JOHANNESBURG - Grahame Gertsch, 53, left his home country, Zimbabwe, 45 years ago, but he remains dedicated to his country and his kinsmen from his home in neighbouring South Africa. (Pictured: Grahame Gertsch at his home in Pretoria.)
Gertschs father was Swiss and his mother was German. His father owned a restaurant in what was then Salisbury (Harare) and was a court interpreter, while his mother worked as a secretary in a pharmaceutical company. Gerstch left Zimbabwe for South Africa with his parents at the Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) in 1965.
In Durban he studied law, before moving to Pretoria where he continues to live. Almost four decades after leaving his motherland, Gerstch is still determined to make an impact on the lives of his countrymen, who like him, find themselves out of their home country, mostly for political reasons.
Whenever he finds time out of his busy schedule as an academic and entrepreneur, he helps Zimbabwean immigrants to find their financial feet in South Africa.
“Zimbabweans are highly educated and skilled and able to learn and work hard,” said Gertsch. I do market jobs and give them guidance when necessary and with the recent permit applications, I will help them to register.”
Two men who already benefit from Gerstch’s benevolence are Zimbabwean artisans -Brighton Mahachi (28) from Kadoma and Ephraim Dongo (20) from Mhondoro.
Mahachi expressed gratitude for Gerstchs assistance and Dongo called him, a man of integrity.
“I have visited Zimbabwe on different occasions, and made contacts with friends. That country still occupies a very special place in my heart,” Gerstch told ***The Zimbabwean during an interview this week. “It is a country with great potential and vast resources.
Advocate Grahame Gertsch has learnt a lot from a Human Rights Lawyer and Zimbabwe Exiles Forum (ZEF) Director, which has given him more impetus to work towards achieving the good of his fellow countrymen. He continues to work for the improvement of his countrymens lives.
Post published in: News