TAMBUDZAI M. MANJONJO
Johannesburg
Summary
Social justice advocate and legal professional with a strong background in advocacy for rights and equality. Proven expertise in stakeholder engagement and partnership development, driving progress in health and gender rights across Southern Africa.
Overview
22
22
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Deputy Director
Southern Africa Litigation Centre
09.2021 - Current
- Responsible for Equality Rights Cluster (incorporating SRHR, Health Rights, Disability Rights, Gender Equality, Children’s Rights, and LGBTIQ+ Rights).
- oversaw organisational strategic and policy development and monitored compliance issues
- Monitored and evaluated program effectiveness, making adjustments as necessary.
- Oversaw implementation of programs, ensuring alignment with organisational goals and values.
- Managed staff development programs to improve team capacity and effectiveness
- Developed partnerships with local organisations to strengthen community inclusion and ownership
- Identifying funding opportunities and drafting funding proposals and concept notes.
- Grant administration and management, including monitoring budgets and providing donor feedback through program and project reports.
- Networking and establishing partnerships.
- Organisation, convening, and participation in conferences and workshops (including judicial colloquia, lawyers' training,and capacity strengthening of civic society).
- Authoring academic research articles, policy briefs, and legal submissions.
- Drafting public statements and publishing articles on topical issues.
- Coordinated legal research and analysis for high-impact litigation cases,providing legal and strategic input
- Led strategic initiatives to enhance human rights advocacy across Southern Africa.
Equality Rights Cluster Lead and Programme Lawyer
Southern Africa Litigation Centre
06.2017 - 08.2021
- Responsible for Equality Rights Cluster (incorporating SRHR, Health Rights, Disability Rights, Gender Equality, Children’s Rights, LGBTI Rights)
- Initiation, coordination, and management of programme activities and projects (including litigation, advocacy, training, research, communications, media)
- Providing legal and strategic input on litigation under Equality Rights Cluster
- Monitoring and evaluation of programme activities
- Identifying funding opportunities and drafting funding proposals and concept notes
- Grant administration and management, including monitoring budgets and providing feedback to donors through programme and project reports.
- Co-ordinating Cluster projects and providing support to staff.
- Convening and coordination of monthly Cluster meetings and monitoring of cases and activities
- Providing legal technical assistance (legal advice, drafting, review, research) to local partner organisations and lawyers in the Southern African region for strategic litigation rights cases
- Networking and establishing partnerships.
- Organisation, convening and participation in conferences and workshops (including judicial colloquia, lawyers’ trainings)
- Authoring of academic research articles, policy briefs and legal submissions
- Co-ordinating interns and junior staff
- Drafting public statements on topical issues
Managing Partner
Lunga Gonese Legal Practitioners
01.2012 - 12.2016
- Management of the firm, overseeing all the departments of the firm and supervising junior lawyers, human resources and accounting departments.
- Formulation and implementation of the strategy of the firm.
- Civil, criminal, and constitutional litigation
- Some impactful achievements and activities include:
- Legal aid and strategic litigation on behalf of ZWLA
- Drafted and executed Trust deeds for Community Share Ownership schemes for indigenisation.
- Filed case in the Constitutional Court challenging HIV criminalisation.
Volunteer Consultant Lawyer
Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association (ZWLA)
01.2006 - 12.2016
- Provision of legal consultancy services
- Taking part in ZWLA advocacy programmes for women’s rights and gender equality
- Legal aid for indigent women, including drafting court documents and representation in court.
- Taking up test cases for strategic litigation
- Some notable achievements and activities include:
- Represented a woman accused of willful transmission of HIV, applied for, and obtained referral of the matter to the Constitutional court.
- Participated in the Zimbabwe constitution-making process, including facilitation of women’s review of the proposed draft.
- Acted as watching brief for rape victims in criminal court.
- Represented victims of domestic violence and marital rape
- Obtained protection orders for women.
- Assisted women in obtaining guardianship and custody of their minor children.
- Participated in election observation.
Professional Assistant
Kwenda and Associates Legal Practitioners
01.2006 - 12.2011
- Assisting the partners in legal work, including court attendance and representation, legal drafting, client liaison and representation.
- Criminal defence, civil and commercial litigation
- Overseeing and managing junior and support staff.
- Some impactful achievements and activities include:
- Participated in the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights human rights defender program assisting people arrested in politically motivated cases.
- Assisted GBV survivors obtain Protection orders and other relief from the courts.
- Litigation on behalf of ZWLA representing indigent women.
Law Officer/Public Prosecutor
Attorney General’s Office
01.2004 - 12.2006
- Prosecution of criminal matters in the Magistrates’ courts on behalf of the Attorney General.
- Analysis of police dockets for decisions on prosecution
- Case/docket management, liaison with police investigators, witnesses, and other stakeholders.
- Some impactful achievements and activities include:
- Prosecution of cases involving vulnerable witnesses in sexual matters (Victim-Friendly Courts)
- Vetting and dealing with gender-based violence and marital rape cases
- Visiting female prisoners at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison in Harare, Zimbabwe
Education
Master of Laws - Sexual Reproductive Rights in Africa
UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA
South Africa12-2024
Bachelor of Laws(Hon) - Law
UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE
Zimbabwe08-2004
Skills
- Leadership and collaboration
- Interpersonal communication
- Problem solving and critical thinking
- Attention to detail
- Adaptability and flexibility
- Legal research and analysis
- Project management
- Grant writing and advocacy
- Effective communication strategies
- Negotiation and conflict resolution
- Stakeholder engagement
- Risk analysis and management
- Staff development
- Meeting facilitation
References
To be provided upon request
Affiliations
- avid reader
- musician
- creative writing
Certification
- Humentum Project management for development professionals
- Humentum Financial management for development professionals
- Centre for Disability Law and Policy,Galway University,Ireland Summer School Certificate in Persons with disabilities and the right to family life
- Centre for Human Rights,University of Pretoria Short Course certificate in Judicial Enforcement of Socio-economic Rights
Languages
Shona
First Language
English
Proficient (C2)
C2
Websites
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/tambudzai-gonese-manjonjo-9910aa1a/
- https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/oa-edit/10.4324/9781003175049-12/lessons-litigating-sexual-reproductive-health-rights-southern-africa-tambudzai-gonese-manjonjo-ebenezer-durojaye
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7888049/
- https://www.sarwatch.co.za/download/576/?tmstv=1755083836
- https://www.southernafricalitigationcentre.org/2021/02/22/the-global-gag-rule-and-access-to-abortion-impact-on-law-reform-in-zimbabwe-zambia-mozambique-eswatini-and-malawi/
- https://www.southernafricalitigationcentre.org/2019/09/03/policy-brief-the-recognition-of-customary-marriages-in-zimbabwe-and-the-proposed-marriages-bill/
- https://www.southernafricalitigationcentre.org/2022/06/24/policy-brief-an-opportunity-for-law-reform-on-child-marriage-in-eswatini/
- https://www.southernafricalitigationcentre.org/policy-brief-a-legal-overview-of-the-impact-of-covid-19-on-justice-and-rights-in-southern-africa/
- https://www.southernafricalitigationcentre.org/overview-of-legal-environment-affecting-key-populations-in-africa/
- https://www.pressreader.com/zimbabwe/the-standard-zimbabwe/20210815/281642488241120
- https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/opinion/regulate-clemency-to-protect-sexual-abuse-survivors-e58293e9-fcdc-42ea-9187-b67acd8bd78a
- https://www.southernafricalitigationcentre.org/compulsory-ngo-registration-a-death-knell-to-activism/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuzuXgA29CU
Timeline
Deputy Director
Southern Africa Litigation Centre
09.2021 - Current
Equality Rights Cluster Lead and Programme Lawyer
Southern Africa Litigation Centre
06.2017 - 08.2021
Managing Partner
Lunga Gonese Legal Practitioners
01.2012 - 12.2016
Volunteer Consultant Lawyer
Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association (ZWLA)
01.2006 - 12.2016
Professional Assistant
Kwenda and Associates Legal Practitioners
01.2006 - 12.2011
Law Officer/Public Prosecutor
Attorney General’s Office
01.2004 - 12.2006
Master of Laws - Sexual Reproductive Rights in Africa
UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA
Bachelor of Laws(Hon) - Law
UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE
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