Harare Review of Books

Last night, April 23, 2026, saw the launch of Professor Lloyd Sachikonye’s Many Hills to Climb: A Memoir at SAPES Trust in Harare.

Here are some images from the launch:

Professor Sachikonye is a Professor Emeritus of Governance and Development Studies. He was born in Zimbabwe where he received his early education before attending universities at Zaria in Nigeria, and Leeds in the United Kingdom. Prof. Sachikonye researched and taught Governance and Development Studies at the University of Zimbabwe for 33 years.

He is the author of twelve books, has served on boards of national and regional civil society organisations, and has consulted for several international development organisations.

On the memoir:

Spanning the period between the 1950s and 2020s, this fascinating memoir is about Lloyd Sachikonye’s life, how he grew up in colonial Rhodesia, struggled to get some education, and acquired political consciousness at an early age. This elegantly written memoir then describes how he eventually achieved academic success against odds, became of age and contributed to reconstruction in post-independence Zimbabwe.

This is a rich and compelling personal account that will have resonance with those of the generation that lived through the transition from colonialism to independence but also with younger and older readers, students, lecturers and analysts with interest in Zimbabwe’s culture, politics and development. The memoir provides a vivid account of social and cultural change in Zimbabwe, and his inspiring encounters with scholars, mentors, activists and leaders during an exciting period in Africa and the world beyond.