Simon Muzenda

Who was Simon Muzenda?

Simon Vengai Muzenda politician who served as a Deputy Prime Minister and vice-president under President Robert Mugabe,

Muzenda was born in the Gutu District of what was then the Victoria Province of Southern Rhodesia as a son of a peasant farmer, and brought up by his grandmother, who ensured his regular attendance of a his primary education at Nyamandi Primary School. A relatively bright child, he was sent for teacher training after spending his teenage years herding the family's cattle, and, following the advice of his tutor, travelled to the Marianhill mission in Natal, South Africa, where he showed a proficiency in carpentry.

Between completing his carpentry course and furthering his studies, Muzenda became aware of politics during contacts with fellow students, which included several men prominent in black activism South Africa and Rhodesia; after his return to Rhodesia in 1950, he worked in a furniture factory in Bulawayo and became involved with Benjamin Burombo, an activist who was among the earliest to challenge discriminatory laws.