Chenhamo Chimutengwende facts for kids

Chenhamo Chakezha "Chen" Chimutengwende was a politician from Zimbabwe. He was born on August 28, 1943, and passed away on January 16, 2025. He served as the Minister of State for Public and Interactive Affairs. Mr. Chimutengwende was a long-time supporter of Robert Mugabe, who was the President of Zimbabwe. He served as a Member of Parliament for 23 years. In 2008, he lost his seat in the general election. Later, in 2009, he became the chairman of the Zimbabwe Foundation for Sustainable Development.

Early Life and Education

Growing Up in Zimbabwe

Chenhamo Chakezha Chimutengwende was born in a place called Chiweshe. This area is in the Mazowe District of Zimbabwe. His parents were John and Ronia Nyangoni. He was the third of their eight children. He went to Gweshe Primary School in Chiweshe. Later, in 1956, he attended Highfield Secondary School.

Time in London

During the 1960s and 1970s, Mr. Chimutengwende lived away from his home country. He stayed in London, England. While there, he led a project called the Europe-Africa Research Project. He also worked with a newspaper called Red Mole. He was a strong supporter of Mao Zedong's China. He left the newspaper when it disagreed with Mao's actions during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971.

University Studies

Mr. Chimutengwende studied at the University of Bradford. He earned a master's degree in social science. He also received a PhD from the same university. His PhD research was about how mass media and the government affect a country's development. He also wrote a book titled South Africa: The Press and the Politics of Liberation.

Political Career in Zimbabwe

Working for Reconciliation

In the early 2000s, relations between Zimbabwe and Britain became difficult. Because Mr. Chimutengwende had many connections in London, his party used him as a negotiator. He tried to help the two countries get along better. However, his efforts did not fully succeed. The governments of Tony Blair (Britain's leader) and Robert Mugabe continued to criticize each other.

Views on Land Reform

During the 2005 parliamentary election, Mr. Chimutengwende faced an opponent. This opponent, Shepherd Mushonga, said Mr. Chimutengwende was not truly supporting President Mugabe. Mr. Chimutengwende replied to a crowd in Mazowe. He said he loved England, but he was a proud Zimbabwean.

Shepherd Mushonga supported a program to change land ownership in Zimbabwe. This program was known as land reform. Mr. Chimutengwende also supported land reform. However, he felt that the way it was being done was not the best. Despite this, he was known for being very loyal to President Robert Mugabe. Mr. Chimutengwende won the election with many votes.

Later Years

From 2005, Mr. Chimutengwende was placed on a list by the United States. This meant he faced certain restrictions from the U.S. government. He passed away on January 16, 2025, at the age of 81.