Welshman Ncube

Welshman Ncube (born 7 July 1961) is a Zimbabwean lawyer, businessman and politician.

He is the founding MDC leader and former President of Zimbabwean political party Movement for Democratic Change – Ncube.

He currently serves within the Citizen Coalition for Change (CCC).

He is a practicing lawyer in the firm Mathonsi Ncube Law Chambers, where he is the senior partner at their Bulawayo offices.

He also runs a number of business ventures, including a farm in the Midlands Province.

Ncube was born on 7 July 1961 in Gwelo, Rhodesia.

The fourth of eight children, he was raised in the rural Maboleni district by his peasant parents.

At school, he did well academically and in sporting pursuits such as athletics and football.

Ncube grew up under the mentorship of local Seventh-day Adventist Pastor Loyiso Ndlovu, and he followed the teachings of "Prophetess" Ellen G White.

Ncube taught laws at the University of Zimbabwe, the nation's largest university, from 1985 until 2000.

At age 31, he was promoted to the position of professor.

This led to him becoming one of the youngest at the university.

At UZ he also served in various key positions which included Proctor (1986- 1995); Senior Proctor (1996- 2000); Chairman Research Board, Chairman of the Department of Private Law (1988-1996); member of the Staff Development Committee (1989-1994), and Member of the UZ Senate (1988-2000).

During his academic years, Ncube was a visiting professor and scholar to various universities, which included the University of The North West (SA); University of Oslo (Norway), and Stanford University (USA).

He was a member of the Law Development Commission of Zimbabwe (1988-1996) and the Provisional Council of Legal Education (2003- 2008).

Ncube did various consultant work in a wide range of subject areas (Land law, children's rights, constitutional law, natural resources and environmental law, Women's law, Human rights law, Tax law and security legislation) and for a number of organizations, which included various government ministries, Red Barna, USAID, and NORAD.

A lecturer in civil rights at the University of Zimbabwe Faculty of Law, his alma mater, Ncube gained prominence in 1992 when appointed as a professor at the young age of 31.

He became one of the founding members of the MDC.

He was also an external examiner at several universities, including University of Botswana (1997- 1999); University of Swaziland (1998-1999), and University of Namibia (1995- 2000).

Ncube is the author of numerous scholarly articles and books, and he has also edited various books and journals.

Ncube served as a member of the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe for 13 years, from 2000 -2013 and as Minister for Commerce and Industry from 2009 to 2013.

After the 2002 disputed presidential election the SADC and the Commonwealth advised Zimbabwe to start a dialog to resolve the issues raised by the MDC.

Ncube represented the MDC in the talks and Patrick Chinamasa represented ZANU PF.

The talks were facilitated by former South African President Kgalema Montlanthe and Professor Adebayo Adedeji of Nigeria.

Unreasonable as it seemed, Ncube refused any settlement beyond that of an Inclusive Government.

Amendment No 19 in 2008 paved the way for the implementation of the power-sharing agreement which formed the Government of National Unity, made of ZANU PF, MDC-T and the MDC.

Ncube became the center of Amendment No 19 of the Previous Zimbabwean constitution.

This Bill would amend the Constitution in the following principal respects: firstly, to substitute the Chapter on Citizenship by another Chapter making more comprehensive provision on the same topic; secondly, to make specific provision for the appointment and functions of the committee of Parliament known as the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders; thirdly, to provide that the appointment by the President of the chairperson of Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, and of the members of the Anti-Corruption Commission, must be done in consultation with the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders; fourthly to provide for the appointment and functions of a Zimbabwe Media Commission; and finally to make certain transitional amendments pursuant to the agreement between the Presidents of the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) and the two formations of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), on resolving the challenges facing Zimbabwe, which was signed in Harare on 15 September 2008.

Ncube was instrumental, in the Global Political Agreement negotiations that led to the formation of what was known as the Zimbabwean Government of National Unity (GNU) in 2009.

He was appointed as the Minister of Industry and Commerce in this administration, and he chaired the COMESA Council of Ministers.

During his years at UZ and afterward, he also practiced as an advocate at the Advocates Chambers in Harare until he became a Minister of Government in February 2009.

After the dissolution of the Inclusive Government, Ncube went back into legal practice.

He is part of the Mathonsi Ncube Law Chambers firm, where he is the senior partner at the firm's Bulawayo offices.

== Amendment 19 ==

In 2012 when Ted Wilson, the president of the Seventh Day Adventists, came to Zimbabwe, he was welcomed by Ncube at Bourbafields stadium in Bulawayo.

Ncube attended Mzilikazi High School in Bulawayo, where he graduated with straight 'A's. He gained LLB and MPhil Law degrees from the University of Zimbabwe.

His MPhil thesis was on Zimbabwean Customary Law, focusing on Family Law.

Ncube served as the Youth Chairman of Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU), while still a university student.

During this period, he became acquainted with Communism and he adopted the precepts of Marxism-Leninism.

His leftward leanings morphed into more moderate beliefs over time, and he now prefers a socialist economy to a centralised Marxist economy.