Zimbabwean youth and democracy activist Namatai Kwekweza was awarded the German Africa Award 2025 on Wednesday evening, 26 November 2025, at the Allianz Forum in Berlin. The 26-year-old is a fearless advocate for democratic reforms, the rule of law, women’s rights and the political participation of young people. With this award, the German Africa Foundation honours an inspiring young leader who stands for democratic renewal and youth participation far beyond her home country.

Bundestag President Julia Klöckner, who presented the award, praised Kwekweza’s courage, perseverance and enthusiasm for democracy, which the authoritarian state fears. People like Kwekweza, who are committed to upholding the constitution, defend not only a legal document but also the dignity of a community.

Kwekweza was already committed to an open and just society as a teenager. At the age of just 18, Kwekweza founded WELEAD Trust, now WELEAD Africa, an organisation that provides political education, empowers young leaders and supports their active participation in decision-making and governance processes. WELEAD regularly conducts training courses on constitutional and democratic education, promotes the participation of young people in elections and encourages them to confidently advocate for democratic reforms. To date, Kwekweza’s organisation has trained more than 4,500 young people in leadership development programmes and reached over 60,000 citizens with its advocacy programme. Her work takes place in an increasingly restrictive environment for civil society and activists in Zimbabwe. Young people in particular have limited scope for action in such repressive systems:

„If you are abducted for speaking truth to power, if you are imprisoned for speaking truth to power, it’s hard. But if you are living a shell of a life that is limited in opportunities and possibilities, that is also hard. So, I think it is very important for young people to choose the prison in which they want to belong in. “ – Namatai Kwekweza.

Kwekweza has experienced threats, violence and arrests herself – far too much for someone of just 26 years, according to Claus Stäcker, jury president of the German Africa Award. Nevertheless, she continues her work for a just future. For greater youth participation. Namatai Kwekweza is representative of Generation Z – not only in Zimbabwe, but also in other African countries such as Kenya, Madagascar, Cameroon and Tanzania. This generation is no longer willing to accept that political systems restrict their dignity, opportunities and future. Instead, it demands that governments adhere to law, justice and the constitution rather than greed and power politics.

However, Kwekweza’s commitment also makes it clear that democracy is not a given, but must be defended on a daily basis. The President of the German Africa Foundation, Dr Uschi Eid, also emphasised this in her speech:

„Democracy is not a state of affairs – it challenges us every day, and defending it is a task that we must all take on again and again. This applies not only in Zimbabwe or Africa, but also in Germany and Europe.“