Jacob Mudenda is the current Speaker of the House of Assembly in Zimbabwe and a member of the Zimbabwe African National Union ( ZANU - PF ) . A long time school teacher and lawyer , Mudenda joined the Zimbabwe political scene after it gained independence from the British in 1980 . Mudenda is well known for his relationship with former president , Robert Mugabe , along with the rise and fall of his political career after the Willowgate scandal . Jacob Francis Mudenda was born in Zimbabwe in 1949 . Mudenda earned numerous degrees before joining the workforce . Mudenda earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Africa , while majoring in english and education . He followed this degree by achieving his Bachelor of Laws honor degree from the University of Zimbabwe . In addition , he went back to school a third time to receive a Postgraduate Diploma in Law from the University of Zimbabwe . After gaining his second diploma from the University of Zimbabwe , Mudenda went on to practice law and teach in Zimbabwe until his decision to enter politics . Upon independence in 1980 from British control , Mudenda was selected by the Mugabe government regime as a district administrator . Through connections to Mugabe personally and good results , Mudenda was soon promoted to provincial administrator and provincial governor . In 1984 , after continued success in politics , Mudenda was named resident minister for the government when the position was created . The appointment left Mudenda in charge of the Matabeleland North Province . The new position , as spokesperson for Matabeleland North , the second most populous province in Zimbabwe , continued Mudenda 's rise in Mugabe 's circle . While holding this position , Mudenda , Mugabe and Zimbabwe as a nation took significant fire for the incident known as Gukurahundi . The incident , from early 1983 to late 1987 left over 20,000 individuals dead , and Mudenda is considered to have been Mugabe 's line of contact through the period
Gukurahundi
Gukurahundi
Jacob Mudenda