Hope Sadza
[
| Prof Hope Sadza | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Hope Cynthia |
| Occupation | |
| Spouse(s) | Davison Sadza |
| Children | Lindiwe Sadza |
Professor Hope Cynthia Sadza co-founded the Women’s University in Africa (WUA) with Dr Fay Chung in 2002. She is the Vice-Chancellor of WUA. With two other individuals, they founded the Zimbabwe Institute of Public Administration and Management (Zipam). She served as a Public Service Commissioner for ten years, a Parastatal’s Services Commissioner and a Public Service Review Commissioner. She currently seats on the BAT Zimbabwe board as a Non-Executive Director.
Background
Born in a family of six children to Mr Bakasa, a businessman who owned a fleet of taxis and Mrs Sarah Mugugu Bakasa, who was a teacher, Sadza says she grew up in a "very loving environment which I think contributed to my love for people". She was born so small and prematurely. The nurse asked what her parents would name her but her mother cried, saying there was no hope for her. For days she was so small, not allowed to breastfeed and her mother wept daily. She started to put on weight after three months and then she was named Hope![1] Says Sadza, "My mother always used to tease me about my hobby of collecting friends." From a tender age, Sadza always wanted to be a teacher, and it did not take her long to realise her dream. She is married and has two children.
Education
She did her primary education at Chirodzo Primary School, a school she would later teach at after completing her teacher training.
She later attended Goromonzi High School for her secondary education.
She then proceeded to Waddilove for her teacher training.
She also attended University of Missouri in Columbia in the United States of America where she did her first degree (BSc) and second degree (M.A in Public Administration). She studied for her PhD with the University of Zimbabwe.
She holds a Primary Teachers Diploma with Waddilove Teachers’ College (now Waddilove High School), Marondera in Zimbabwe.
Career
Professor Sadza’s employment record backdates to 1964 as school teacher. Post-Independence she became registrar of Apprenticeship Authority in the Ministry of Manpower Planning and Development. She is one of the founding Directors of the Zimbabwe Institute of Public Administration & Management (ZIPAM). In 1987 to 1989 she was Commissioner of the Public Service Review Commission, Government of Zimbabwe. From 1988 to 1990 she was Zimbabwe Parastatals Commissioner. In 1990 to 2000 she was Public Service Commissioner.[2]
She sits on several professional organisations and also sits on Boards of Delta Corporation, Securico Security Services (Private) Limited and the Administrative Board of the International Association of Universities. She is the Patron of the National Blood Services of Zimbabwe, Chairperson of the Commander Airforce of Zimbabwe Charity Fund and Chairperson of the Joshua Nkomo Scholarship Trust. She has received accolades locally and from Nigeria and Washington DC. She was co-chairperson for the All Stakeholders Conference responsible for writing the new constitution of Zimbabwe.[3]
Publications
Professor Sadza published many works with emphasis on gender issues.
- The Impact of 1980/1990 Economic Reforms on the Condition of Women in Africa, The case of Zimbabwe. Published by International Institute of Administrative Sciences, Brussels, Belgium, 1996.
- Women, Power and society: Challenges to Democracy, Chapter on Women, Power and Culture in Zimbabwe. Published by International Institute of Administrative Sciences, Belgium, Brussels, 1997.
- Gender Mainstreaming in the Public Service, Commonwealth Secretariat, United Kingdom, June, 1999.
- Civil Service Reform in a Developing Country: A critique of the Management and Administration of the Zimbabwe Reform Programme. Published by Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. Westport, U.S.A., 2000
- Enhancing the Role of Women in Wealth Creation. African Journal of Public Administration and Management (AJPAM), Vol. XVII, No 1, January 2006.
- Investing in Women for Sustainable Development: The case for the Women’s University in Africa. Britain and Zimbabwe Magazine, Issue No. 24, 2nd Quarter 2007.
She has presented papers at national and international fora among which were:
- Localisation of Examinations in English-speaking countries of Africa (1981) Ethiopia.
- Training Policy and Documentation (1982) Mauritius.
- Colloquium for Public Service Commissioners and Permanent Secretaries responsible for National Training Institutes of the sub-region (SADCC) Swaziland, 1990.
- Management of Administrative Reform, Oxford, England, 1991.
- “Improving Productivity of African Public Services”, Tunisia, November 1991.
- Development Management in Africa, Thirty years of Experience, Emerging Challenges and Future Priorities, Ethiopia, 1993
- Democratic Structures in Public Service Improvement, Pretoria, South Africa, 1997.
- Role of Public Administration in Promoting Social Development – “The Zimbabwe Experience”. Stockholm, Sweden, 1995.
- Ten years after the Decade of Women 1995. Dakar, Senegal.
- Senior Women in Government, Management Training. Nairobi, 1996.
- UNDP Policy Conference on Management Development. United Nations, New York, 1996.
- Improving Tertiary Education in Africa, Ghana, 2003
Awards
- Achiever’s Award, Educators, presented at the International Precious Stones Women’s Convention on 23 June 2003, by Faith for the Nation, Zimbabwe
- Citation in recognition of outstanding service to women’s issues and Women in Management, Business and Development Trust (WIMBD) on 2nd November 2006
- Best Educationist in Tertiary Education in 2006 from Anointed Business Women’s Network (ABN), Zimbabwe
- The Women Entrepreneurs High Achievers Network (WEAN) award for the most outstanding female in Education of the year). This was organized by the Financial Standard, Nigeria and the Pan African Organization for Women Recognition (POWR) headquartered in Lagos. Awarded for being the founder and the first Vice Chancellor of the first Women’s University in Africa 2007.
- 2nd Runner-up in the category of “Public Service” Manager of the Year and 1st runner-up in the category of “National Contribution” Manager of the Year at the Zimbabwe Institute of Management 2007 Awards
- Award winner in the Category of “Empowering Gender through Tertiary Education”, at the International Business Women’s Conference, Washington, D.C., USA. 4th November 2007
- Director of the Year (Parastatals) 2007 - the Zimbabwe Institute of Directors. SPECIAL VISIT: Invited by the United States Department of State (Bureau of Educational and Cultural affairs) on an “International visitor leadership program” 5-13 November 2007.
- Won the most prestigious award in the Western World, the Fulbright Scholarship for the academic year 2009-2010, tenable at a university in the United States of my choice. The topic for the award is “The University as Innovative Driver and Knowledge Centre”
