This article will address the topic of Simpson Mutambanengwe, which has generated multiple debates and has aroused the interest of different sectors of society. Simpson Mutambanengwe is a topic of current relevance that has been the subject of study and research in different contexts and disciplines. Over time, Simpson Mutambanengwe has undergone various transformations and has acquired different meanings, which makes it a topic of great complexity and breadth. Therefore, it is essential to analyze in depth the different aspects and dimensions that Simpson Mutambanengwe encompasses, in order to understand its scope and impact in various areas. By exploring its origins, evolution and consequences, it is intended to offer a comprehensive and objective vision of Simpson Mutambanengwe, with the purpose of contributing to the understanding and reflection on this topic.
Simpson Victor Mutambanengwe (also: Mtambanengwe, 1930 – 11 May 2017) was a Zimbabwean judge. He served on the High Courts of Zimbabwe and Namibia and was the chairperson of the Zimbabwean Electoral Commission.
Mutambanengwe was born at the Old Umtali Mission in eastern Southern Rhodesia (now Mutare, Zimbabwe) on 9 December 1930 with a twin sister Abigail Gloria Mutambanengwe. He attended school at Mutambara Mission and Goromonzi School, after which he worked as a teacher for one year at Old Umtali Mission.
He studied English and History at the University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1959. He then studied law at the Inner Temple, in London and became an advocate in 1963. After practising law there until 1964, he returned to Rhodesia, working as advocate until 1979. During that time he also served as ZANU Secretary for Foreign Affairs.
From 1979 on he worked as a lawyer in independent Zimbabwe until 1986 when he was appointed a High Court Judge. In 1994 he was appointed to the Namibian High Court.
Mutambanengwe also served on the Supreme Court of Namibia, both as acting Chief Justice of Namibia and after his retirement several times as Acting Judge of Appeal.
He was appointed chairman of the Zimbabwean Electoral Commission on 31 March 2010, despite being a controversial figure in Zimbabwe. Mutambanengwe was a key figure in the Nhari rebellion in 1974, and known for his outspokenness and independent judgements on various courts. He resigned from this position in February 2013, shortly before the scheduled referendum on a new constitution for Zimbabwe. Mutambanengwe gave his declining health as reason for this move while Zimbabwean independent media speculate that he was deliberately pushed out.