By Garikai Chaunza-Renowned Zimbabwean novelist, filmmaker, and activist Tsitsi Dangarembga has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters (DLitt) (honoris causa) by Rhodes University.
The Honorary PhD was awarded at Rhodes University’s 2025 graduation ceremony held Wednesday in recognition of her contributions to African literature, cinema, and advocacy for social justice and freedom of expression.
Born in Mutoko, Zimbabwe, Dangarembga pursued early education locally before studying medicine at Cambridge University.
She later earned a degree in Psychology from the University of Zimbabwe and trained in directing at the German Film and Television Academy in Berlin.
Her academic journey has since included fellowships at Harvard’s Radcliffe Institute, Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study, and the Rockefeller Bellagio Centre.
She also served as the International Chair of Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia (2021-22).
Dangarembga’s literary breakthrough came with her 1988 debut novel, Nervous Conditions, the first English novel published by a Black Zimbabwean woman.
The book won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize (Africa Region, 1989)and was followed by The Book of Not (2006) and This Mournable Body (2018), the latter shortlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize.
Her thought-provoking essay collection, Black and Female (2022), explores issues of race, gender, and power.
As a filmmaker, she directed acclaimed films such as Everyone’s Child (1996) and Kare Kare Zvako (2004) and has taught film courses at MIT, Northwestern University, and Zurich University of the Arts.
Her upcoming initiative, Creative Africa Storytelling for the Screen Incubator (CASSI), aims to transform the African film industry by nurturing young talent.
Beyond her creative work, Dangarembga has been a tireless advocate for social justice, gender equality, and artistic freedom.
In 2009, she founded the Institute of Creative Arts for Progress in Africa (ICAPA) Trust, which empowers African creatives, particularly women.
She also established the International Images Film Festival for Women (IIFF), one of Africa’s few film festivals dedicated to female-driven stories.
Her activism has often put her at odds with Zimbabwean authorities.
In July 2020, she was arrested for staging a peaceful protest calling for political reform, holding a placard reading, “We want better. Reform our institutions.”
She was later convicted of inciting public violence, handed a suspended six-month prison sentence, and fined ZWL$70,000 (US$260).
The conviction was later overturned after she had appealed to the High Court, which said the verdict was erroneously reached.
Human rights groups, including Amnesty International and PEN International, condemned her conviction, calling it an attack on freedom of expression.
Despite political and legal challenges, Dangarembga remains committed to championing African voices.
Her dedication to storytelling, justice, and cultural development has solidified her as one of the most influential figures in contemporary African literature and cinema.
With her Rhodes University honorary doctorate, she joins a distinguished list of global intellectuals whose work continues to shape public discourse and artistic expression.