Margaret Dongo facts for kids

Margaret Dongo was born on March 14, 1960. She is a politician from Zimbabwe. She is known for supporting women's rights. She also spoke out against corruption. Margaret Dongo fought in the 1970s liberation war. Later, she became a member of parliament. She also helped start a political party called the Zimbabwe Union of Democrats (ZUD).

Joining the Liberation War

In 1975, when Margaret Dongo was just 15 years old, she left school. She traveled to Mozambique to join the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA). This group was fighting for Zimbabwe's independence. She took on a new name, Tichaona Muhondo, which means "The Battle will Decide."

Margaret Dongo admired Josiah Tongogara, who was a ZANLA commander. She said he was a person of strong principles. He knew exactly what he was fighting for. He was not easily tempted by corruption. Margaret Dongo trusted him. In December 1979, she was among the last people to see him alive. She recalled that he came to speak to 18 girls at an event.

After the war ended, Margaret Dongo took a typing course. She also earned a diploma in telex operations. In 1980, she began working for the ruling ZANU-PF party. She held different jobs there. Later, she worked in the Prime Minister's office. She got married and had three children.

Becoming a Member of Parliament

In 1989, Margaret Dongo helped create a group. It was called the National Liberation War Veterans Association. Its goal was to protect the rights of war veterans. Many veterans felt left out.

In 1990, this association supported Dongo. She became a Member of Parliament (MP) for Harare East. As an MP, she spoke up for democracy. She also supported human rights. She fought for groups in Zimbabwe who were not being heard.

Margaret Dongo was not afraid to challenge the ZANU-PF leaders. She did this when she felt they were not helping people. Because of this, she was not chosen to run again in 1995. Also, the voting areas for her seat were changed. This made it harder for her to win.

Challenging the Government

In 1995, Margaret Dongo ran for Harare South. She ran as an independent candidate. This meant she was not part of a big party. She was running against Vivian Mwashita from ZANU-PF. Dongo lost by about 1,000 votes. She believed the election was unfair. So, she took her case to court.

The court case showed many problems with the voter list. Many people who did not live in the area were registered to vote. It seemed that over 40% of the names on the list were wrong. In August 1995, the court agreed. It said the election was not valid.

Margaret Dongo ran again in the new election for Harare South. On November 25, 1995, she won. She got 3,075 votes, while Mwashita got 1,630. She continued her work in parliament. She was a strong voice for human rights and democracy. At that time, she was one of only three opposition MPs.

Margaret Dongo wanted to run against Robert Mugabe in the 1996 Presidential elections. However, she was not old enough. The minimum age was 40, and she was younger. She asked Bishop Abel Muzorewa and Ndabaningi Sithole to not run. She felt their running would make the election seem fair. She said the elections were "only for the international and donor community." She meant they were not for the people of Zimbabwe. Both candidates eventually pulled out of the election. It was said that the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation did not allow news about her.

On December 19, 1998, Dongo started a new political party. It was called the Zimbabwe Union of Democrats. This was to get ready for the 2000 elections. However, she did not get along with Morgan Tsvangirai. He led the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). The MDC was created to challenge ZANU-PF. The ZUD party remained small. Dongo thought the MDC was like a party in Zambia that had failed.

Land Reform in Zimbabwe

After the land redistribution in 2000, Margaret Dongo asked for information. In January 2001, she received a written answer from parliament. It listed who received land. This included land rented out since 1990. Only a few of these lands went to real farmers. The lands ranged from very large farms to small plots.

According to Dongo, most state-owned farms were given to people with connections. Many of these people did not live on the land. They also had no farming experience. Many new owners received leases for 98 years. These leases were at very good prices. Others had not even had their lease rates decided yet.

She spoke to her fellow war veterans. She said, "Do not let selfish politicians use your suffering. This will not help you in the end. Comrades, you should stand up and watch the government. If you do not, you will have fought for nothing."

2000 Election and Beyond

Margaret Dongo tried to keep her seat in the 2000 election. Her house was attacked by about 60 opponents. They threw rocks through her windows. She lost the election by a lot. The MDC party won her seat.

After losing in 2000, she went to study. She attended Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. In August 2015, Dongo announced a new political party. It was called Movement for People First. Joice Mujuru leads this party. Margaret Dongo is the chairperson for the women's group within it.

See also

• 2005 Zimbabwe parliamentary elections
• Politics of Zimbabwe
• List of political parties in Zimbabwe
• Land reform in Zimbabwe
• Post-2008