Linda Masarira Biography: Early Life | Education | Activism | Political Career | Presidential Ambitions
Linda Tsungirirai Masarira is a Zimbabwean politician and human rights activist who is the current president of the Labour, Economists and African Democrats party (LEAD), which she founded in April 2019.
She is also the third vice president of the Convergence PanAfricaine, a movement that aims to complete the process of decolonization of African states. She was formerly the spokesperson for the MDC-T faction led by Thokozani Khupe, from which she was fired for wearing Zanu-PF regalia at home.
Early Life and Education
Linda Masarira Biography [Image: ZimLive]
Masarira was born on October 3, 1982, in Harare. She lost her mother when she was six years old and grew up in a difficult environment.
She attended Marlborough High School and Chipindura High School. She later worked as a train woman for the National Railways of Zimbabwe and moved to different towns such as Bulawayo, Hwange and Mutare.
Linda Masarira Activism and Politics
Masarira became involved in activism in 2015 when she joined the Zimbabwe Activists Alliance (ZAA) and the Tajamuka/Sesjikile Campaign movement, which organized protests and petitions against human rights violations by the government of Zimbabwe under Robert Mugabe.
She also founded the Zimbabwe Women in Politics Alliance (ZWPA), which advocated for democracy, equality, gender balance, women and girl child rights, inclusion and economic and political freedom for marginalized groups of society.
Linda was arrested several times for her activism, including in May 2015 for allegedly insulting Mugabe, in July 2016 for participating in a nationwide shutdown protest, and in August 2016 for leading an occupation of Africa Unity Square with five other activists, including Itai Dzamara.
She spent more than 80 days in Chikurubi Maximum Prison, where she was brutalized and placed in solitary confinement. Linda also mobilized fellow women prisoners to protest against poor conditions and lack of sanitary pads and medical services. She was released on bail by a High Court order in September 2016.
During her incarceration, she received support from various local and international human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe and Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition.
Linda Masarira Biography [Image: Twitter/Linda Tsungirirai Masarira]
Linda also led successful campaigns such as the “Bring back our women from Kuwait” campaign, which petitioned the government of Zimbabwe and the Kuwaiti Embassy to expedite the repatriation process of stranded Zimbabwean women who had fallen victim to human trafficking.
In 2017, Linda joined the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as a member of the executive management committee responsible for recruitment and mobilization. In 2018, she became the spokesperson for the MDC-T faction led by Thokozani Khupe, which split from the main MDC-T led by Nelson Chamisa after the death of Morgan Tsvangirai.
In April 2019, she was fired from MDC-T for wearing Zanu-PF regalia at home, which she claimed was a gift from her grandmother. She then formed her own political party, LEAD, which stands for Labour, Economists and African Democrats. She said that her party aimed to provide an alternative vision for Zimbabwe that is based on social democracy, economic justice and pan-Africanism.
In July 2019, she won the third vice presidency of the Convergence PanAfricaine, a movement that aims to mobilise resources and skills to complete the process of decolonization of African states. Linda said that her role was to represent Southern Africa and promote regional integration and cooperation.
In March 2020, Linda contested in the Harare Central by-elections as a LEAD candidate but only managed to get 20 votes out of more than 4 000 cast.
Linda Masarira Presidential Aspirations
Linda Masarira Biography [Image: Twitter/Linda Tsungirirai Masarira]
Linda Masarira declared her presidential ambitions in June 2023 when she announced that she would challenge President Emmerson Mnangagwa in the next presidential election set for August 23.
She said that she was confident that she had what it takes to lead Zimbabwe and to bring about positive change. Linda also said that she was not afraid of Mnangagwa or any other candidate and that she was ready to face them in a free and fair election.
On 21 June 2023, Linda Masarira filed her presidential nomination, becoming the only woman to file nomination to run for president after raising the US$20,000 nomination fee. However, her money was not enough, and she went out to look for more. When she returned to the Nomination Court after the 4 pm deadline, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission turned her away. On 23 June, she appealed to the Electoral Court against the decision to reject her nomination.
Personal Life
Linda Masarira Biography [Image: Twitter/Linda Tsungirirai Masarira]
Linda Masarira is a mother of five children. She is a widow and a Christian. She has declared her life to God on social media and said that she found joy and belonging in Him. Linda has also expressed her views on various social issues, such as gender-based violence, child marriages, corruption, education and health.
She has been criticized for being tribalistic after she made derogatory remarks about Ndebele people on social media in 2018. She later apologised and said that she was misunderstood.
She has also been involved in controversies such as being accused of faking her abduction in 2016, being sued by her former landlord for failing to pay rent in 2018 and being assaulted by her ex-boyfriend in 2019.
Awards
Linda Masarira has received several awards and recognitions for her activism and leadership, such as the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) People’s Choice Award in 2016, the Zimbabwe International Women’s Awards (ZIWA) Humanitarian Award in 2017, and the Zimbabwe Achievers Awards (ZAA) Community Champion Award in 2018.
