Janah Ncube

Background

Janah was born on 27 December 1974. She lives on a farm at the outskirts of Bulawayo, with her husband Norman Musimwa and their two daughters.

Education

Janah is a Chevening scholar who attained a Masters in Gender and Women’s Studies at the University of Bradford in the United Kingdom. She was awarded a distinction for her MA thesis titled, Gendering Parliament: - Do Women MPs Represent Women? The case for women parliamentarians in Zimbabwe.

In 2005, she received an award from the University of Bradford in recognition of her outstanding contribution in managing diversity. She has completed international leadership programmes at Oxford and Exeter Universities and programmes such as Salzburg Seminars, the British Council Performance Leadership Initiative, and the African Women Leadership Institute.

Career

Janah is currently serving as the Global Campaigns Director for Crisis Action[3]. Before this, she was Pan Africa Director for Oxfam[4]. In the last decade, her work has had a particular focus on Africa’s regional integration and civil society development on the continent. Her work experience includes human rights with a particular focus on women’s rights; conflict reduction and peacebuilding; reducing poverty and injustice with organisations such as the SADC Secretariat, the Centre for Citizens’ Participation on the African Union (now the Pan African Citizens Network), SUNY Zimbabwe, Women in Politics Support Unit (WiPSU), amongst others [5]. Janah is a trailblazer who has, in her various professional roles, initiated, introduced or contributed to numerous innovations. In her role as Pan Africa Director of Oxfam, Janah led the development and launch of a pan African Advocacy campaign on governance issues across 10 countries http://www.myafricanunion.org; whilst as Executive Director for Centre for Citizens’ Participation in the African Union (CCP-AU) she was one of the key crafters/contributors of the African Governance Architecture (AGA). When Janah served as a Senior Policy Advisor in the SADC Secretariat, she organized the first Heads of State and Government Conference on Poverty and Development. Janah also coordinated and facilitated the development and negotiation of the SADC Poverty Observatory. Under her leadership as Executive Director, WiPSU contributed to the establishment of the multi-party women parliamentarians’ caucus, which worked on Zimbabwean women’s priorities across the political divide. Janah is a respected analyst on current affairs in Africa, and at a TedX Talk Lagos in 2018, Janah addressed why Africa must harness the power of collective action [6]. She is a true Pan Africanist at heart and believes that Africans have the capacity, resources and answers to lift Africa out of poverty and transform it such that it works for Africans[7].

Civil society roles, arrest and opposition politics in Zimbabwe

Janah rose to prominence as a political lobbyist with expertise in gender, human rights and democracy. She was:

• Chairperson of the Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe
• Vice-Chairperson of the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (was the second person to hold the position when the Coalition was formed)
• Executive Director of Women in Politics Support Unit
• Board member of the Women’s Action Group
• Sub-committee member of the Thoko Matshe-led National Constitutional Assembly
• Arrested with other civic leaders and activists on November 18, 2003, for demonstrating against government’s mismanagement of the economy, high inflation and taxation [8].
• Assaulted as a result of MDC intra-party violence in September 2001, together with Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga, Gabriel Chaibva and Edwin Mushore, whilst attending a provincial executive meeting in Dzivarasekwa, Harare [9].

Quotable quotes

…the government has power over what the police do. The Zimbabwe Republic Police can be like police in many countries across Africa, where they serve and protect citizens and are not unleashed to bash, beat and maim their own people.[10]

Being in the opposition doesn’t make one less Zimbabwean. The ZRP have a responsibility to care for and protect for all. Our military has no business in police uniforms and no business operating within Zimbabwe against Zimbabweans. Police beating women and young people and the elderly who want to protest against the government or want to support their party is wrong by all moral and just laws. The government of Zimbabwe has power over this.[11]

Who then, is really in charge at the African Union? Who decides what initiatives and developmental projects are to be embarked on? If our continental institutions and even our governments themselves obtain a majority of their funding from external donors, then, who really drives the African agenda? Who defends Africa’s interests in the global arena where these donors have great influence?”[12]

The women’s movement must confront and engage with the broader politics; time to talk to women alone is over, it is preaching to the choir, we must start to ‘evangelise’ preach to those who do not know/understand the issues we articulate about women’s human rights. This, of course, means confronting one’s own personal beliefs, things at home, in our workplaces, the institutions we engage within our daily lives and indeed our governments. These things are very political and so we must be political actors.[13]

Our political legitimacy and clout increases when we engage with politics in all issues that affect our lives and communities and not only the ones that concern women’s issues.[14]

When the state cannot provide for its citizens, women become the subsidizers of the state by providing for unrecognized and unrewarded skills and services.[15]

Community Service

Janah is at the helm of several community initiatives including being a Trustee of the I am for Bulawayo Fighting COVID-19, which is a multi-stakeholder platform that brings together individuals, the business community, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), churches, health experts and institutions [16]. She is also a Trustee of The Zimbabwe Institute, and the Business Fighting COVID-19, as well as a Coach and Mentor for Inspiring Africa. Additionally, she serves as part of the Secretariat team for the Council of African Apostles in Africa and provides strategic support to the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe (EFZ).

References

^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16]}