John Makamure is currently the Director of the USAID-funded Institutional Strengthening of the Zimbabwean Parliament project (1999-2005). Prior to his assuming the role of Director in June, 2004, Mr. Makamure served on the technical assistance of the SUNY/Zimbabwe team as an economist, policy analyst, and Deputy Director (from 2002). A Zimbabwean national, he has a strong economic and trade research background, and work experience in democracy and governance development projects, advocacy, and the media. He has worked with NGOs, the media, private sector organizations, donor agencies, and now the State University of New York. For four years directly prior to joining SUNY/Zimbabwe, he worked for the Zimbabwean Chamber of Commerce as its Chief Economist and Advocacy Manager.

Mr. Makamure earned his BS with Honors in Economics (1990) and his MBA (2004) from the University of Zimbabwe. He also has credentials in mass communications and journalism from New Delhi, India. He has carried out research on the national budget and its impact on children and orphans, privatization initiatives, poverty alleviation, and price controls.