Richard Frank Satterthwaite (born 11 December 1949), popularly known as Richard Mabala, is a British-born Tanzanian author, social activist, columnist and academic, predominantly recognized for his tale books Hawa The Bus Driver, Mabala The Farmer and Run Free which won him a CODE's Burt Award for African Literature.
Mabala was born in the United Kingdom. He moved to Tanzania in 1973 as a volunteer with the Voluntary Service Overseas. He was one of the first five British volunteers to be allowed into the country after Tanzania broke off diplomatic relations with Britain over the independence of Zimbabwe and became a Tanzanian citizen in 1982 after giving up his passport to become an official Tanzanian. He also served as a professor at the university of Dar es Salaam.
Mabala is currently (as at April 2024) Tanzania Chairperson of the Asante Africa Foundation a non-profit organisation that works with youth in Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya.