Linda Masarira

Masarira is known for her activism from 2016 - 2017 as part of the Tajamuka/Sesjikile Campaign movement.

See Zimbabwe By-elections (March 2022).

Background

Linda Masarira is a mother to 5 children. She spent some time in Mutare then moved to Harare where she founded the Zimbabwe Women in Politics Alliance(ZWPA). Masarira is very passionate about fighting for democracy in Zimbabwe. ^[1] She is not only an activist in the Zimbabwe Activists Alliance (ZAA), but also a part of the Tajamuka movement. ^[2]

Masarira is a widow and former employee of the National Railways of Zimbabwe. ^[3]

Service/ Career

In the 2022 By-Elections, (see Zimbabwe By-elections (March_2022)) Harare Central returned to Parliament:

• Murisi Zwizwai of Citizens' Coalition for Change with 3 332 votes,
• Loice Magweba of Zanu-PF with 1 375 votes,
• Linda Masarira of LEAD with 20 votes,
• Marara Norest Chiureki of MDC Alliance with 65 votes,
• Rukanda Henry Gwinyai of MAAT Zimbabwe with 3 votes.

Events

Insulting President

Masarira was arrested in May 2015 for allegedly calling Robert Mugabe excrement at Njanji Bottle around 1800 hrs in Mutare. She appeared before magistrate Annia Ndiraya facing charges of insulting or undermining the authority of the president as defined in Section 33 (2) (b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23. She was remanded out of custody on free bail. Prosecutor Douglas Mutiure told the court that Masarira allegedly told her supervisor Paymore Kamangira that

Une badge reZanu PF, kwandiri nonsense, enda kuna Isau Mupfumi, enda kwaunoenda kwaari, enda kuna Mugabe, kwandiri matuzvi (you have a Zanu PF badge, to me it's nonsense, go to Esau Mupfumi, go to him, go to Mugabe, to me its shit).

Masarira denied the charges saying she was framed by her detractors. ^[4]

16 Days Occupation

Together with Lynette Tendai Mudehwe of ZAA and five other activists (including Itai Dzamara), Masarira started the Occupy Africa Unity Square Campaign in June 2016, which they intended to run for 16 days. ^[5]

The campaign was however disrupted by members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police who arrested Patson Dzamara and four others over trumped up robbery charges. ^[2] Linda was arrested together with 10 other suspected activists on a charge of defeating or obstructing the course of justice. ^[6] They were remanded out of custody on a $500 bail^[6] although the bail was reduced to $200 after they failed to raise the money required.^[7]

July 2016 Arrest and Imprisonment

On 6 July 2016, Masarira was arrested by the police together with 19 other people. Linda was among the six people that were arrested in Budiriro and the other 13 people were from Mufakose. Linda Masarira was accused of throwing stones and burning stalls of innocent vendors. ^[8]

Masarira was denied bail on 9 July 2016 at Mbare Magistrates Court.

She was subsequently sent to Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison on remand. Her case was repeatedly postponed by the magistrate's courts, in a move widely seen as an attempt to frustrate the justice process. Masarira was only released on 26 September after her lawyers approached the High Court seeking an order requiring the detained person to be released or to be brought before the court for the lawfulness of the detention to be justified and the detention to be declared illegal and ordering the detained person's prompt release.

Criticised for tribalism

In December 2016, at a Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition conference held in Harare, Masarira reportedly said “Ndebele people are cowards and cry-babies”. The statement went viral on social media and news websites which accused her of tribalism. Masarira was prompted to clarify that she only meant that "most" people from Matabeleland generally (as opposed to Ndebele people specifically) " were reluctant to participate in efforts to confront the system in fighting for their rights." ^[9]

As MDC-T Spokesperson

On 21 April 2018, Masarira was elected spokesperson of the MDC-T faction led by Thokozani Khupe at an extraordinary Congress in Gweru. ^[10].

Masarira contested the July 2018 elections as an MDC-T Member of Parliament candidate for the Harare Central seat. She lost.

She criticised the Nelson Chamisa-led MDC for not accepting the decision of the constitutional court that ruled Emmerson Mnangagwa had won the presidential election.

Linda Masarira in Zanu-PF Regalia in 2019

In early April 2019, following the circulation on social media of Masarira's picture in a Zanu-PF wrapping cloth, she was fired from MDC-T.

Founding LEAD

Following her expulsion from MDC-T, Masarira founded her own party, naming it Labour, Economists and African Democrats (LEAD). In May 2019 the party held an event to launch its ideology and strategy for the 2023 elections. It also announced its senior leaders. Masarira was named the official president of the party.

2022 By-elections

In 2022, she contested the Zimbabwe By-elections (March 2022) as MP for Harare Central Constituency. (Results above).

Nomination Court June 2023

Nomination court on 21 June 2023 produced eleven presidential candidates for the August elections. They are:

• Joseph Busha (Free Zim Congress),
• Nelson Chamisa (CCC),
• Trust Chikohora (ZCPD),
• Blessing Kasiyamhuru (ZIPP),
• Saviour Kasukuwere (Independent),
• Lovemore Madhuku (NCA),
• Emmerson Mnangagwa (ZANU PF),
• Wilbert Mubaiwa (NPC),
• Gwinyai Henry Muzorewa (UANC),
• Douglas Mwonzora (MDC),
• Harry Peter Wilson (DOP). ^[11]

Elisabeth Valerio Duly Nominated

On 16 August 2023, ZEC chief elections officer, Utloile Silaigwana said: following an order of the Electoral Court sitting in Harare, issued on 19 July 2023, Ms. Elisabeth Isabel Valerio, a candidate sponsored by the United Zimbabwe Alliance (UZA) party, is hereby declared a duly nominated Presidential candidate. The other aspiring presidential candidates, Saviour Kasukuwere and Linda Masarira’s appeals were rejected by the courts. Her nomination papers were rejected despite providing bank-stamped proof of her request to initiate a ZWL transfer of funds to the ZEC bank account for the required nomination fees equivalent to US$20 000. The other candidates are Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zanu PF, Joseph Makamba Busha of Free Zim Congress, Nelson Chamisa of CCC, Trust Chikohora of ZCPD, Blessing Kasiyamhuru of ZIPP, Lovemore Madhuku of NCA, Wilbert Mubaiwa of NPC, Gwinyai Henry Muzorewa of UANC, Douglas Mwonzora of MDC and Wilson Harry Peter of DOP. ^[12]

Picture Gallery

Further Reading

References