Tonderai Kasu is a community leader in Chitungwiza,

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 ...

. 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 the Chitungwiza Town Council.

Early life and education

Kasu was born in

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 ...

. His family comes from

Nyanga, Zimbabwe Nyanga is a town in Zimbabwe. At one time, the town was known as Inyanga. Location It is located in Nyanga District, Manicaland Province, in northeastern Zimbabwe, close to the International border with Mozambique. This location lies immediat ...

Manicaland Province Manicaland is a province in eastern Zimbabwe. After Harare Province, it is the country's second-most populous province, with a population of 2.037 million, as of the 2022 census. After Harare and Bulawayo provinces, it is Zimbabwe's third-most de ...

. He is from the Tangwena people, and he bears the same

totem A totem (from oj, ᑑᑌᒼ, italics=no or '' doodem'') is a spirit being, sacred object, or symbol that serves as an emblem of a group of people, such as a family, clan, lineage, or tribe, such as in the Anishinaabe clan system. While ''the ...

or mutupo, as the late Chief Rekayi Tangwena, that is Nhewa or Simboti ( leopard). Kasu attended

Peterhouse Boys' School , location = , province = Mashonaland East , country = Zimbabwe , coordinates = , type = Independent, boarding, high school , denomination = Anglican , patron = Saint Peter , founded = 1955 , founder = Fred Snell , sister_school = Pete ...

near

Marondera Marondera (known as Marandellas until 1982) is a city in Mashonaland East, Zimbabwe, located about 72 km east of Harare. History It was first known as Marandella's Kraal, corrupted from Marondera, chief of the ruling VaRozvi people who ...

. He qualified as a medical doctor from 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 ...

. He holds a Master's degree in Public Sector Management from Africa University. He studied for a Doctor of Philosophy degree in

public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...

at Africa University.

Career

Kasu was appointed to the position of Acting Town Clerk by a resolution of the full council of the Municipality of Chitungwiza at its ordinary meeting held on the 10th of December 2019, and served in this capacity until the 21st of August 2020. He is currently the substantive Director of Health and Environmental Services of the Municipality in Chitungwiza, and has served in this capacity since April 2016. He is also a member of the Environmental Management and Civil Protection Committees for the Harare Metropolitan Province. He is the former head of the accident and emergency department for St. Anne's Hospital. As a leader in the health sector, he has managed facilities that have won awards for high quality of clinical care. In the country's third largest urban center, he has led the response to two cholera outbreaks. He is currently leading Chitungwiza's response to the

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...

pandemic. As a senior public official having a background as a professional and as an administrator, and not as a politician, he has often encountered and experienced problems and setbacks in managing and meeting the expectations of the Chitungwiza community's multiple stakeholders, given the politically polarized environment in Chitungwiza. Although having been criticized as a harsh enforcer of government policies, particularly with respect to illegal and informal trading in Chitungwiza, he has been at the forefront of spearheading urban renewal and development in Chitungwiza. He has been active in sports development and in philanthropic work in the Chitungiwza community.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kasu, Tonderai Zimbabwean politicians Africa University alumni University of Zimbabwe alumni Alumni of Peterhouse Boys' School People from Manicaland Province Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Zimbabwean people Zimbabwean physicians Zimbabwean academics Zimbabwean scientists