Witness Mangwende
Witness Mangwende was a Zimbabwean politician and national hero.
Dr Mangwende was born on August 15 1946 in Chikomba, Mashonaland East Province, Zimbabwe.
He went to Zimuto Mission School, Goromonzi High School and then the University of Rhodesia where he began his political career a student leader. He also studied at the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom and earned a PhD from the London School of Economics in International Relations.
During his political career he held various positions before and after independence. These included Chief Representative of (ZANU) in Mozambique (1979-80).
Following the country’s independence he was elected ZANU Member of Parliament in the 1980 election.
From 1980 to his passing he held various cabinet posts which included:
- Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs (1980) and promoted in the same year to Minister of Foreign Affairs.
- Minister of Information, Posts and Telecommunication (1987-1991)
- Minister of Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement (1991-94)
- Minister of Education and Culture (1995-2002)
- Minister of Transport and Communication (2002-2004)
- Harare Metropolitan Governor (2004-2005)
He died on 26 February 2005, was declared a national hero and buried at the National Heroes Acre.
