Mount Pleasant is a

residential suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...

Harare Harare (; formerly Salisbury ) is the capital and most populous city of Zimbabwe. The city proper has an area of 940 km2 (371 mi2) and a population of 2.12 million in the 2012 census and an estimated 3.12 million in its metropolitan ...

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...

, located in the northern part of the city. Originally a farm, the area was developed for housing in the early 20th-century and was a white suburb until Zimbabwe's independence in 1980. Today, Mount Pleasant is a multiracial community and is one of Harare's more affluent suburbs. Mount Pleasant contains a number of shopping centres and businesses. The suburb is home to three secondary schools and five primary schools. The

University of Zimbabwe The University of Zimbabwe (UZ) is a public university in Harare, Zimbabwe. It opened in 1952 as the University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, and was initially affiliated with the University of London. It was later renamed the University o ...

, the oldest and top-ranked university in Zimbabwe, is located in Mount Pleasant, as are

Zimbabwe Open University Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) is an open distance education university in Zimbabwe. Established in 1999,Arrupe Jesuit University. There are two athletic clubs in Mount Pleasant, the Old Georgians Sports Club and Mount Pleasant Sports Club. The area is represented in Parliament by the Mount Pleasant constituency. Mount Pleasant is bordered by the Avondale West, Vainona, Emerald Hill,

Belgravia Belgravia () is a Districts of London, district in Central London, covering parts of the areas of both the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Belgravia was known as the 'Five Fields' Tudor Period, during the ...

, and

Marlborough Marlborough may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Marlborough, Wiltshire, England ** Marlborough College, public school * Marlborough School, Woodstock in Oxfordshire, England * The Marlborough Science Academy in Hertfordshire, England Austral ...

suburbs.

History

Mount Pleasant was originally a farm, also named Mount Pleasant, until it was developed for residential housing beginning in 1902.Little is known about the genesis of Farm No 10, which was called Mount Pleasant, as the original owner is not known. John Kiddle sold it to Mollie Colenbrander for £100 after owning it for just five days. However, because of water issues, no development took place until 1902 when it was acquired by the

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

property developer and recent immigrant Alfred Blackburn, who also acquired and subdivided Avondale, and developed both areas into residential subdivisions. By the end of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Mount Pleasant had become an extremely desirable place to live and was forever changed by the opening of the

in 1953.

Geography

Mount Pleasant is located in the northern part of Harare, and is bordered by the Vainona, Pomona, Emerald Hill,

, and Marlborough suburbs. From the postwar era to the 1980s, generations of wealthy residents built dozens of stately homes in the area in various styles, including

Beaux-Arts architecture Beaux-Arts architecture ( , ) was the academic architectural style taught at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, particularly from the 1830s to the end of the 19th century. It drew upon the principles of French neoclassicism, but also incorpora ...

Edwardian The Edwardian era or Edwardian period of British history spanned the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910 and is sometimes extended to the start of the First World War. The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 marked the end of the Victori ...

Cape Dutch Cape Dutch, also commonly known as Cape Afrikaners, were a historic socioeconomic class of Afrikaners who lived in the Western Cape during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The terms have been evoked to describe an affluent, apolitical se ...

and

post-war In Western usage, the phrase post-war era (or postwar era) usually refers to the time since the end of World War II. More broadly, a post-war period (or postwar period) is the interval immediately following the end of a war. A post-war period c ...

modern styles.https://media.africaportal.org/documents/nw-zim-2003.pdf Along with their homes, the university added much to the vibrancy of the neighbourhood, with bookstores, cafes, restaurants and other amenities creating a

bohemian Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to: *Anything of or relating to Bohemia Beer * National Bohemian, a brand brewed by Pabst * Bohemian, a brand of beer brewed by Molson Coors Culture and arts * Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, origin ...

academic An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...

atmosphere, distinguishing it from the quieter suburban enclaves of wealthy families to its North East and the gritty CBD.https://www.jsc.org.zw/jscbackend/upload/Judgements/High%20Court/Harare/2013/HH%20385-13.pdf Other than the homes, landmarks include the Arundel Village and the campus of the University of Zimbabwe. The Mount Pleasant branch of the Harare Library serves the greater area. The neighborhood is well preserved and maintained, however some of the historic homes have been torn down, renovated into businesses, or transferred to institutional use. The northern part of the neighborhood is dominated by the

. In the post-war years the area was home to affluent

Anglo-African The British diaspora in Africa is a population group broadly defined as English-speaking white Africans of mainly (but not only) British descent who live in or come from Sub-Saharan Africa. The majority live in South Africa and other Southern ...

families evidenced by churches such as All Souls Anglican Church on Westcott Rd and Northside Community Church on Edinburgh Ave. Today the population is more diverse, albeit with a plurality of

upper middle class In sociology, the upper middle class is the social group constituted by higher status members of the middle class. This is in contrast to the term ''lower middle class'', which is used for the group at the opposite end of the middle-class strat ...

as the wealthiest former inhabitants moved further eastward to Glen Lorne and Borrowdale or emigrated entirely. Left behind were mostly middle-class

white Zimbabweans White Zimbabweans are people in Zimbabwe who are of European descent. In linguistic, cultural, and historical terms, these Zimbabweans of European ethnic origin are mostly English-speaking descendants of British settlers and a small minority ...

, and a mix of incoming Shona and Indian Zimbabweans along with a transient

expatriate An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person who resides outside their native country. In common usage, the term often refers to educated professionals, skilled workers, or artists taking positions outside their home country, either ...

population. Today, upper middle-income Zimbabweans of various ethnicities form a majority of the population.

Economy

Mount Pleasant also contains a number of office parks and shopping centres, notably Arundel Office Park, Arundel Village Shopping Centre, The Bridge Shopping Centre, Bond Shopping Centre and Pendennis Shopping Centre. The

Zimbabwe School Examinations Council The Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) is an autonomous parastatal under the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture of the Republic of Zimbabwe, responsible for the administration of public examinations in Zimbabwean schools. Its ...

is also headquartered in Mount Pleasant. It also houses the Agriculture and Research Trust (ART) Farm, which engages in research and development of agricultural practices. Mount Pleasant Business Park is home to a number of businesses, including the headquarters of the

Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe Postal may refer to: Places * The Italian name for Burgstall, South Tyrol in northern Italy * Postal, Missouri * Postal Square * Postal Museum (Liechtenstein), a postal museum in Vaduz, Liechtenstein People * Fred Postal, former co-owne ...

Education

Mount Pleasant School Harare by garybembridge

Mount Pleasant is home to three universities, three secondary schools, and five primary schools, including both public and private educational institutions. Mount Pleasant's public schools are within the North Central District of

Harare Province Harare Metropolitan Province () is a province in northeastern Zimbabwe. It comprises Harare, the country's capital and most populous city, and two other municipalities . Originally part of Mashonaland Province, in 1983 the province was divided in ...

. Mount Pleasant has two public primary schools, North Park Primary School and Groombridge Primary School. The private schools in Mount Pleasant are Correspondence School, Goldbrook Junior College, and Northwood Adventist Primary School, a

Seventh-day Adventist Church The Seventh-day Adventist Church is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabbath, and ...

-affiliated school. Northwood, which opened in 2014 with 273 students, was ranked one of the top 100 grade 7 schools in Zimbabwe in 2014. Mount Pleasant is served by one public high school, Mount Pleasant School. There are two private secondary schools in Mount Pleasant:

Arundel School Arundel School is a private, day and boarding school for girls aged 12–18 in Harare, Zimbabwe. Arundel School was ranked 48th out of the top 100 best high schools in Africa, based upon quality of education, student engagement, strength and acti ...

, a boarding and day school for girls ages 12–18, and Harare International School, a

coeducational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...

day school for students grades

Pre-K Pre-kindergarten (also called Pre-K or PK) is a voluntary classroom-based preschool program for children below the age of five in the United States, Canada, Turkey and Greece (when kindergarten starts). It may be delivered through a preschool o ...

–12; both schools have enrollments of around 500 students. All three of Mount Pleasant's high schools were included in a 2014 ranking of Africa's top 100 secondary schools. Arundel was ranked 48th, Harare International at 54th, and Mount Pleasant School placed at 65th. The main campus of the

, the oldest and top-ranked

university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

in Zimbabwe, is located at the southern edge of the suburb.

Zimbabwe Open University Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) is an open distance education university in Zimbabwe. Established in 1999,distance education Distance education, also known as distance learning, is the education of students who may not always be physically present at a school, or where the learner and the teacher are separated in both time and distance. Traditionally, this usually in ...

institution and the largest university by enrollment in Zimbabwe, is based in Mount Pleasant. Mount Pleasant is also home to Arrupe Jesuit University, one of two

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

universities in Zimbabwe and one of only two

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

universities in Africa.

Community diversity

Mount Pleasant is one of Harare's more racially diverse neighborhoods. Since the 1980s Mount Pleasant had developed into a neighborhood fairly integrated among

economic class A social class is a grouping of people into a set of hierarchical social categories, the most common being the upper, middle and lower classes. Membership in a social class can for example be dependent on education, wealth, occupation, inco ...

es and races, albeit with the price of housing rising the further north one travels. Beginning in the mid-twentieth century, Mount Pleasant could boast of numerous prominent residents, many of whom were affiliated with the

. Affiliated with the

University of Birmingham , mottoeng = Through efforts to heights , established = 1825 – Birmingham School of Medicine and Surgery1836 – Birmingham Royal School of Medicine and Surgery1843 – Queen's College1875 – Mason Science College1898 – Mason Univers ...

and multiracial from the start, the university quickly became a

liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

bastion of resistance against the oppressive

Ian Smith Ian Douglas Smith (8 April 1919 – 20 November 2007) was a Rhodesian politician, farmer, and fighter pilot who served as Prime Minister of Rhodesia (known as Southern Rhodesia until October 1964 and now known as Zimbabwe) from 1964 to ...

government. Mount Pleasant's location as the academic and intellectual centre of Harare as well as its large population of well-to-do residents have made it an important cultural and bohemian hub of the city, noted for its

independent bookstore An independent bookstore is a retail bookstore which is independently owned. Usually, independent stores consist of only a single actual store (although there are some multi-store independents). They may be structured as sole proprietorships, cl ...

s, including the Book Club and House of Books

Co-op A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-control ...

bookstore, on Redhill Road. Nearby Bond Street offers numerous restaurants, bakeries and cafes, along with small grocery stores, hair stylists, and dry cleaners, which add much to the vibrancy of the area.

Mount Pleasant Heights

Mount Pleasant Heights is a newer neighborhood of mostly family homes in the far north of Mount Pleasant to the north and northwest of

. The Heights neighborhood is an enclave of residential homes, trees and undeveloped parkland. The neighborhood borders Mount Pleasant proper, and is bounded by the A11 motorway to the west, Ashbrittle to the southwest, and Vainona and

Borrowdale Borrowdale is a valley and civil parish in the English Lake District in the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria, England. It lies within the historic county boundaries of Cumberland. It is sometimes referred to as ''Cumberland Borrowdale'' t ...

to the southeast. This neighborhood was originally inhabited by wealthy black residents, mostly doctors, lawyers, and other professionals. Most of these families moved to the area as it developed in the nineties to about 2005. Mount Pleasant Heights was initially entirely residential, with no commercial zoning, and single family and rambler houses on very large parcels. The neighborhood is

suburban A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...

, separated from the roar of life in the nation's capital. Today the area remains quite suburban, and largely characterised by

detached A stand-alone house (also called a single-detached dwelling, detached residence or detached house) is a free-standing residential building. It is sometimes referred to as a single-family home, as opposed to a multi-family residential dwelli ...

and larger properties, unlike the more dense south, and small neighbourhood businesses and commercial areas to service the growing population. There are also swaths of park land cutting through the neighborhood, such as Wingate Park. The area is part of the Mount Pleasant Association and residents consider themselves residents of Mount Pleasant. The neighbourhood is known for its abundance of trees, green space and proximity to Wingate Park Golf Club. Most of the neighborhood's housing stock was built in the 1990s, however since 2005 the area has become increasingly popular with non-resident Zimbabweans as an alternative to the pricey Northeast, resulting in higher prices, uneven development and growing sprawl, with many of the original families

emigrating Emigration is the act of leaving a resident country or place of residence with the intent to settle elsewhere (to permanently leave a country). Conversely, immigration describes the movement of people into one country from another (to permanentl ...

or moving out of the area, as hyperinflation favored international buyers, while diminishing locals' savings. Heights students are zoned to Montrose Primary School with many going on to attend high school in Mount Pleasant proper and Emerald Hill.

Government and politics

Mount Pleasant does not have its own police station and relies on the police station in Marlborough. Irregular city garbage collection and littering are problems in Mount Pleasant.

Notable people

The following are notable people were either born in or have lived in Mount Pleasant at one point or another:

Academia and faculty

Kathleen Coleman Kathleen M. Coleman is an academic and writer who is the James Loeb Professor of the Classics at Harvard University. Her research interests include Latin literature, history and culture in the early Roman Empire, and arena spectacles. Her e ...

(1975), classicist and professor at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

John McDowell John Henry McDowell, FBA (born 7 March 1942) is a South African philosopher, formerly a fellow of University College, Oxford, and now university professor at the University of Pittsburgh. Although he has written on metaphysics, epistemology, ...

, South African philosopher and professor at the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...

Peter McLaughlin Peter McLaughlin (born 1956) is an Irish academic, historian, and educator. He is the CEO of Max Learning Limited, the educational arm of the Max Group. He was Headmaster of The Doon School. Before joining Doon in 2009, he served as Headmaster ...

, Northern Irish-Zimbabwean educator, historian, and school administrator * Levi Nyagura, mathematician; Vice Chancellor of the University of Zimbabwe since 2003 *

Giovanni Arrighi Giovanni Arrighi (7 July 1937 – 18 June 2009) was an Italian economist, sociologist and world-systems analyst, from 1998 a Professor of Sociology at Johns Hopkins University. His work has been translated into over fifteen languages. Biography ...

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

economist and sociologist; professor at

Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hem ...

* David Beach, British-Zimbabwean historian *

Korkut Boratav Korkut Boratav (born 1935) is a Turkish Marxian economist. Career Boratav was born in Konya. After his graduation from Ankara Gazi Lycee in 1955, he continued his studies at Ankara University, Law School. In 1960 he became a lecturer and resear ...

, Turkish Marxian economist; taught at UZ 1984–1986 *

Ernest Bulle Ernest Leonard Bulle was an academic and politician who served as a minister in the governments of Rhodesia and Zimbabwe Rhodesia. He served in the cabinet of Rhodesia as joint Minister of Finance and Minister of Commerce and Industry alongside ...

, academic and politician; taught African languages at UZ in the 1970s * Jackson Mutero Chirenje, historian and former professor at

; former lecturer and chair of the history department at UZ *

Peter Garlake Peter Storr Garlake (11 January 1934 - 2 December 2011) was a Zimbabwean archaeologist and art historian, who made influential contributions to the study of Great Zimbabwe and Ife, Nigeria. Life Garlake began his career in African art and arc ...

, archaeologist and historian; professor at UZ 1964–1970; forced to leave

Rhodesia Rhodesia (, ), officially from 1970 the Republic of Rhodesia, was an unrecognised state in Southern Africa from 1965 to 1979, equivalent in territory to modern Zimbabwe. Rhodesia was the ''de facto'' successor state to the British colony of S ...

in 1970 due to his research concluding that

Great Zimbabwe Great Zimbabwe is a medieval city in the south-eastern hills of Zimbabwe near Lake Mutirikwi and the town of Masvingo. It is thought to have been the capital of a great kingdom during the country's Late Iron Age about which little is known. Con ...

was built by the

Shona people The Shona people () are part of the Bantu ethnic group native to Southern Africa, primarily living in Zimbabwe where they form the majority of the population, as well as Mozambique, South Africa, and a worldwide diaspora including global celebriti ...

Business and finance

Gideon Gono Gideon Gono (born 29 November 1959) is a former Governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), serving from 2003 to 2013, and is the former CEO of the CBZ Bank Limited. Gono became known internationally due to his connection to the hyperin ...

, banker; Governor of the

Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe is the central bank of Zimbabwe and is headquartered in the capital city Harare. History The bank traces its history to the Reserve Bank of Rhodesia, founded on 22 May 1964, but which succeeded the Bank of Rhodesia ...

2003–2013 * David Hatendi (1976), businessman and banker;

's first black

Rhodes Scholar The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom. Established in 1902, it is the oldest graduate scholarship in the world. It is considered among the world' ...

Paul Tangi Mhova Mkondo Paul Tangi Mhova Mkondo (23 December 1945 – 9 May 2013) was a Zimbabwean nationalist, part of the first group of Gonakudzingwa restriction camp political prisoners, Pioneer Insurance Executive, Business magnate, Academic, philanthropist, cons ...

, businessman, political activist, and commercial farmer * Blessing Mudavanhu, businessman, banker, and corporate executive

Entertainment

Lucian Msamati Lucian Gabriel Wiina Msamati (born 5 March 1976) is a British-Tanzanian actor. He played Salladhor Saan in HBO series ''Game of Thrones'', and was the first black actor to play Iago in the Royal Shakespeare Company's 2015 production of ''Othel ...

(1997), British-

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...

n actor * Xoliswa Sithole (1987), Zimbabwean-South African actress and documentary filmmaker

Diplomats

* Boniface Chidyausiku, diplomat; Zimbabwean ambassador to

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

and

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...

(1990–1996),

Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

(1996–1999), the

World Trade Organization The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization that regulates and facilitates international trade. With effective cooperation in the United Nations System, governments use the organization to establish, revise, and e ...

(1999–2002), the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

(1999–2010), and

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

(2011–2015) * Julian Harston, British diplomat for

Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service His Majesty's Diplomatic Service (HMDS) is the diplomatic service of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, dealing with Foreign policy, foreign affairs and representing British interests overseas, as opposed to the Civil Servi ...

and the

Tichaona Jokonya Dr Tichaona Joseph Benjamin Jokonya (27 December 193824 June 2006) was a Zimbabwean politician, civil servant and diplomat. Early life Jokonya was born in the Charter District, since renamed Chikomba and attended Lourdes Mission and Kutama Coll ...

, politician and diplomat; Zimbabwean Ambassador to

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

1983–1988;

Minister of Information An information minister (also called minister of information) is a position in the governments of some countries responsible for dealing with information matters; it is often linked with censorship and propaganda. Sometimes the position is given to ...

2005–2006 * Mike Nicholas Sango,

Zimbabwe National Army The Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) is the primary branch of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces responsible for land-oriented military operations. It is the largest service branch under the Zimbabwean Joint Operations Command (JOC). The modern army has ...

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

and diplomat; Zimbabwean Ambassador to

since 2015 *

Trudy Stevenson Lottie Gertrude Stevenson ( née Bevier; 16 September 1944 – 24 August 2018) was a Zimbabwean ambassador and politician. She was a member of parliament for Harare North in the Parliament of Zimbabwe. She was also a founding member of the Move ...

; politician and diplomat; founding member of the

Movement for Democratic Change Movement for Democratic Change or MDC may refer to: * Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai (MDC–T), the former main opposition party in Zimbabwe ** Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai Congress 2006, the second MDC–T congres ...

; Member of Parliament 2000–2008; Zimbabwean ambassador to

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 � ...

and

The Gambia The Gambia,, ff, Gammbi, ar, غامبيا officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. It is the smallest country within mainland AfricaHoare, Ben. (2002) ''The Kingfisher A-Z Encyclopedia'', Kingfisher Publicatio ...

since 2009

Politics

* Heneri Dzinotyiweyi, mathematician and

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

; Minister of Science and Technology Development since 2009; former dean of science at UZ * Munyaradzi Gwisai, Socialist and political activist; former Member of Parliament *

Owen Horwood Owen Pieter Faure Horwood (6 December 1916 – 13 September 1998) was a South African economist, politician, leader of the National Party in the province of Natal and Finance Minister 1975 to 1984. He was married to Helen Watt, sister of Janet S ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

n economist and politician; South African Minister of Finance 1975–1984; taught economics at UZ in the late 1950s *

Welshman Ncube Welshman Ncube (born 7 July 1961) is a Zimbabwean lawyer, businessman and politician. He is the founding MDC leader and former President of Zimbabwean political party Movement for Democratic Change – Ncube. He currently serves within the Ci ...

, lawyer, businessman, and politician;

Minister of Industry and Commerce A Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry or variations is a ministry that is concerned with a nation's trade, industry and commerce. Notable examples are: List *Algeria: Ministry of Industry and ...

2009–2013; taught law at UZ 1985–2000; chair of the Department of Private Law at UZ 1988–1996 *

Malcolm Rifkind Sir Malcolm Leslie Rifkind (born 21 June 1946) is a British politician who served in the cabinets of Margaret Thatcher and John Major from 1986 to 1997, and most recently as chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament from ...

, British lawyer and politician;

1974–2015; British Foreign Secretary 1995–1997; was an assistant lecturer at UZ 1967–1968.

Lawyers and judges

Simpson Mutambanengwe Simpson Victor Mutambanengwe (also: Mtambanengwe, 1930 – 11 May 2017) was a Zimbabwean judge. He served on the High Courts of Zimbabwe and Namibia and was the chairperson of the Zimbabwean Electoral Commission. Early life and education Mutambane ...

(1959), Zimbabwean-

Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...

n lawyer and judge; justice of the High Court of Zimbabwe 1986–1994; Justice of the High Court of Namibia 1994–?; he also served on the Supreme Court of Namibia; acting Chief Justice of Namibia 2004; Chairman of the

Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) is an independent Chapter 12 institution established in terms of Section 238 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe; which is responsible for the management and administration of Zimbabwe's electoral processes. It was ...

2010–2013 *

Tawanda Mutasah Tawanda Mutasah (born 1970) is a lawyer, human rights advocate, and formerly Global Director of Programs at the Open Society Foundations. Biography He was Senior Director for Law and Policy at the Amnesty International, International Secretariat, ...

, lawyer and senior director of law and policy at

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...

Mkhululi Nyathi Mkhululi Nyathi is a Zimbabwean lawyer who was appointed to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission in 2010 and resigned on the day of the 2013 general elections, citing electoral irregularities. Career history Nyathi received a Bachelor of Laws at ...

(1999) lawyer and former member of the

* Bharat Patel (1975), acting Attorney General of Zimbabwe 2003 and 2007–2008; Justice of the High Court of Zimbabwe 2005–2013; Justice of the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe since 2013 * Vusi Pikoli (1988), South African lawyer; Director of the

National Prosecuting Authority The National Prosecution Authority (NPA) is the agency of the South African government responsible for state prosecutions. Under Section 179 of the Constitution and the National Prosecuting Authority Act of 1998, which established the NPA in 199 ...

2005–2007 * Shafimana Ueitele (1990), Namibian lawyer and judge; former Electoral Commissioner of Namibia and Justice of the High Court of Namibia

Activists

* Sarah Kachingwe (1961), politician and activist; first black female to enroll at the then-

University College of Rhodesia The University of Zimbabwe (UZ) is a public university in Harare, Zimbabwe. It opened in 1952 as the University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, and was initially affiliated with the University of London. It was later renamed the University o ...

in 1957 *

Lovemore Madhuku Lovemore Madhuku is a Zimbabwean politician and democracy activist who is best known for being one of the founding members of the National Constituent Assembly or NCA, a pro-democracy group. An active civil society worker, Madhuku served as NCA' ...

(1990), lawyer and democracy activist * Alex Magaisa (1997), lawyer and former advisor to

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

Morgan Tsvangirai Morgan Richard Tsvangirai (; ; 10 March 1952 – 14 February 2018) was a Zimbabwean politician who was Prime Minister of Zimbabwe from 2009 to 2013. He was President of the Movement for Democratic Change, and later the Movement for Democratic ...

; lecturer at the

University of Kent , motto_lang = , mottoeng = Literal translation: 'Whom to serve is to reign'(Book of Common Prayer translation: 'whose service is perfect freedom')Graham Martin, ''From Vision to Reality: the Making of the University of Kent at Canterbury'' ...

* Fadzayi Mahere (2008), lawyer and political activist *

Betty Makoni Hazviperi Betty Makoni is a Zimbabwean women's rights activist who in 1999 founded the Girl Child Network, a charity which supports Zimbabwe's young sex abuse victims. The organization has rescued more than 35,000 girls and provided mentoring to a ...

, educator and female sexual abuse victims' activist *

Diana Mitchell Diana Mary Mitchell (née Coates; 16 November 1932 – 8 January 2016) was a Zimbabwean political activist and writer, who was an outspoken critic of the governments of Ian Smith and Robert Mugabe. Biography Mitchell was born in Salisbury, the c ...

, writer and political activist * Daniel Molokele (1999), lawyer and democracy activist *

Earnest Mudzengi Earnest Mudzengi was the national director of the Zimbabwean National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) until 2010. History Mudzengi attended high school in Gweru, and later attained a master's degree in Media and Communication Studies from the Univer ...

(2001), human rights and democracy activist * Everjoice Win (1988), feminist activist

Journalism and media

* Michael Holman (1968), journalist and novelist; Africa editor for the ''

Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nik ...

'' * Julian Marshall, British journalist and radio broadcaster for the

BBC World Service The BBC World Service is an international broadcasting, international broadcaster owned and operated by the BBC, with funding from the Government of the United Kingdom, British Government through the Foreign Secretary, Foreign Secretary's o ...

Trevor Ncube Trevor Vusumuzi Ncube is a Zimbabwean entrepreneur and newspaper publisher now living in South Africa and publishing in both countries. As an editor and publisher, he was a critical voice in media of former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe an ...

, businessman and newspaper publisher

Literature

* Catherine Buckle (1979), farmer and writer *

Shimmer Chinodya Shimmer Chinodya (born 1957 Gwelo, then Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland) is a Zimbabwean novelist. He studied at Mambo Primary School. He was expelled from Goromonzi after demonstrating against Ian Smith's government. He graduated from the ...

, novelist * Chirikure Chirikure, poet, writer, and musician *

Tsitsi Dangarembga Tsitsi Dangarembga (born 4 February 1959) is a Zimbabwean novelist, playwright and filmmaker. Her debut novel, ''Nervous Conditions'' (1988), which was the first to be published in English by a Black woman from Zimbabwe, was named by the BBC in ...

, novelist and filmmaker *

Petina Gappah Petina Gappah (born 1971) is a Zimbabwean lawyer and writer. She writes in English, though she also draws on Shona, her first language. In 2016, she was named African Literary Person of the Year by ''Brittle Paper''. In 2017 she had a DAAD Arti ...

, lawyer, writer, and novelist * Chenjerai Hove, poet, novelist, and essayist * Alexander Kanengoni, writer *

Dambudzo Marechera Dambudzo Marechera (4 June 1952 – 18 August 1987) was a Zimbabwean novelist, short story writer, playwright and poet. His short career produced a book of stories, two novels (one published posthumously), a book of plays, prose, and poetry, ...

, novelist, playwright, poet, and short story writer * Albert Nyathi, poet *

Len Rix Len Rix is a translator of Hungarian literature into English, noted for his translations of Antal Szerb's '' Journey by Moonlight'' and ''The Pendragon Legend'' and of Magda Szabó's '' The Door'' and ''Katalin Street''. Early life and education ...

, translator of

Hungarian literature Hungarian literature is the body of written works primarily produced in Hungarian,

* Irene Sabatini, novelist *

Elinor Sisulu Elinor Sisulu (née Batezat; born 9 March 1958) is a South African writer and activist. Biography She was born Elinor Batezat in Salisbury, Rhodesia (now Harare, Zimbabwe) to Francis Batezat and Betty Stuhardt, who was the daughter of George S ...

, Zimbabwean-South African writer and activist Tonderai Kasu

Medicine, science, and technology

* Sir Michael Berridge, British

physiologist Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemical a ...

and

biochemist Biochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. They study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. Biochemists study DNA, proteins and Cell (biology), cell parts. The word "biochemist" is a portmanteau of ...

* Pride Chigwedere, physician and

HIV/AIDS research HIV/AIDS research includes all medical research that attempts to prevent, treat, or cure HIV/AIDS, as well as fundamental research about the nature of HIV as an infectious agent and AIDS as the disease caused by HIV. Transmission A body of sc ...

er * Rachel Chikwamba,

biopharmaceutical A biopharmaceutical, also known as a biological medical product, or biologic, is any pharmaceutical drug product manufactured in, extracted from, or semisynthesized from biological sources. Different from totally synthesized pharmaceuticals, t ...

researcher * Solomon Guramatunhu,

ophthalmologist Ophthalmology ( ) is a surgery, surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders. An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Followin ...

*Milton Simbarashe Kambarami: Biochemist, Bioinformaticist and Evolutionary Virologist notable for his work in SARS CoV 2 (COVID19) Research * Steven Hatfill (1984), American physician,

virologist Virology is the scientific study of biological viruses. It is a subfield of microbiology that focuses on their detection, structure, classification and evolution, their methods of infection and exploitation of host cells for reproduction, thei ...

, and

biological weapons A biological agent (also called bio-agent, biological threat agent, biological warfare agent, biological weapon, or bioweapon) is a bacterium, virus, protozoan, parasite, fungus, or toxin that can be used purposefully as a weapon in bioterrorism ...

researcher *

Jonathan Hutton Jonathan Michael Hutton (born 1956) is a British-born Zimbabwean ecologist with broad interests in nature conservation and environmental policy whose views on the future of wildlife conservation in Africa have frequently been controversial. Hutton ...

(1984), British-Zimbabwean

ecologist Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overlaps wi ...

and conservationist; professor at the

Tonderai Kasu Tonderai Kasu is a community leader in Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe. A medical doctor by training, he is the substantive Director of Health and Environmental Services for Chitungwiza, and has been the Acting Town Clerk or Acting Chief Executive, of t ...

, Substantive Director of Health and Environmental Services for Chitungwiza and Former Acting Town Clerk (Acting

Chief Executive A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

) for Chitungwiza Town Council * Bothwell Mbuwayesango,

pediatric surgeon Pediatric surgery is a subspecialty of surgery involving the surgery of fetuses, infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. History Pediatric surgery arose in the middle of the 1879 century as the surgical care of birth defects required ...

who successfully separated conjoined twins in 2014 * Francisca Mutapi,

parasite Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson has ...

immunologist and the first black female professor at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

* Madeline Nyamwanza-Makonese (1970), physician and first female doctor in Zimbabwe

Music

* Viomak, musician and political activist

Religion

* Albert Chama,

Zambia Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most cent ...

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

bishop; Archbishop of Central Africa since 2011 *

Rob Nairn Robert G. Nairn (died 30 September 2023) was a South African Buddhist teacher, author and populariser. He was born and grew up in Rhodesia. Nairn was a follower of Tibetan Buddhism, in the Karma Kagyu lineage. Academic education and legal career ...

, South African lawyer and

Tibetan Buddhist Tibetan Buddhism (also referred to as Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Lamaism, Lamaistic Buddhism, Himalayan Buddhism, and Northern Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Bhutan, where it is the dominant religion. It is also in majo ...

teacher and author

References

{{Suburbs of Harare Suburbs of Harare Populated places established in 1902 University of Zimbabwe Student quarters