Comissioner Dr Tendai Charity Nhenga is a human rights lawyer, child rights specialist and academic with over 16 years of experience in research, teaching, policy development and advocacy across Zimbabwe and Southern Africa. She brings to the Commission deep expertise in child protection, social justice, and the strengthening of legal and institutional frameworks for human rights.

Dr Nhenga holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Law from the University of Cape Town, a Master of Laws in Human Rights Law from the University of Cape Town, a Bachelor of Laws Honours and Bachelor of Arts in Law from the National University of Lesotho, and a National Diploma in Mass Communication from Harare Polytechnic. She has also undertaken post-doctoral and visiting research fellowships at the University of Cape Town and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Her career has been centered on advancing the rights of children and vulnerable groups. She is currently the Founding Dean of the School of Law at Africa University and the founding Director of the Child Rights Research Centre at the same institution. Previously, she served, Deputy Director of the Academic Research Centre, and Chair of the Research Board at the Women’s University in Africa. She has lectured and supervised postgraduate students in human rights, child rights and child law at universities in Zimbabwe and South Africa, and has developed short courses on child rights for parliamentarians, medical professionals and other practitioners.

Dr T.C. Nhenga is an award-winning researcher whose work focuses on violence against children, child labour, and the social determinants of violence. She has led and contributed to numerous national studies, policy reviews and program evaluations for government, UNICEF, and other partners. Her technical support has informed the strengthening of child protection systems in several African countries. She has also played a key role in drafting legislation, which include the Administrative Justice Act.

Beyond academia, Commissioner Dr T.C. Nhenga is widely engaged in regional and international human rights work. She has served on the Africa University Senate, the National Child and Gender Statistics Committee of Zimbabwe, and various boards and advisory committees on child rights and social policy. She is a recipient of the Presidential Research Award for Community Innovation and multiple awards for outstanding research, leadership and academic contribution.

Guided by a commitment to evidence-based advocacy and the protection of human dignity, Commissioner Dr T.C. Nhenga is dedicated to promoting and protecting the rights of all people in Zimbabwe, with particular focus on children, women and marginalized communities.