5 Things You Didn't Know About Zimbabwe's Youngest MP, Joana Mamombe

5 years agoSat, 02 Mar 2019 09:11:50 GMT

5 Things You Didn't Know About Zimbabwe's Youngest MP, Joana Mamombe

Zimbabwe’s youngest legislator, Joana Mamombe was arrested Saturday morning apparently for being part of the groups that organised the January 2019 shutdown protests that turned violent. Mamombe is an MDC Alliance member and the party has bemoaned the harassment of its MPs as part of the violent crackdown and arrests that followed the violent protests.

Here are some facts about Joana Mamombe that many people may not be aware of:

1. Joana Mamombe is a Molecular biologist.

She trained in molecular biology at the universities of Bergen in Norway and Sussex in the UK where she studied for a Masters in molecular biology and genetic manipulation respectively. She also has a degree in biotechnology from Chinhoyi University of Technology.

2. She was a ZINSAU Leader

She was the Gender officer for the Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) from 16 November 2013 to December 2015.

3. Tajamuka Co-Founder

She’s one of the co-founders of Zimbabwe’s prominent political activist group, #Tajamuka.

Buy Samsung, itel, Redmi smartphones in Zimbabwe

WhatsApp: +263715068543

4. Learning from Jessie Majome

Even though she was pitted against Jessie Majome in the 2018 MDC Alliance primaries, Mamombe has said there’s no hatchet to bury between them and she learnt a lot from Majome as a more senior member of the party.

5. The challenges of being a Female politician in Zimbabwe

Mamombe has said being a young female politician has some challenges. Political spaces, she said, are difficult to penetrate due to heavy domination by males. She also said it is sometimes difficult to fundraise as it exposes young female politicians to unwanted and unsolicited advances from would-be funders.

Such challenges include the accusation during the run-up to the 2018 elections, that she was MDC Alliance President Nelson Chamisa’s girlfriend. An accusation she denied.