Paradzai Garufu is a former magistrate from the Zimbabwe Magisterial bench, and a legal expert. He is a university law lecturer and a scholar, who has profound interests in sustainable of forests and environment protection. His works focuses on awareness, especially mining and its negative effects on the environment. Loss of natural habitat is the major challenge and the root of biodiversity loss in sub-Saharan Africa, and a case of letting the rivers run dry. He is of the view that there is always more to contribute to environmental actions and that is why he is volunteering with GWCN.

In His PhD thesis, (the PhD was acquired from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa), Paradzai focused on how international law principles governing state sovereignty over natural resources were operationalized in Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The thesis is a thought-provoking with crosscutting issues on the realpolitik of mineral resources. He obtained a Master of Laws degree (Environmental Law) from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and his dissertation focused on ‘the clash between mining development and environmental protection in south African Law – A consideration of the possibility of developing sustainably’. He examined the legal conflicts between mining and environmental protection laws. He also obtained a Postgraduate Certificate in Mining Law for Industry Practitioners’ form Nelson Mandela Institute of the School of Law of the University of the Witwatersrand and Bachelor of Laws (LLBs) degree from the University of Fort Hare in South Africa.

Paradzai is actively involved in environmental conversations activities: He lobs for active community participation and advocacy, and sensitize stakeholders on the importance of a maintaining a healthy environment in the age of global warming and climate change.

Paradzai’s research interests includes using the law to protect the environment. Apart from having glowing academic background, Paradzai is a Roster Counsel for Indigent applicants before the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights. He also has passion for accountability and transparency in the regulation and exploitation of mineral resources in Sub-Saharan Africa.