MSINDO MAZIMBE CHENGA

m_chenga1974 (June) Representative in the UK and Europe for the ANC.

Msindo Chenga was born at Umvuma in January 1930. His father came from the Zimbabwe area, Fort Victoria (Masvingo), and his mother from Chilimanzi. He obtained his primary school education at Mzingwane Government School, finishing in 1947.

Between 1949 and 1951 he trained in Bulawayo as a nursing and medical assistant and was then successful in obtaining employment with a tobacco company at Msasa, near Salisbury (Harare). Here he worked for 12 years, first as a medical assistant and later as a welfare officer. In 1964 he decided that the time had come to further his formal education and he enrolled at the University College of Rhodesia to undertake private studies for his General Certificate of Education ‘O’ and ‘A’ levels. He then travelled to London where he studied at London University for a degree, graduating B.Sc. (Econ.) in 1968. In 1969 he obtained a Diploma in Advanced Social Studies at Manchester University, and in 1972 graduated M.A. (Public Administration) at Brunel. In 1970 he was appointed Probation Officer and Community Relations Adviser to the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, a post which he still occupies.

His work in local government does not, however, exhaust either his time or his energies. Between 1969 and 1975 he was able to undertake several study and lecture tours in Western Europe and the United States. In June 1974 he was appointed as the representative in the UK and Europe of the ANC. In September 1975 he met Bishop Muzorewa and the Rev. H. Kachidza in Geneva where they were “relaxing after fund-raising for 5000 black refugees”. In January 1976 he visited Tanzania and Mocambique for discussions with Bishop Muzorewa, the Rev. Ndabaningi Sithole and James Chikerema.

He is at present doing research for a Doctorate of Philosophy, his chosen subject being ‘Decision-Making in Local Government’.

He is married with four sons and one daughter, all of whom are “attending British educational institutions and following various disciplines”.