Witness Mangwende facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Witness Pasichigare Mangwende
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Zimbabwe
In office 1 January 1981 – 22 December 1987
President	Canaan Banana
Prime Minister	Robert Mugabe
Preceded by	Simon Muzenda
Succeeded by	Nathan Shamuyarira
Minister of Information, Posts and Telecommunications
In office 22 December 1987 – 15 April 1991
President	Canaan Banana
Prime Minister	Robert Mugabe
Succeeded by	Witness Mangwende
Minister of Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement of Zimbabwe
In office 1 January 1991 – 22 December 1994
Minister of Education and Culture of Zimbabwe
In office 1 January 1995 – 1 January 2002
Minister of Transport and Communication of Zimbabwe
In office 1 January 2002 – 1 February 2004
Governor of Harare Province
In office 1 February 2004 – 26 February 2005
Personal details
Born	(1946-08-15)15 August 1946 Southern Rhodesia
Died	26 February 2005(2005-02-26) (aged 58)
Nationality	Zimbabwean
Political party	ZANU-PF
Spouse	Eben Yananiso Mangwende (née Takavarasha)
Alma mater	University of Zimbabwe, University of Southampton, London School of Economics
Occupation	Politician
Profession	Diplomat
Website	http://www.colonialrelic.com/nathan-shamuyarira/

Witness Pasichigare Magunda Mangwende (born August 15, 1946 – died February 26, 2005) was an important Zimbabwean politician. He held many different jobs in the government under Robert Mugabe and also worked as a diplomat. A diplomat is someone who represents their country to other nations. He was also the governor of Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe.

Early Life and Education

Witness Mangwende started his journey in politics as a student leader. He studied at the University of Rhodesia. He also went to universities in the United Kingdom. He earned a special degree called a PhD in international relations from the London School of Economics. International relations is the study of how different countries work together.

Serving as Foreign Minister

After Zimbabwe became independent in 1980, Mangwende became the Deputy Foreign Minister. In 1981, he was promoted to Foreign Minister. He held this important job until 1987. As Foreign Minister, he met with many world leaders. He spoke for Zimbabwe on the global stage.

Mangwende felt that the United Kingdom was a true friend to Zimbabwe. He respected Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who worked closely with Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Robert Mugabe. He said that he got along best with the British leaders. He also traveled to places like London and Paris during this time.

Working with Agriculture and Land

Witness Mangwende later became the Minister of Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement. In this role, he worked closely with the British government. They worked together to help with land reform in Zimbabwe. Land reform is about changing how land is owned and used.

In the early 1990s, some white Zimbabwean farmers agreed to sell their farms. These sales were part of a plan where the government bought land from those willing to sell. The British government provided money for these purchases. The farms were then divided into smaller plots. These smaller farms were given to Black Zimbabwean families. This was seen as a successful way to share land peacefully.

Mangwende also noted that British Prime Minister John Major helped Zimbabwe during droughts in 1992. Droughts are long periods with very little rain. This help allowed Zimbabwe to get through a difficult time.

Other Government Roles and Legacy

After his time as Minister of Agriculture, Mangwende led several other government departments. These included the ministries for Education, Agriculture, and Information. In 2004, he became the governor of Harare, the capital city. He served in this role until he passed away in February 2005.

After his death, Witness Mangwende was honored as a national hero by the Zanu-PF party. This means he was recognized for his important contributions to the country. He was buried with military honors.