HARARE
–
Veteran
human
rights
activist
Linda
Masarira
has
died
at
the
age
of
43.
Masarira,
who
led
the
small
Labour
Economists
and
African
Democrats
(LEAD)
opposition
party,
died
in
Harare
early
on
Sunday,
according
to
colleagues.
“It
is
with
deep
sorrow
and
a
heavy
heart
to
announce
the
passing
on
of
a
close
friend
and
associate,
a
comrade
to
many,
LEAD
president
Linda
Tsungirirai
Masarira,
today,
Sunday,
24
May
2026,”
her
friend
Abigale
Mupambi
said
in
a
death
notice.
Masarira
had
been
battling
poor
health
for
sometime,
but
recently
appeared
to
be
on
the
mend,
Mupambi
said.
“I
was
with
her
on
Friday
and
we
spent
several
hours
together
at
my
office.
She
was
fine
and
there
was
no
sign
that
something
like
this
would
happen,”
she
told
ZimLive.
Masarira
was
a
leading
advocate
for
the
rights
of
women
and
children.
She
entered
politics
first
as
a
member
of
the
People’s
Democratic
Party
(PDP)
then
led
by
Tendai
Biti,
before
serving
as
spokesperson
for
the
Thokozani
Khupe-led
Movement
for
Democratic
Change
(MDC-T).
She
founded
LEAD
in
April
2019.
In
2023,
she
failed
to
run
for
president
after
the
Zimbabwe
Electoral
Commission
raised
nomination
fees
from
$1,000
to
$20,000.