Elisabeth Valerio, leader of the United Zimbabwe Alliance is no stranger to business or politics and Zimbabwe. Her mother was in fact the first woman leader of a political party and the first women to challenge the presidency of an African nation and one of Zimbabwe’s first black business-women.
Elisabeth was born in Harare, however she began her career as a scientist working in the United States of America, after completing her university education. She moved to Hwange, Zimbabwe in 2014 and has spent almost a decade honouring a promise she made to her mother who, before her death, asked that she look after the Presidential Elephants in Dete.
It was only when she arrived in Dete that she realised the place was at the edge of Hwange National Park. At the time, it was an abandoned stretch of land with no infrastructure, electricity or running water. With nowhere to stay, an old truck became her home, amongst lions, buffalo, hyena and a magnificent herd of very docile elephants.
During her time in Hwange, Elisabeth established Gobelo, a business focused on research and development of natural and indigenous consumer products. With her husband she also built Gwango, a tourism destination adjacent to Hwange National Park, with 42 guest rooms, conference facilities, restaurants and a BaNambya Cultural Exhibit.
In addition to promoting the tourism sector in Zimbabwe, Elisabeth has devoted her time and resources to secondary school science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programmes, and to creating jobs and improving access to quality education in African communities. She is founder of the Entrepreneurial & Leadership Initiative for Sustainability in Africa (ELISA) supporting Africa focused entrepreneurs via an online web portal and annual summit to be hosted in Hwange. She is a frequent speaker at entrepreneurial and career focused programs and events and she has played a key role in the professional development of countless students, educators, scientists and entrepreneurs.
It was not until 2020 that her work became overshadowed by news of a coal mine that was to be established in the heart of Hwange National Park. With tourism operators and conservationists, Elisabeth authored a public statement to President Mnangagwa and championed an appeal to stop mining in the park, until eventually the day cabinet announced that no mining would occur within any national park in Zimbabwe. However, this turned out to be hollow pacification, as the pronouncement was soon followed up with the issuance of special grants to mine for coal in other Safari areas.
Elisabeth now serves as the founding Chairperson for the Association for Tourism Hwange (ATH). She continues in her efforts to protect the tourism sector from mining activities. She is also the President of the United Zimbabwe Alliance (UZA), and says, “Like my mother, I will work to restore Zimbabwe. We must not underestimate the power of national unity. UZA is committed to championing engagement of all the people of Zimbabwe and protecting the integrity of our ecosystems, ecology, water bodies and our cultural sites. As UZA, we promote sustainable economic development and democratization of public affairs. We believe that democracy is key to unlocking Zimbabwe’s economic potential and the unity of all Zimbabweans is key in that endeavour. We have a zero tolerance for corruption. As UZA we will empower communities to participate not only in the politics of the country but also in the economic affairs of the country. We will ensure that we have real politicians in the country who are far above the politics of hatred and can contribute to the development of this great nation called Zimbabwe. Despite our political differences we believe that a new Zimbabwe with much emphasis on political tolerance is possible in our lifetime and will envisage to pursue such a new Zimbabwe. We will promote equal opportunities for all. A quality education should be guaranteed to every child, along with the right to freedom of speech and the right to a decent quality of life. We will abolish deeply ingrained taboos while also preserving our cultural traditions – but above all, we must preserve Zimbabwe for Zimbabweans.
