VISIONARY! Chief Dakamela returns from America with big ideas

Chief Dakamela walking to the front to receive his certificate at the end of the training.

Blessing Ticha Karubwa

HE went to the United States as a traditional leader. He came back a visionary on a mission to transform Zimbabwe and Africa.
Chief Dakamela of Nkayi District in Matabeleland North has touched down in Zimbabwe with fresh energy after completing the prestigious Mandela Washington Fellowship under the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI).

The youthful chief, born Mbusi Bhekithemba Dakamela, left for the US on 17 June and spent six intensive weeks in Boston, Massachusetts, where he was based at Bridgewater State University. The programme ended on 27 July and the chief flew back to Zimbabwe last Tuesday.

In an interview, the forward-looking leader said the training, which focused on public management, innovation, and international collaboration, opened his eyes to powerful ideas that can drive change back home.
“I foresee collaborations with other young African leaders across our continent. I see ideas coming through those collaborations and getting funded. I want to identify talent and work with different partners to support these ideas. That’s how we develop,” he said.

**Young African Leaders who attended this year’s Mandela Washington Fellowship**

The Chief said he sees opportunities to partner with institutions like Bridgewater State University which is looking to increase its footprint in Africa. “It’s one of the leading institutions in America that promotes diversity and equity. We can work together for mutual benefit,” he said.

Chief Dakamela was blunt about Africa’s brain drain.
“We are migrating too much to Europe and America. But Africa needs us more than those places do. Zimbabwe needs me more than Europe does. Let’s stay, let’s build. Americans built America. Europeans built Europe. It’s time for Africans to build Africa,” he said.

From left to right is President of Bridgewater State University Fredrick W. Clark Jr, followed by Chief Dakamela, and lastly Massachusetts Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Robert Jay Ash Jnr. They’re posing for a photo

He stressed the urgent need for African countries, including Zimbabwe, to invest more in leadership and capacity building.
“It’s not just about political leaders. We must also include traditional leaders. We need to fund ideas, even if they sound crazy. That’s how innovation starts. That’s how meaningful development happens.”

Chief Dakamela has a track record of acting on his ideas. In 2022, he established Imiklomelo KaDakamela, a community development initiative offering housing, scholarships and empowerment projects.
His message is simple but powerful. Support grassroots leadership. Fund innovation. Collaborate across borders. And build Africa from within.

The Mandela Washington Fellowship, launched in 2014, has taken nearly 7 200 African leaders to the USA for leadership training. It’s part of a long game to create a strong African leadership network that shapes policy and development in their home countries.

Chief Dakamela’s journey is proof that when a chief goes global, his community benefits. And so does the continent.

— @TeamKarubwa