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Tributes to Lawrence Chibwe, human rights lawyer
November 04 - 07, 2007

The ZLHR Board, members and staff are in deep and painful mourning at the sudden death of Mr Lawrence Chibwe, the deputy secretary of the Law Society of Zimbabwe. Mr Chibwe died yesterday night in a road accident on his way home from a function in the city. We have lost a comrade , a colleague, friend and brother who radiated warmth and camaraderie to those who knew and associated with him. The loss is beyond words, the pain beyond tears, the gap left beyond remedy, We have been robbed, we have been hit hard, we are exposed and vulnerable at this great loss. May his dear soul rest in peace.
-- Tinashe Mundawarara, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, November 04, 2007

To Tinashe and the entire community of lawyers in Zim and the diaspora: It is with great sadness that I have just learnt of the passing of Lawrence in his prime at a time like this. My deepest sympathies are addressed to his family and the fraternity that he has so suddenly left behind. In tribute to him and his work, we must soldier on until the values that inspired and motivated his work dominate the way our country is managed. With you in this terrible hour,
--Charles Goredema

Lawrence Chibwe always seemed larger than life, and lived it to the full, totally fearlessly. He never hesitated to confront any State authority abusing its power, winning the gratitude and admiration of many; and becoming a hero of the unarmed struggle - with the promise still of much more to come. His courage and conviction will be missed by countless people in the coming months, and by his family and colleagues always. Deepest sympathy to his wife and children and all other members of Lawrence's family, and his dear friends, as they try to come to terms with so sudden and tragic a loss. Sorry I couldn't be with you earlier as you grieved.
- Sheila Jarvis

The Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD) would like to send its deep condolences to the Chibwe family, the Zimbabwe Law Society, and all Zimbabweans on the sad loss of Lawrence Chibwe who was the Deputy Secretary General of the Zimbabwe Law Society and a Human Rights lawyer. We have indeed lost a great human rights defender, whose contribution to the nation was invaluable. May his soul rest in peace.
-- ZIMCODD

I returned to Harare to-day to hear the sad news about Lawrence. I was very glad that Emma was able to represent his friends from the Embassy at the service yesterday. Lawrence will be sadly missed for his courage, his humour ad his commitment as well as his professionalism. It is always sad to lose a valued friend and colleague and especially in such circumstances. Our prayers and thoughts are with you all and with his family. May he rest in peace and rise in glory.
-- Gillian Dare

I am so shocked to hear of Lawrence Chibwe's death. It is not only we that will mourn him but his loss is Zimbabwe's loss. Please pass our condolences and our appreciation of his work to his family. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and all of you at ZLHR. Stay strong.
--Val Ingham-Thorpe for Veritas.

This is indeed terrible news. Both Judge Kriegler and I were impressed by the thoughtful email Lawrence sent last Wednesday concerning the theme for the summer school and the topic for the judge's proposed address: we were discussing the email only yesterday, and remarking how adversity seems to have brought out the very best - intellectually and morally - in your generation of courageous Zimbabwean lawyers. Lawrence ended that email, "Looking forward to seeing you at the summer school." Very sadly, that is not to be - but while asking you to convey our condolences to his family and colleagues, I cannot neglect to add what is trite but true: that obviously what he would have wanted is for the work of the legal profession in your country to go forward, and particularly for the summer school to serve its purpose. That makes us even gladder that Judge Kriegler will be able to join the Law Society at this now more than ever significant gathering.
--Betty Kriegler

Lawrence's tragic loss is a national loss -- indeed to all committed to ensuring HR, fundamental freedoms and democratic accountability. We convey our heartfelt condolences to his family, ZLHR, Law Society of Zimbabwe and all HRDs.
--Eliah Tafangombe (Taffy), CIDA-RDG

Just to express my deepest condolences to Lawrence's family and all of us in the legal fraternity at the sudden death of my young brother Lawrence. I realise now more than ever before:

how valuable to the legal profession he was;
how firm he had been in seflessly defending the independence of the legal profession at a critical moment in the histroy of our country;
how he had worked with communities and human rights defender groups to empower them to find solutions to the national crisis;
how he was driven by a personal conviction and sense of justice that motivated him to sacrifice private practice to work for public good;
how close I had become to him;

We have irretrievably lost. The nation has lost a real hero. We will all miss him. May his soul deservedly rest in eternal peace.
-- Arnold Tsunga, Secretary: Law Society of Zimbabwe

This news is truly shocking and OSISA shares with you the pain of losing Lawrence so suddenly. May you all be comforted in the memory of his efforts for human rights and justice in our region.
--Tawanda Mutasah, Executive Director, Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa

Tribute on behalf of the profession at Lawrence's burial on Tuesday the 6th Nov 2007:

His last dance

He danced his last dance
a hero dances his last dance
On Saturday the 3 November 2007
Lawrence bathed for the last time
Dressed for work for the last time
Bade farewell to his children and wife for the last time
He wrote his Symposium closing remarks in long hand
it was to be his last speech
He struggled to gain entry to his office
Almost never did gain entry
And when he finally did
He was happy
Sadly it was to be his last time

He called and talked to loved ones
This was for most the last time
He smiled, joked and laughed with everyone for the last time
He sat for lunch with some of us
He spoke of nothing but Law Society and civic society's challenges
He spoke of the country's suffering
He spoke about media suffering
He spoke about his battles with adversity
He spoke of the battle to preserve an independent legal profession
He spoke about the battles he had been in
Little did we know, it was to be his last lunch

He looked for his friends
They talked and argued about soccer
They joked, laughed and drank
He seemed so happy, too happy, his last time
I shall never forget
Shall forever be humbled
When he hunted for me
"Mukoma, you may not know...thank you so much, I am most thankful!"
I may never really know why
For he did not say why
But he was thankful..
He did seem thankful.
And I am thankful that I met and knew one such as he
And knowing so little then of him
Had the faith to recommend him to my colleagues.

He danced with most of us for the last time
He did really enjoyable and funny imitation dances of others
And he laughed and seemed so happy,
we'll never know why
for these were his last dances
He bade a few farewell for the last time
And left alone, to journey alone
That was the last time

Next we saw was his remains
Tragically laid out
On the side of the road
Next to the wreck that had hitherto been his car

For me
Seeing the mangled wreck
That used to be Lawrence's car
And him lying cold and stretched out on the road side
a mat on his face
with no visible injury or mark
remembering the days I had spent with him
remembering that I had listened to him rehearse
the speech that was his last
the speech he never got to give

remembering him dancing to music that I played
remembering the dance I had with him
which was the last time time I danced with him
remembering how strong he was in intellect, spirit and physic
how courageous he had been
how fearless he had been
how gentle he was with those he loved
how respectful he was to those that respected him
how uncompromising he was with those that despised or put him down
remembering the work he did with media rights
remembering the selfless service he gave to the Law Society of Zimbabwe
remembering his personal and professional achievement

it seemed so ironic that he should die so
life itself seemed so unfair
It deem seem so meaningless
It seemed so unfair too
That one such as he could have lived detached
Far and distant from they that gave him burial ground
I could see the futility of personal battles
I could see the many missed chances
To know, to understand, to appreciate
Yes, so unfair that he would be loved and cherished and missed by strangers
When his very own blood were to him strangers.
That he would have achieved this much among us
And received this little decoration for this much

But now as I listen to accolades
Of achievements I can only dream of
Of courage I could never match
Of intellect and skill I can only admire
Of fearlessness that resides in few
And a strong will that took him from an orphanage
all the way to the office in charge of the legal profession
It did not matter now
It really did not matter
It simply mattered not
I was comforted that he had done more
I am comforted that he had done more
More than some of us who shall live longer than him
May his family be comforted
May his loved ones be proud
He may have danced his last
He may have spoken his last
He may have fought his last
But his achievements will last
I pray he went to a place of peace
Where good deeds are repaid eternally.
May his soul rest in peace TinoBere (c)2007

We are deeply saddened by the sudden and tragic death of colleague Lawrence Chibe. Kindly convey our deepest condolences to his family and friends.They should take comfort in knowing that Lawrence served the cause of justice well and selflessly. He served his colleagues and the profession with honour aand integrity. For now, he rests...Take courage and strenght!
--Vincent Saldanha, President of the National Association of Democratic Lawyers (NADEL), South Africa

Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) learned with a deep sense of sadness the untimely death of Lawrence Chibwe, the Deputy Secretary of the Law Society of Zimbabwe, a Lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe, a key member of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, a long-time Friend of the Zimbabwe National Student Union, a loving family man and a great soccer fan.

He was one of the greatest Human Rights Defenders in our systemic, just and noble struggle against brazen human rights violators in Zimbabwe and beyond - a giant among Human Rights Defenders. He was a leading advocate of democracy in our country. Lawrence was patriotic citizen indeed. With his tragic passing away it seemed that a great and bright star that would always be there to guide us along the difficult road to freedom and democracy had suddenly been extinguished.

Despite the regime's efforts to silence him, the Chibwes' name had become a colossal symbol of human rights and democracy, far beyond the horizons of Zimbabwe's notorious Police Stations, and even the borders of our country. The second year Law students at the University of Zimbabwe who attended his last lecture on Civil Procedure on Thursday, 1 November 2007 can testify and they will not take the Friday, 2 November 2007 car accident which claimed the life of their best Lecturer as an ordinary one.

Further, students who attended the last ZINASU bi-annual congress on the 4 th of May 2006 will remember Chibwe as a true hero. Towards the end of this historic congress, the police as has become the norm in Zimbabwe disrupted the proceedings and half of the congress delegates were arrested. All of the arrested were taken to Rhodesville Police station. To the arrested it was clear that they were going to spend the whole weekend in prison cells, until the time Chibwe arrived. The rest is history. We stand today on the shoulders of such giants.

We sadly but yet fondly bids him farewell, we mourn his death but yet celebrate his life, a life of '' a True Revolutionary".
--Zimbabwe National Students Union

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