ROSELINE MUTARE
MASVINGO-Community champion and chairperson of the Community Action Group for Economic Growth, Regina Munyamani, was honoured last week, with a prestigious accolade at the Icons of Africa 2026 awards for her outstanding grassroots development and anti-drug abuse initiatives.
The glamorous event, held at the Sandton Hotel in South Africa under the theme ‘One nation. Many leaders. Limitless impact,’ was attended by various continental dignitaries, with Minister of Skills Audit and Development Professor Paul Mavhima presiding as the guest of honour.
Munyamani received the award marking a triumph not only for Zimbabwe’s community development strategies but also for her personal resilience.
Munyamani, an alumnus of Chikato Primary School and Gutu Mission in Masvingo, has become a pivotal figure in driving local economic empowerment programs. However, her fierce advocacy against drug and substance abuse is deeply rooted in personal tragedy, having lost her own son to the epidemic.
Instead of succumbing to grief, Munyamani channelled her pain into academic and social action. She enrolled at the Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) to study the root causes of addiction, equipping herself with empirical strategies to combat the vice on the ground.
Through her affiliate organisation, she has been leading robust awareness campaigns in schools, community halls, and townships across Masvingo province, offering practical solutions and economic alternatives to vulnerable youths.
In an interview with The Midweek Watch, she highlights how the award is important to her.
“This award is not a personal victory’ it is fuel for the work that lies ahead, I carry the memory of my son every day. Every time I see a young person slipping into drug addiction, the pain sharpens. We must close the economic gaps that these drugs fill by providing our youth with viable alternatives,” she said.
The Community Action Group for Economic Growth has been instrumental in rolling out environmental and economic programs designed to keep families intact and empower the youth, directly countering the vulnerabilities that lead to substance abuse.
