Her strategy of country diversification has helped the company cope with the challenging environment of 2008 to 2009.
Grace Muradzikwa, with over 24 years’ experience in the insurance sector, is committed to and passionate about her work, which has seen her receive numerous personal awards as well as on behalf of Nicoz Diamond. The awards were for first black female to list and head a publicly traded company in Zimbabwe, 1996 Insurance Personality of the Year, 2004 Zimbabwe Manager of the Year runner up, 2005 quoted companies Best Insurance Counter and Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce 2005 Businesswoman of The Year.
Muradzikwa sits on the boards of Nicoz Diamond, Africa University, United General Insurance (Uganda), Consolidated Farming Investments as deputy chairperson, Diamond General Insurance (Zambia), Nissan Clover Leaf Panel Beaters and Justice for Children. She is a holder of Bachelor of Administration and Master in Business Administration degrees from the University of Zimbabwe. She is also a Fellow of the Insurance Institute of South Africa.
There were a few simple things that made Sam Levy the extraordinary man that he was.
He was a complex man, but his principles were simple, and they translated into every aspect of his life, from family to business to friends.
He touched so many people's lives from all walks of life, and yet we all recognise the same things about Sam Levy.
Sam Levy's Village in Borrowdale, Harare
Sam Levy was a very principled man, tough but fair. He had a very strong sense of right and wrong.
He was given the name "Kanyuchi" which is the Shona word for a honeybee: If you were good and fair, he gave you honey. If you were not honest or did wrong you faced getting stung.
He was a generous man. He gave without asking, and never asked for a thank you, or expected something in return. His reward and pleasure was to see those around him enjoy what he gave.
Sam Levy was a humble man. Despite his achievements in life, and the status and respect he earned as a successful businessman, he treated all people equally no matter their status in life, no matter the colour of their skin.
Whether a prominent business person, a Government official, the guy who cut the lawn or a stranger that he had never met before, he was always approachable, receptive and had time for you. He touched so many lives that way. He gave advice to anyone, and listened with patience and attentiveness. He had the ability to put himself in your shoes and see things clearly.
One thing Sam Levy was known for was his ability to see things that others didn't see. His insight and understanding were so vast that there was nothing he could not help you with. As long as you "put him in the picture" he was able to step into your shoes and "sort it out".
He was family oriented and his life revolved around his children. He loved passionately and deeply, and was very protective. No one could touch anyone he loved, and he made everybody know it.
Sam Levy's Village Borrowdale, Harare, Zimbabwe
In times of need, he was always the first to phone and always the first one to take action.
He reminded everyone he met: "Respect and honour your parents and don't fight with your brothers and sisters. Family is family and blood is thicker than water".
He was a good friend. No matter what he was doing, or how important it was, if he was needed, he made time. If there was a problem, he would help.
If they needed strength, he was supportive. If someone was nervous, he gave them courage. If someone was stumped, he gave them a strategy.
He was a man of his word. If he said he would do something, consider it done, no matter how large or small the task. He forgot nothing. If you told him anything, no matter how trivial, he never forgot. He amazed people by reminding them of something they did or said that would otherwise be long forgotten.
Sam was a very wise man. Not only because of his vast experience in life and business, but because he had the ability to sit back and evaluate things, break them down into simple elements, and be objective.
He was known to say, "If you have a problem, come to me", and he was always there as he said he would be.
The man was a doer. His motto was "Don't leave for tomorrow what you can do today". If something needed to be done, his attitude was "do it". If he wanted something done, he did it. It was that simple!
His tenacity was obvious in everything he did and he never gave up on anything or anyone. He was a very logical and practical man. He simplified the most complicated situations and made them easy to follow. If it could be done, it would be done, and it would be done right. He looked at obstacles as challenges, solved them and moved forward. He also knew when "enough is enough".
Sam was a very positive man. He "took the bull by the horns" and carried on. He was always optimistic and gave people hope. He made daunting situations approachable and was happy to lead through anything. No matter what happened, he always moved forward with a positive attitude, and it was infectious. He made all those around him feel safe and secure.
The businessman was a passionate man in everything he did. He loved every project, and he immersed himself into it and saw it through to fulfill it into the dream he wanted it to be. He loved deeply and fought fiercely. There was nothing he ever did that did not get everything right from his heart.
A visionary he was and this made him a pioneer for Zimbabwe. He spent a lot of time overseas looking for ideas and products to bring back to Zimbabwe.
The mogul can be credited with many astute initiatives, from creating supermarkets to better serve customers at cheaper prices, despite the resistance he got in doing so, to introducing a new breed of cattle to Zimbabwe, and creating a shopping centre which had something for everyone.
He always sought and appreciated new and clever ideas. He always said: "When I see a good idea, I take it and bring it back to Zimbabwe." His intention was always to let people here get a taste of what was only available overseas. He had so much pride in bringing new things to the country!
Most of all, he loved his country, his home. Everything he did in his life he did in the place he loved the most. Despite the challenges and the changing environments he persevered. When people were giving up, he invested more.
When things looked bleak, he kept building. He never gave up on the country or its people, and he made it known that he was here to stay.
He created a legacy in this country for the country. He made it very clear that he was a part of the team to carry this country forward, and he did so proudly and loudly.
It was called "Sam Levy's Village" for a reason. He wanted his legacy to be there for the people and he was proud to be a part of it, and wanted it to continue even after his death.
When he got sick, as soon as he was able to travel, he wanted to come home. He asked the doctors every week, "When can I go home to Zimbabwe?" and as soon as he was well enough to travel, he came home.
Zimbabwe inspired him, and was his anchor. Even when he was ill, he was always energised when he came home.
As he would always say when he was making a point or conclusion, "at the end of the day" he was a great man, an inspiration to us all.
We have a lot to learn in looking at his life, not for what he achieved, but for why he achieved. Simply, it was for his family, and his country. And he lived for both with passion, conviction, determination and love.
From the Levy family, we are proud to be his family. We will continue to have him live through us with everything he stood for. We as his family, and we as his country lost a pillar, but it's a pillar which will remind us everyday that he is still with us.
Thank you to a wonderful husband, father, brother and friend. We will miss you very much, but we will never forget you, and you will continue to live in our hearts forever.
Levy, the owner of the multi-billion-dollar Sam Levy’s Village in Borrowdale, among other business empires in the country, was born on October 9 1922 in Kwekwe and went to Prince Edward School.
In the 1960s, he was the founder and chairman of a large supermarket group, Macey’s Stores Limited, and by then he lived in Waterfalls. This saw him earning the nickname “Cut-price king”, when he started the supermarket business.
During that time, he also owned a fruit farm in Nyanga and a farm near Lake Chivero, where he was a pioneer breeder of beefmaster cattle. In September 1973, Levy bought Duly’s Angwa Street property from London County Properties for $1,5 million, which was reported to be the biggest property deal then.
The premise (now called Ximex Mall) was redesigned along American lines and it included a Macey’s discount store, butchery, bakery and other departments. Ximex Mall was bought by the National Social Security Authority about two years ago.
In 1975, Levy stood in the then Salisbury council elections and was elected councillor for Ward 8. During the same year, he introduced a new American cattle breed for the first time in Africa.
He once represented the then Rhodesia in three clay pigeon shooting internationals and won with national colours. In 1980, Levy won all the top prizes in the National Carcass competition during the four agricultural shows held at that time.
Women of substance - Dr Hope Sadza making dreams come true for women
Dr. Sadza is Vice Chancellor and founder of the only Women's University in Africa: opened with 145 students in 2002, now has a student population of 1,500, staff of 90, a farm of 285 hectares for commercial dairy (serves as the growth engine of the University). She is an eminent educationist who had a vision for opening a university for mature women who failed to access university education. The vision seeks to be the best African University in the promotion of gender equity and equal opportunities in tertiary education. The numerous awards the applicant has won nationally, regionally and internationally prove her unwavering interest in research and education for women. At the level of a Vice Chancellor, the result of her publications, research papers have cascaded in Africa to help mature men and women, especially in stamping out poverty through education for sustainable development - a theme that runs throughout her publications.
Dr. Sadza obtained her M.A. in Public Administration from the University of Missouri and her Ph.D. from the University of Zimbabwe in 1997.
IT has never been easy for the girl child to make it in the conventional "men's world". This woman has been through it all, and the adage that "success is not a tree to be climbed with one's hands in the pocket" rings true of Dr Hope Sadza, the woman at the helm of Women'sUniversity in Zimbabwe.
Born in a family of six children to Mr Bakasa, a businessman who owned a fleet of taxis and Mrs Bakasa, who was a teacher, Sadza says she grew up in a "very loving environment which I think contributed to my love for people". Says Sadza: "My mother always used to tease me about my hobby of collecting friends." From a tender age, Sadza always wanted to be a teacher, and it did not take her long to realise her dream. "I did my primary education at a school that still exists called Chirodzo Primary School. Incidentally after my teacher training I went back and taught at that school," Sadza said. "I attended Goromonzi Secondary School and then went on to Waddilove for my teacher training. My first love is teaching so I went further and did teacher training to teach secretaries in England." She went abroad to further her studies. "I then went to the University of Missouri in Columbia in the United States of America where I did my first degree (BSc) and second degree (masters in Public Administration)." "When I came back I studied for my PhD with the Universityof Zimbabwe. I also taught for a 1 / 4Women of substance - Sadza making dreams come true for women while at the Evelyn Hone College in Lusaka, Zambia." Her passion for teaching extended to assisting those financially unable to attain education.
"My dream has always been to help, particularly in the teaching field, those not economically endowed. I have always felt for the downtrodden, those who, for some reason or other, have missed out on school," Sadza says. "I feel that women, especially in Africa, have a raw deal. In our household every child, male or female, was treated the same but I watched with concern how other girls had to do chores and drop out of school because parents preferred to invest in male children, education-wise." Says Sadza: "That really hurt me and gave me the urge to want to help in changing that culture and offer the girl-child and woman the opportunity to be enlightened and educated." Sadza served in the public service for at least ten years before retiring to start the women's university. "I was introduced to commissions when I was appointed chairperson of the Parastatals Commission that is now defunct and then I served in the Public Service Commission for ten years," Sadza said. "I took an early retirement to realise my dream to start the Women's University with my co-founder, Fay Chung." The Women's University offers courses for mature women from the ages of 25 to 60, who missed out on school, either because of lack of finance or because they got married and were engaged in rearing families. "We offer women a 'second opportunity' as we call it, to go back to school away from the 2 / 4Women of substance - Sadza making dreams come true for women Friday, 07 July 2006 02:00 ordinary university where a woman would feel like she is attending with her own child," the veteran educationist said.
The Women's University is "user friendly" because women can attend in the evenings, on weekends and during holidays and does not interfere much with family concerns. There is also ample opportunity to network with other like-minded women. The vision of empowering women is critical to their lives and that of their families, especially children. Before the university opened, research was done to establish the most critical areas, and came up with four main fields namely: Agriculture Women are the tillers of the land, yet because of lack of education in that field, they remain poor. Reproductive health Women are not in control so there needs to be some formal training so that they can fill the gap between the nurse and the doctor. Gender story Women should be taught at an early stage the technicalities of gender issues and the sociological connotations. 3 / 4Women of substance - Sadza making dreams come true for women Friday, 07 July 2006 02:00 Management This aims at empowering women who have become stuck in middle management by virtue of being female. This is a popular course. The aim is for women to rise above diploma level and get to the highest level, which is degree level. This is Dr Hope Sadza's dream unfolding. Besides her busy schedule at the university, Sadza also sits on a number of boards. She chairs Rufaro Marketing and the National Art Gallery, to mention but a few. She loves reading, knitting, cooking - but hates house work and she makes no excuses for that. She loves travelling but at the moment she is unable to do so because of her commitment to the university. Whenever she travelled in the past, Sadza was always struck by the plight of women which she says is identical in Malawi, Zambia, Kenya and Zimbabwe. Sadza says the story of women is always about lots of brains but lack of opportunity. Her appeal is if you have any books, second hand computers which can be upgraded, they are welcome at the Women's University. Sadza is married and her husband is the chief executive officer of Premier Medical Aid Society. She has two children - a son aged 23 and an 11-year old daughter.
Professor Hope Sadza looks beyond Zimbabwe BY GRACE CHIRUMANZU Hope Sadza (Pictured) is on a mission to share her dream with all African women. As founder and Vice Chancellor of the Women’s University of Africa (WUA), she now wants to roll out her successful programmes beyond Zimbabwe and Zambia and in to Namibia and Malawi.
“The target now is to go through the whole of Africa and pick on the women who have been left behind,” said Sadza. She is the first woman in Africa to create a tertiary institution that allows ordinary women to advance themselves and improve their way of living.
"We call it the second opportunity university; it allows women the chance to start all over with their education. We help them achieve their dream and live a life they have always desired,” she said. WUA offers women Bachelor of Science degrees in areas of management, agriculture, entrepreneurial skills, information technologyand education. The university gives a flexible schedule as women take their classes in the evening, on weekends and in block releases.
WUA has produced 1 000 graduates since its establishment in 2002. The shortest programme runs for three years with the longest taking four. It gives first preference to employed applicants aged 24 and over. The oldest student the institution has empowered so far is Tsungi Hungwe-Chimbunde, who at the age of 64 graduated after a three-year degree programme in reproductive health in 2005.
According to Sadza, students have not found problems getting employment after years of empowerment with the university. She told The Zimbabwean ***** that the expansion into Namibia and Malawi should be up and running by 2011 and 2012.
“We will sign an MOU with their universities as we have done with the University of Zambia. We propose to start with 25 students and this time these mature students will pay for themselves or can be supported by their employers,” she said.
“We currently have 20 Zambian women with us. Since we are an opportunityuniversity accommodating married women who are also the working class with lots of responsibilities, we have given them a flexible programme that allows them to manage their social life as well. They (Zambians) are here for three months and theygo back for three months. While they are in Zambia they will also be doing open distance learning with the University of Zambia, using modules prepared by WUA.”
Since there are no hostels that accommodate foreign students, the University has a house in Harare’s low density suburb of Mount Pleasant. The institution has survived on funding from African Capacity Building Foundation, with scholarships from Econet Wireless and Zimbabwe Women’s Resource Centre and Networking (ZWRCN).
African Capacity Building Foundation donated a bus to the university and has committed itself to paying tuition fees for the foreign students from Zambia. Econet funds the top 20 outstanding students, while ZWRCN caters for four of the brilliant but poor students.
“Our lecturers are committed and have a passion for working with women. Lecturers have to be people who share the same dream of empowering women because a lot of patience is needed with them.”
It is the joy she has seen in the university’s graduates during past graduation ceremonies that continues to inspire Sadza to keep working with mature women.
“When I came up with the idea of establishing a university many people asked whether as a woman I could do it. But making it this far has proved to them that it is possible not only for me as a woman but for them as well. They have come to accept that everything has a beginning,” she said.
The university has registered a total number of 1500 students. “We want to go up to 4 000 students and we need more women in areas like law and sciences, I have realized that the women who graduate become more and more hungry for education. So we have opened an MBA and Masters in Development Studies as well,” explained Sadza.
Due to the economic challenges that have faced the country in recent years, WUA have seen over 200 dropouts. “It is a sad situation that we don’t have enough scholarships, but we have tried to make it easy for our students allowing them to write the exams and pay their tuition fees on collection of their results.”
Sadza began her career as a primary school teacher, became an officer in government and ended up as a Public Service Commissioner in 1989 resigning in 2000 to open WUA. She followed her dream to attain her PhD with the University of Zimbabwe.
“Before I did my PhD, the time management was a challenge. People had suggested I go to England for my studies but I could not because I had a family to look after. Then I just thought of how many women could be in my situation,” she said.
“Women fail to get the opportunity to go to university once they get married, it is difficult for them to manage the time. But we give them education with flexible timetable. In Africa 85% of the economy is based on Agriculture and 80% of the food is produced by women. Women know how to produce food but they don’t know how to manage, process it and add value as a finished food. We want to give them the knowledge to manage business and be leaders in society.”
Sadza and WUA were awarded winner of the 2007 "Empowering Gender through Tertiary Education" Award at the International Business Women's Conference, in Washington D.C. At the Women Entrepreneurs and Achievers Network (WEAN) awards held in Lagos, Nigeria the same year; she was named Africa's most influential woman in education.
Sheila Portia Tshuma Regency Casino Operations Manager, Sheila Tshuma (44), believes without the knowledge she got from the Women University in Africa she would not be where she is today.
Tshuma co-owns one of the top of the range Casinos in Zimbabwe with her husband. She was one of the pioneers of WUA, where she attained a degree in General Management in Entrepreneurial development.
“I found the programme very inspiring, the entrepreneur development programme inspires you to take up the challenge of starting your own business, you learn everything how to make a business plan and how it could fail. One of the errors some small business owners make is being everyone in their companies. You would find that in most companies the owner is the seller, the driver, the secretary and this programme just teaches one how to run a business properly by having to employ people with the right skill.
“A lot of the women we went to school with are actually running their own businesses now, I recommend that degree to anyone planning to start their own business.
“The University has given an opportunity to us mature women. When I finished my A levels I didn’t have the requirements points to go to UZ but with the opening up of the Women’s University one didn’t necessarily have to have such requirements as they only require one’s working experience.
“So I like that idea about Women University where they are saying anyone can go to University. From there on I went to Chinhoyi University to do my Masters in Strategic Management but when I compare my programme from my undergrad and postgrad, I still think I learnt more from WUA; no disrespect for Chinhoyi. It has changed my life even at a social level; you get to view everything with a critical mind.”
Tsungirirai Hungwe-Chimbunde (Pictured) Tsungirirai Hungwe-Chimbunde (68) is a holder of BSc Honors degree in Reproductive Health and Family Sciences with Women’s University in Africa. She registered to embark in this degree at the age of 60 in 2002, the year the university was established.
She was awarded the Ndoro Shield in 2005. The Shield is awarded to the model female student who has shown the embodiment of the university values, hardworking, determination, dedication to studies and a source of inspiration to the African Women.
Chimbunde was the deputy Minister of Women’s Affairs back in 1990 and a former Deputy Minister for Health and Child Welfare.
“Anything good does not come on a silver platter, it is through determination and perseverance, which are the characteristics of an African woman,” she said.
“During our time, not many girls were accessing secondary education, let alone university education. I only enrolled for my university degree at 60. I could not do it at a tender age. Having acquired my diploma in nursing, the traditional profession for a black woman person, I got married and had three children. The marriage did not see us through our lives and we parted ways. I took responsibility to look after my three children. Then it was not easy. However, with that load I did not lose hope, deep down I had that desire to acquire a degree.
“The establishment of WUA and its target group answered my prayer. I quickly grabbed the opportunity. My grandchildren now do not have an excuse not to be graduates. All other women should know that age is just a number.
“Being educated opens someone’s mind. One is able to think outside the box, get a confidence boost and earn respect. I’m now able to express myself much better and understand issues and interpret them better. I wish I had such qualifications during my time as Minister, I always look back and say I could have done better.”
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