Trudy Stevenson
Trudy Stevenson (née Lottie Gertrude Bevier; born 16 September 1944) is a Zimbabwean politician. She was Member of Parliament for Harare North in the Parliament of Zimbabwe. She is also a founding member of Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) of Zimbabwe and the first white woman to be voted into the MDC National Executive.
Stevenson was born in the United States, but attended school at Wymondham College in England from 1955 to 1962. She obtained a BA degree (French and Italian, joint honours) from the University of Reading and a Graduate Certificate in Education from the University of Zimbabwe.[1] She moved to Zimbabwe in 1980, and became a Zimbabwean citizen in 1990.
She served as MDC's national secretary for Policy and Research in a smaller faction of the MDC. She was quoted as saying "Mugabe does not frighten me, I feel it is my duty to stand up for the rights of all." In July 2006, after attending a political meeting in the Harare suburb of Mabvuku, Stevenson was attacked and suffered panga wounds to the back of her neck and head. The leadership of the rival faction of the MDC immediately claimed that the attack was carried out by ZANU militants. However, while recovering in the hospital, Stevenson positively identified her assailants, in fact, as members of the MDC-T faction, which is led by Morgan Tsvangirai.[2][3]
In 2009 Stevenson was appointed Zimbabwean Ambassador to Senegal.[4] she has continued to serve as ambassador two years after the fall of the inclusive government.
References
- ↑ Stevenson profile in Parliament website
- ↑ New Zimbabwe, Report on the attack on Mrs Stevenson
- ↑ "MP Press Statement: Trudy Stevenson and four others nearly killed by Tsvangirai's thugs in Mabvuku.". 3 July 2006.
- ↑ Shango, King (2009-09-01). "Trudy appointed Zimbabwe ambassador to Senegal". Zim Net Radio. Retrieved 2009-10-10.
The diplomatic posting was offered to Stevenson after the embattled faction was snubbed by Insiza South MP Siyabonga Ncube, who was offered the post first.