Ronnie Mutimusekwa

Headlines

Ronnie Mutimusekwa (birthname Rogers Mutimusakwa) was a Zimbabwean citizen who made international headlines in 1989 when he publicly revealed that he, a heterosexual man, was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. His aim was to break the taboo surrounding AIDS, hoping that it would inspire others like him, as well as help in the prevention efforts. At the time it was wrongfully assumed that HIV/AIDS was a minor issue in Zimbabwe, confined to promiscuous homosexual men and female prostitutes.

Education

Mutimusekwa worked tirelessly to promote awareness of the disease, telling his story at schools, churches and beerhalls. He formed a support group for people suffering from AIDS, called Ihawu (Shield), of which he was chairman. Ihawu organized meetings in parks and factories where members tried to educate the public. Mutimusekwa received some funding from UNESCO and the Matabeleland AIDS Council to set up office in Bulawayo where he helped develop educational methods for AIDS prevention in rural areas, like community theatre. Mutimusekwa's story was also included in teaching materials abroad. Nearly all children in Zimbabwe are currently taught about HIV and AIDS in schools.

Changing Attitudes

The publicity surrounding Mutimusekwa’s confession set off a series of changes in the attitude towards HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe, along with the appointment of Dr Timothy Stamps as minister, who took over the Health portfolio in 1990, and the news of vice-president Nkomo’s son Ernest Thuthani having died of the disease in 1996. The spread of the disease peaked in 1997 when more than a quarter of the population was estimated to be infected, after which this figure gradually declined to about 15% in 2007.

Final Resting Place

Ronnie Mutimusekwa died on July 13, 1992 in Njube, a township of Bulawayo, and was buried in the village of Mutimusakwa in the Mhondoro area.

Other notable AIDS activists in Zimbabwe