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Our Team

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Coordinator

Xavier Mudangwe

Xavier provides strategic leadership to the organisation and coordinates programmes and operations.

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Advocacy & MEAL Officer

Tavonga Mutemeri

Tavonga implements research and advocacy initiatives and is responsible for M&E, accountability and learning.

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Project Assistant

Blessing Mutoro

Blessing supports the implementation of programmes and projects.

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Advisor

Christof Schmidt

Christof supports the strategic focus on strengthening research, advocacy and PMEL systems.

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Finance & Administration Officer

Melissa Benhura

Melissa is responsible for financial operations, accounting and administrative tasks.

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Project Officer

Margaret Chaikosa

Margaret implements programmes and projects and builds relationships with communities and stakeholders.

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Driver / Caretaker

Chrispen Banda

Chrispen takes care of the organisation's premises and supports the logistics.

Our Board

Father Fidelis Mukonori is a Zimbabwean religious leader of the Roman Catholic Church and a passionate peace building practitioner and renowned educationist. He is also the Executive Director of Centre for Peace Initiatives in Africa. Father Mukonori worked with Silveira House for 26 years from 1975 as Youth Coordinator, Youth Director, Leadership and Civics Trainer and Internal Auditor. In 1979 he assisted in the Lancaster House Conference from the background. He was a member of the African Development Committee (ADC/CAD), which was linked to and sponsored by the European Community (1980-1990). He was one of the Constitutional Commissioners who drafted Zimbabwe's proposed new Constitution. Father Mukonori served as a Provincial of the Jesuits in Zimbabwe for 11 years. He is currently the Priest for Chishawasha/ Parish and Principal of Chishawasha Primary Boarding School. He is also a delegate for Chishawasha Estate to the Jesuit Provincial. In November 2017, after the Zimbabwean military had taken over control of the country, he was a mediator between President Mugabe and the military generals.

Mrs. Stembile Mpofu began her career as a Public Prosecutor in Zimbabwe’s Magistrate Courts where she was exposed to the intricacies of the Zimbabwean legal system. From 2002 until March 2016, she was the National Coordinator and then Director for the Centre for Conflict Management and Transformation (CCMT). In this role the majority of Stembile’s work was focused on developing innovative approaches to dealing with group, community, and institutional conflicts. This involved bringing together skills in legal analysis and application at both implementation and policy level. Currently Stembile works as a consultant using her skills in organisational administration and management, systems diagnosis, programme design, implementation, and management.  Stembile has carried out strategic interventions for various organisations in Zimbabwe, the SADC region and Liberia with specific focus on organizational development and provision of legal advice. Stembile provides insight into local, continental, and global political affairs through her bi-monthly column in the Business Times. Mrs. Mpofu holds a BA Law from the National University of Lesotho and a Certificate in Peace and Reconciliation Studies from Coventry University.

Ms. Tecla Mapota started her career in the Attorney-General’s Office before she moved to the corporate sector and worked for an investment bank. Ms Mapota then moved to private practice and joined a law firm before going into partnership as Gwaunza & Mapota Legal Practitioners. She specialises in corporate and financial services and sits on the board of Genesis Global Finance. In January 2016, she was appointed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa to sit on the National Prosecuting Authority board, replacing Harare lawyer Mr Tawanda Chitapi who had been appointed as the High Court judge. In July 2017 she was among the eight candidates listed by the Judicial Services Commission to appear for public interviews for the post of Prosecutor General. Ms. Mapota obtained a Master’s Degree in Corporate & Financial Services Law from the National University of Singapore.

Mr. Ngoni Mpofu has a B. Comm Accounting Honours Degree from NUST, is a holder of a B. Compt. Accounting Degree from UNISA and articles with Deloitte and Touché. He has 15 years of experience in the mining industry as a Finance Executive and has served as Chairman of the Post Properties Board and has also served on the Mining Industry Pension Fund board.

Mr. Guardiner Manikai is the Director of Consulting Services at the multi-disciplinary consulting firm Best Practices (Pvt) Ltd, was Chairman and lecturer in the School of Rural and Urban Planning at the University of Zimbabwe (1999-2005), Head of Division, Policy and Strategic Studies, Zimbabwe Institute of Public Administration and Management (ZIPAM), Senior Consultant, ZIPAM (1994-99) and was Principal Planning Officer at Ministry of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development (1991-93). He was a member of the Culture Fund Project Assessment Committee (2014-15). He is a non-executive director of FBC Building Society and sits on the Society's Board Loans Review, Audit and Board Risk and Compliance committees. He is a holder of a BA Honours in Geography, MSc Planning and Post Graduate Diploma in Project Planning & Management from the University of Zimbabwe.

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