Zim GBC News Network
HARARE – Zimbabwe’s newly elected Child President, Lionel Mazarire, has been honoured with a prestigious continental award, cementing his status as a promising young leader on the African stage.
Mazarire has been awarded the CADAV Africa Philanthropy Award for 2025, naming him Africa’s Best Youth Leader. The award is presented by the Conquerors Association for the Disabled and Vulnerable (CADAV), an organisation dedicated to working with vulnerable groups and people living with disabilities.
The honour comes just weeks after Mazarire, a student at Chinhoyi Technical College in Mashonaland West Province, was democratically elected as Zimbabwe’s Child President for the 2025–2026 term following a tightly contested Junior Parliament election in Harare overseen by the Zimbabwe Youth Council. He triumphed over nine other contestants from across the country’s ten provinces.
In his post-election address, the young leader outlined his commitment to tangible change, moving beyond promises to actionable results.
“We do not want children’s rights just written on paper; they must be upheld and implemented in practice,” Mazarire vowed.
“That is my major area of focus.”
This award is seen as a strong endorsement of his vision and a testament to the potential of Zimbabwe’s youth leadership programmes on the continental stage.
Zim GBC News | Global News From An African Perspective©2025