Who is Who Zimbabwe

The African Woman’s curtsey

2013-04-02T07:07:00.000-07:00

Dating back four generations it has been customary for a African woman to go on her knees or at the very least curtsey when serving her husband a meal. This act has multifaceted cultural undertones in regards to the subjection of women.

I asked a married friend who lives in New York, why it was important for his wife to kneel when handing him his food. “It being respectful and following her culture,” he said. How do the sexes evolve with such hindrances? It was shocking to find discover that a African man who has been residing in New York for fifteen years expects his wife to take on the identity of the weaker sex. Such subordination is symbolic of the problems that often arise in such relationships. This subjection is the very tool that drives women to wrap themselves up in self-deprecating cocoons with no hope of emancipation. During my most recent two year sabbatical in Africa, I interviewed women for a book I am currently working on. A lot of the women had marital problems that sprouted from subjection, no independence and lack of acceptance as an equal sex.

A successful African business lady in her thirties once told me to never air out my views and opinions to a man for he will feel disrespected and challenged. “A good African woman knows her place and keeps quiet no matter how much conviction she may be festering.” At the time I was dating a African man. I tried to put her advice into practice but I couldn’t sell my soul to the devil known as the “subjection of women.” I believe in mutual respect and communication.

I ended a relationship with a African man who thought it was normal to subject me to societal norms I had not been accustomed to. I was born in Europe, grew up in Africa but left for North America just after my eighteenth birthday. Kneeling for a man is a part of my culture that I refuse to do. I could certainly kneel for the patriarchs in my family but I refuse to kneel for a partner. Respect comes in many forms. Unfortunately I could never kneel for a partner because it takes away from the emancipation of women.

I don’t think I’m going to live to see the day a African man kneels for his wife while serving her food. I’d love to see the day when a African man and woman have equal footing in this ritual known as eating. It all makes me wonder. If I hated a man’s guts and didn’t have any respect for him but I knelt for him, in his eyes would I be a well cultured and respectful African woman?

If a woman decides to kneel and curtsey for her partner out of her own volition then I commend her. I support actions that are based on love because they mean more than culturally set norms. I’d also like to point out that there are many westernized African men out there who don’t expect a woman to kneel and do all the house chores… I digress…I’ll leave that topic for another time.

By Mandy Nembaware

Mandy is a writer who enjoys exploring her African heritage and expresses her convictions through poetry, short prose and essays. She was born in England, grew up in Zimbabwe, lived in Canada for nine years where she attained a BA from Concordia University and she is currently in New York. She can be contacted on mandynembaware@gmail.com

Nick Price Zimbabwe Golfer

2012-07-03T09:05:00.000-07:00

NAME: Nick Price

AGE: 53

OCCUPATION: Golf pro whose wins include 18 PGA Tour championships. Ranked as the world’s #1 player in the mid-nineties. Also, golf course designer.

HOME: Lives in Hobe Sound, Florida., with wife Sue. Three children.

Nick Price was born in South Africa to English parents who moved the family to Rhodesia when Price was very young. Price would become a citizen, even serving in the Rhodesian Army during that country's civil war (from which it emerged as Zimbabwe).

An older brother introduced Price to golf, and Price ran with the new game. As a junior, he dominated in his native country. At age 17, Price traveled to San Diego, Calif., where he won the Junior World Championship.

Price turned pro at the age of 20 in 1977. He played the European Tour in those early years, claiming his first victory at the 1980 Swiss Open. He won four more times on the Euro Tour in 1982, then joined the U.S. PGA Tour in 1983.

He experienced immediate success, holding off Jack Nicklaus to win the 1983 World Series of Golf. It was 8 years before Price won again on the PGA Tour, but when he did, he emerged as one of the best players in the world.

Price won the British Open in 1992. In 1993, he won 4 times in the U.S., led the PGA Tour in money and won the Vardon Trophy for low scoring average. In 1994, Price won his second British Open, plus the PGA Championship.

Price was a short hitter off the tee, but his fabulous iron play and clutch short game kept him at or near the top of the golf world for several more years. In 1997, he won his second Vardon Trophy on the PGA Tour.

Price hasn't won a major since 1994, but remains highly competitive. He has represented the International team at the Presidents Cup in each staging of that event from 1994 to 2003.

Price flies his own jet plane to and from tournaments.

In 1997, Price published the instructional book, "The Swing" (compare prices).

Nick Price was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2003.

Awards and Honors:

• Member, World Golf Hall of Fame
• PGA Tour money leader, 1993, 1994
• PGA Tour Vardon Trophy (scoring) winner, 1993, 1997
• PGA Tour Player of the Year, 1993, 1994
• 5-time member, International team, Presidents Cup

Private Jet Lifestyle

In a career that began more than 30 years ago and has included tournament wins on five continents, golf pro Nick Price has been the embodiment of the international player. Born in South Africa and raised in Zimbabwe, the now 53-year-old father of three started competing on the so-called Sunshine Tour in his native land in 1977. In time, he moved on to the European PGA Tour, and then in 1983 Price joined the PGA Tour, beating Jack Nicklaus in his first year on that circuit to capture the World Series of Golf.

Price didn't win another Tour event for eight years. But when he did, he began a run that soon led him to the pinnacle of the golf world. Price won his first major in 1992, taking the PGA Championship, and followed that with four victories during the 1993 season and six in 1994, including the British Open and that year's PGA. Those performances helped him become the top-ranked player in the world, and he was twice named the PGA Tour's Player of the Year. During his career, he amassed more than $20 million in tournament winning, and in 2003 he became a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

All told, Nick Price won 18 times on the PGA Tour. But that tells only part of his golfing story, for he also prevailed in 28 other professional events, in places as far-flung as Morocco, Japan, Switzerland and Australia.

Not surprisingly, Price turned to private jet travel as his schedule filled with commitments to play in those international tourneys. His first airplane was an IAI Westwind, which he bought just as his career was heating up in 1993. Then he purchased a Lockheed JetStar 731, which coincidentally had been owned by his friend and fellow Hall of Famer Greg Norman. Price used the JetStar for six years, and upgraded again in 1999, acquiring a Gulfstream III.

He sold his GIII in 2006, when he began to curb his international play, and bought a fractional share of a Cessna Citation Excel. That change, however, has done nothing to dampen his enthusiasm for business jet travel.

What was it that drew you so deeply into private jets?

They made my travel so much easier. That became even more important by the time I started doing really well on the PGA Tour in the early 1990s and began playing a lot overseas. I bought the JetStar and eventually the GIII because they were capable of taking me wherever I wanted to go abroad.

Why did you play internationally so much?

In part, it was because I was from Southern Africa and wanted to play at least three or four tournaments there each year. I also enjoyed competing on the European PGA Tour and over in Japan and Australia. In my heyday, I probably played 20 events a year in the U.S. and as many as 12 overseas. So, making sure I had a good way to get around was very important to me.

What did you like most about owning those jets and traveling that way?

Obviously, the convenience and comfort were a big factor. I could arrive at tournaments fresh and ready to play. It was also great for my family. Flying privately made it easier for my wife, Sue, and me to bring our children around when they were young.

Why did you sell the GIII and get into fractional ownership?

I stopped playing overseas. Once I did that, I told Sue it was time to sell the plane.

You used to do a bit of flying yourself, didn't you?

I had about 150 hours in a single-engine plane, a Cessna 172, and also had some time in helicopters. But these days, I leave the flying to others.

How do you use your Citation Excel share?

I buy 90 hours [a year] through CitationAir, and I use that to travel to some of the Champions Tour events I play in every year, and also for the golf course architecture business I started. Occasionally, I will also charter when the situation dictates. Like a trip we recently took to Mexico for two days. It was easier chartering a plane for two days so the pilots could spend the night down there with us.

What are you doing competitively these days?

I play 18 to 20 tournaments a year on the Champions Tour. I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy it. But once I turned 50 and got out there, I found it was all I wanted it to be and more. I am playing golf for fun, and I am really enjoying it. The fields are smaller, the guys out there are the ones I grew up playing with and admiring, and for someone like me who is on the back nine of his playing career, it is a more social, more entertainment-based tour. We all feel we can still play pretty well, and we all have a pretty good time doing it.

How have you done on the Champions Tour?

I've done all right. I won my first tournament there in 2009, the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am, and I've made a little over $1 million in prize money each of the last two years.

Did you ever think of giving up competitive golf once your time had passed on the regular PGA Tour?

I really wasn't sure how much I did want to play after the 2005 and 2006 seasons. I didn't play well, and truth be told, I had gotten burned out a bit. The best way to explain it is that after that period in the 1990s when I played so well, I really ran with it. I played a lot of golf, and it just wore me out after a while.

So how much are you playing these days?

I'll compete in as many as 20 Champions Tour events in 2010, and probably three or four other tournaments—unofficial events like the Shark Shootout and the CVS Charity Challenge. I'll also do maybe seven or eight sponsor-related events a year.

How else do you occupy your time?

My golf course design business takes up about half my time. Actually, it is probably my biggest love right now. I do two or three courses a year, and I am going for a boutique-style operation. If you do multiple courses in a year, as some guys do, it is difficult to be in control because you need so many people to do your work for you. By limiting myself as I am, I can be really hands-on. I can spend three or four weeks on-site during construction.

How many courses have you designed?

I am working on my 25th and 26th, both of which are in Mexico. I worked with co-designers on my first 18 projects, so I could get as much of a grounding in the business as possible. Then I broke off to go completely on my own.

Do you have a favorite tournament win as you look back at your career?

Probably the British Open in 1994. That is such a special tournament, and even more so to me after coming so close to winning in 1982 and 1988. I finished second both those years, to Tom Watson and Seve Ballesteros, and I never thought I'd win it. So, it meant an awful lot to me. Holding up the Claret Jug was something I will never forget.

Speaking of the British Open, have you given any thought to entering that tournament again after watching Tom Watson almost win it last year at age 59?

If I could take my game up a notch, particularly my putting, I'd probably think of going back there. But right now, I am just not good enough, and I'd far rather give my spot to someone who has a better chance of winning. But you never know what can happen down the road. The way I figure it, I have three or four good years of playing left, and I'd go back to the British in a second if I thought I was capable of competing.

What would it take to make you feel that way?

I'd need to become a multiple winner on the Champions Tour, maybe three or four events there to even consider going back to the British.

Speaking of the British Open, have you given any thought to entering that tournament again after watching Tom Watson almost win it last year at age 59?

What would it take to make you feel that way?

I'd need to become a multiple winner on the Champions Tour, maybe three or four events there to even consider going back to the British.

Delma Lupepe Zimbabwe Entrepreneur

2012-07-01T20:04:00.000-07:00

Today we feature Delma Lupepe, one of Zimbabwe's successful businessman who has helped create employment and sustain the livelihood of fellow Zimbabweans.

He is one of the richest men in Zimbabwe and “he has seen it all and done it all”, but the now repentant and God fearing Delma Lupepe, revealed that he would rather have God than money because at the end of the day, all his riches are vanity.

In an exclusive interview, Lupepe who is a devoted Seventh Day Adventist revealed that his money never brought him peace and a comfortable life until he accepted Jesus as his personal Savior.

“I have money, not that I am boasting, I am only stating a fact and through my money I have seen and done it all, there is nothing you can tell me about life. There is nothing that I have not done but I am not proud of it. I have been all over the world, stayed at the most expensive hotels, some of the suits I have cost me 30 000 to 40 000 Rand. I have driven almost every version of the Mercedes Benz and almost every car. Right now I have two Porsche models, a Boxster and a 911 which if I am not mistaken is the only one in Zimbabwe, but its all nothing and it does not give me joy.

Right now I have two Porsche models, a Boxster and a 911 which if I am not mistaken is the only one in Zimbabwe

“And I have dated numerous beautiful women but I can tell you I never got any peace or satisfaction from that. I want people out there to know that all that glitters is not gold. It is better to live a humble and sinless life than to have riches that will lead you to death,” said Delma.

Lupepe, who is the owner of Maydeep Investments, which incorporates Merspin, Gloweave and Ascot Clothing Company, likened his life to that of the Biblical prodigal son who asked for his inheritance from his father and went away to a far-away country to squander it all.

“Just like the prodigal son, I was a youth with money and I used it wrongly. I was a slave to sin and like many youths of to day I believed that life was one big party but its more than that. So I am saddened by what the youth aspire to be. Frankly they should know that quality life is not in money, money does not bring any peace – peace comes from knowing God. All the other things are vanity, Solomon was one of the richest and best-dressed men but he admitted that the lilies on the ground were better than him.

“Don’t misunderstand me, God wants us to be prosperous and rich, he has plans for us, plans of prosperity not of harm. But we should know that riches come with responsibility, the prodigal son was irresponsible and I was irresponsible but I am glad that like him I found my senses.”

Delma believes that God gave him money not to buy cars and other worldly material but to use it as a vehicle to preach the gospel.

He said: “I used to hire a private jet from South Africa to come and pick me up for a shopping spree in Johannesburg. I had money but just like the prodigal son, my riotous spending meant I was eating with pigs. That was foolish, now that I am back in my father’s house. I use my money to spread the Advent message and to build churches. Not to buy worldly things, which are worthless at the end of the day.

He said: “I used to hire a private jet from South Africa to come and pick me up for a shopping spree in Johannesburg.

“Whatever we do in life we must put God first. I thank God for knocking sense into my head before it was too late.”

Asked to reveal the event that led him to repent, Delma refused to divulge his life altering experience, but said: “I repented when I found myself in a situation that made me realise that God does exist.”

However, it is believed that one of the reasons why Delma sought God was an incident in which he escaped a kidnap and car-jacking attempt by a group of armed robbers in North End in 2002. He was also involved in a number of car accidents in which he believes that he was lucky to survive.

Delma added that God always had good plans for him that hinged on his repentance, revealing that one of the blessings he has received is his wife Abigail Lupepe who is a dentist.

“Some people are unfortunate that when they were wild, diseases such as AIDS and even death caught up with them. But God smiled on me even when I was still in the wilderness and he gave me a beautiful wife who I love dearly. A good wife comes from God and I encourage the youth to wait on the Lord and he will definitely send them the showers of blessings.”

He reiterated that God is always “looking for an excuse to do good things for us but we have to come back home for that to happen. If you want an education or employment it all belongs to you the secret is to accept God. And after accepting God you have to give him his tithe and offering. People think it’s a form of extortion but in reality it is a way of recognising that everything you get is from God. And if you are faithful with that he will look after you, at the end of the day tithe is only 10 percent of your earnings.”

Delma also took time to urge the youth to respect their parents and elders, unlike the prodigal son who disrespected his father by asking for his share of the inheritance before his father’s, because “failure to respect parents is a sign that you do not respect God.”

Lupepe is famous for his role in turning the Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League (PSL) into a semi-professional league. He introduced incentives for Amazulu Football Club players such as monthly salaries, medical aid, bonuses, training and camping allowances at a time when most clubs just paid winning allowances or salaries based on the number of games played per month.

Mthuli Ncube Chief Economist and Vice President of the African Development Bank

2012-07-01T16:32:00.000-07:00

Mthuli, Ncube

Professor Mthuli Ncube is the Chief Economist and Vice President of the African Development Bank, and holds a PhD in Mathematical Finance from Cambridge University, UK, on “Pricing Options under Stochastic Volatility”. As Chief Economist, he oversees the Economics Complex, which is focused on the process of knowledge management within the bank and with its partners, and general economic strategic direction of the bank. In this regard, he looks after the Development Research Division, Statistics Division and African Development Institute, all of which are headed by Directors who report to him. That is, knowledge generation, knowledge acquisition, knowledge dissemination, and knowledge sharing, and capacity-building. As a Vice President, he is a member of the senior management of the Bank and contributes to its general strategic direction.

Before joining the Bank, he held the post of Dean of the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), Johannesburg, South Africa, and before that was Dean and Professor of Finance at Wits Business School. He led Wits Business School to a point where it was rated at 45 globally by the UK Financial Times in 2007.He has extensive experience as an Investment Banker, and was founding Chairman of Barbican and Selwyn Capital, which are involved investment banking.

Prof Ncube was also a regulator, and served as a Board member of the South African Financial Services Board (FSB), which regulates non-bank financial institutions in South Africa.

He is also Chairman of the Board of the African Economic Research Consortium, a network that develops economists in Africa, with which he has been associated for the last 20 years.

He is also Chairman of the Global Agenda Council on “Poverty and Economic Development” (World Economic Forum).

Prof Ncube is also a Governor of the African Capacity Building Foundation.

Previously, Professor Ncube worked for INVESTEC Asset Management as a Portfolio Manager and Head of Asset Allocation Strategy. He also managed Investec’s Global Managed Fund, an offshore umbrella-fund registered in Ireland. The fund had five other funds under it with investments in US, Japanese and European Equities, bonds and money markets.

Prior to joining the corporate sector, Professor Ncube was a Lecturer in Finance at the London School of Economics, UK, where he taught and supervised undergraduate and graduate students in finance and investments, and general theory of asset pricing.

He has published widely in the area of finance and economics, and some of his papers have won awards. Some of the papers have been published in international journals such as the Journal of Econometrics, Journal of Banking and Finance, Mathematical Finance, Applied Financial Economics, Journal of African Economies, among others. He has also published 4 books, namely: Mathematical Finance; South African Dictionary of Finance; Financial Systems and Monetary Policy in Africa; and Development Dynamics: Theories and Lessons from Zimbabwe; and a book manuscript on Finance and investments in South Africa.

His interests are in golf, reading and painting. He is married to an Engineer with whom they have 4 children.

Charles Nyakurwa Social Entrepreneur

2012-06-30T18:47:00.000-07:00

Charles Nyakurwa, founder of Deaf Hands @ Work, is recognised for his training and job creation programme with the deaf community.

Imagine living in a world where you are silenced and outcast – with no common language, limited means of income, and no way to connect with your peers. According to Charles Nyakurwa, this is the reality for many deaf people living in South Africa today.

Training and job creation for the deaf

Charles has been chosen as the latest UnLtd South Africa award winner for his social enterprise, Deaf Hands @ Work based in Masiphumelele, Cape Town. His project offers training and job creation for the deaf community using South African Sign Language (SASL) to bridge the communication gap. Alongside creating employment opportunities, Charles’ dream is to promote community awareness and break down social barriers for people living with disabilities.

UnLtd South Africa has recognized Nyakurwa for his determination to make a powerful social impact in the deaf community. The award consists of a package of financial and non-financial support to the value of R50 000. UnLtd South Africa’s latest competition, which was launched earlier this year, saw a variety of promising applicants causing the judging panel to deliberate long and hard before choosing Charles – proof that the social enterprise sector is growing and gaining momentum in the Western Cape.

According to Louise Willington, CEO at UnLtd South Africa, Charles was given the award by the judging panel because of his passion for his cause and because he is doing something practical to change the world for the deaf community. “Charles is extremely enterprising, you can see that throughout his life, and his experiences growing up have created his desire and commitment to change mindsets around disability. We look forward to supporting him and seeing Deaf Hands @ Work blossom into an established social enterprise,” says Willington.

Unlimited Support

UnLtd South Africa is a nonprofit organisation that finds, funds and support social entrepreneurs, using a model developed in the UK that has spread to India and Thailand. UnLtd South Africa seeks to help early stage social entrepreneurs on their journey by providing financial grants, mentorship, training and networking opportunities. Charles is the latest of a series of award winners who are celebrating success in the Western Cape thanks in part to UnLtd South Africa’s support.

A born entrepreneur

The definition of a self-made man, Charles grew up in Zimbabwe and had a successful academic career despite being orphaned at age 7. Through his youth he was involved in entrepreneurial endeavours and ran a small shop to put himself through school.

Growing up with his younger brother, who is deaf, had a major influence on his outlook on the world and his attitude towards business. The family did not have access to the appropriate equipment to measure the full scale of his brother’s hearing loss that made it impossible for him to get the quality of care and education needed for a young child with a disability.

Frustrated by the fact that his younger brother, a bright boy who is full of hopes and aspirations just like him, was ostracized purely based on being deaf – Charles made it his mission to break the silence and affliction of the Deaf Community. Unfortunately, a lack of resources and care for the disabled is not uncommon. Nearly 1.8 million South Africans are deaf or hard of hearing and a shocking 75% of deaf people are illiterate. Charles’ background in economics gave him the vision to create a business that could begin to solve the problem.

Mission

Deaf Hands @ Work was officially launched in December 2011. Its mission is to create employment for skilled and unskilled deaf individuals, irrespective of racial denominations and nationality. The long-term goal is to create a strong, motivated, qualified workforce from previously unskilled and semi-skilled people with disabilities. Charles aims to eventually achieve prime status as a disability brand with DHW offices spreading throughout South Africa’s nine provinces.

According to Charles: “Just one employed competent deaf individual can change the entire community reframing how people perceive disability as an inability. He or she can be a role model to a deaf child and a source of valuable inspiration.”

For more information go to www.unltdsouthafrica.org

Meddy Matshalaga Three Gem Gold Mines

2012-06-29T19:33:00.000-07:00

Mining has been identified as one the key drivers of the local economy and Meddy Matshalaga is one of the few women operating a mine.

She is the executive director of Three Gem Gold Mines in Zvishavane and chairs the Licensed Gold Buyers’ Association of Zimbabwe.

ND: Can you give us a brief background of your company?

MM: Three Gem Gold Mines started at the end of 2007. We started serious operations in 2008 when things were really tough during the Zimbabwe dollar era. The mine started with what you call custom milling (stamp mill) for small-scale miners in Zvishavane where we provided a service to small-scale miners who brought their ore for grinding to produce gold. We began to do mining at very low scale and, later, we received a buying and selling licence.

The company was established with $40 000 savings from my Development International consultancy business. I used the money for construction, bought transformers and a stamp mill.

ND: What motivated you to get into this line of business?

MM: I think two things happened. Initially, it was because I just wanted to have another business in case I got tired of working formally, but the real thing that really motivated me was some time back, I think in 2007, the Ministry of Gender and Woman’s Affairs hosted a field day in Zvishavane where I participated.

It was at that time the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe used to do a lot of mining in Zvishavane and worked with rural women, pounding and processing gold. So it was mainly woman labour. I loved seeing women participating, but I felt it was too much work for them on one hand, but on the other, I realised women could contribute to the economy in a positive way.

ND: How have you managed to get to where you are today?

MM: It has been a long story, I guess. I don’t know whether I can call myself somebody who has made it. But I think it is through hard work by somebody who had a passion for the sector. The sector is very active once you are in it, so you want to continue. However, I think the most important thing is to put some professionalism into the work.

ND: What is your opinion on the mining industry and general performance of the gold sector?

MM: I would say the mining sector is one of the key drivers of the economy. Gold is also one of the major minerals contributing to the export market and I am sure the gold sector will surpass the target of 13 tonnes anticipated by year-end.

We have had a favourable environment given Europe is struggling and prefers keeping its wealth in gold. This has encouraged a lot of production in the sector, but again I think the sector is not really being fully maximised. There is need for more resources and technological know-how on gold extraction.

ND: Given that there are very few women in mining, what are some of the challenges you face?

MM: The mining sector is heavily dominated by men even in extraction itself. Women need to be educated even in little things such as how to register a mine and how to handle labour issues. At times women get cheated to get some of their work done. There are, however, a number of women working hard and doing well.

ND: What advice can you give to other entrepreneurs who are in your line of business?

MM: The secret to running a business successfully for a long period of time is by running it professionally.
Such issues as employees and banking are critical for a successful business.

The most important thing is to comply with the regulations of the country. If you are playing football understand what is wrong and what is right. Comply with the laws, labour law and Zimra (obligations). Just comply from A to Z. When you comply you don’t need to worry. You get visitors at your premises.
Let us toe the line in all respects

ND: What do you think should be done to improve mining in Zimbabwe?

MM: Small-scale producers need support so that they can maximise their potential. They need access to compressors and education on how to grow their businesses.

If all miners could comply and contribute the relevant taxation they owe, then the economy will do very well. Look next door in Botswana, they are doing well as a country as their revenues are being channelled towards development through the construction of schools, roads and hospitals, among other infrastructure.

ND: What are your future plans?

MM: My future plan is to add value to the Licensed Gold Buyers Association of Zimbabwe (LGBAZ). We want to make it efficient and grow the association to enable it to provide services to its members so they can run their businesses professionally.

The growth of good practices by members will enable a significant contribution to the fiscus. We recently made an application for LGBAZ members to be allowed to export their gold so they could enjoy benefits of economic liberalisation.

(c) Newsday

July Ndlovu Director at Anglo Platinum

2012-06-28T19:18:00.000-07:00

July Ndlovu Director at Anglo Platinum

BSc (Honours) (University of Zimbabwe), MBL (Unisa), CSEP (Columbia), BLP (Duke Corporate Education)

Executive head: Process at Anglo Platinum.Sitting on the executive committee of one of the world’s biggest multi-national mining companies

July graduated in Engineering and Business Leadership from the universities of Zimbabwe and South Africa respectively, and completed the Senior Executive Programme with Columbia Business School. He was previously employed in Zimbabwe by Anglo American Zimbabwe subsidiaries, where he held senior managerial positions in metallurgicaloperations and technical services. He transferred to Anglo Platinum in 2001, was initially appointed business manager of Polokwane Smelter, and later became head of process technology. In September 2007 he was appointed executive head: process at Anglo Platinum.

Sitting on the executive committee of one of the world’s biggest multi-national mining companies, July Ndlovu, refuses to let power go to his head.

“I am no different from the ordinary man on the street and I would not call myself a successful person,” he says with true humility. “I am just an ordinary man working very hard and I have been pretty fortunate to have the opportunity to work with people who believe in me.

If the truth be told, there are many other people who are as qualified as I am and others who are brighter, but are still nowhere near where I am now.”

In his fourth year as Executive Head of Process, Member of Executive Committee and Member of Operations Committee at Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed Anglo Platinum Ltd, Ndlovu (45) is one of very few blacks to hold such a post in mining here.

How to be a Millionaire

With Anglo-Platinum being the world's leading primary producer of platinum group metals and accounting for about 40 per cent of the world's newly-mined platinum, Ndlovu’s phenomenal rise up its ladder cannot be downplayed, even by the man himself.

Ndlovu, who graduated in Engineering and Business Leadership from the Universities of Zimbabwe and South Africa respectively, and completed the Senior Executive Programme with Columbia Business School, is also the Chairman of Anglo’s Zimbabwean subsidiary, Unki Platinum, which resumed operations late last year.

Cause for celebration

As the interview continues, Ndlovu begins to admit that his status in business is something out of reach for an ordinary man. His rise from a boy born to a poor peasant family in dusty Shurugwi, Zimbabwe’s Midlands province, is real cause for celebration, a great inspiration to every Zimbabwean, and indeed most Africans.

“I enjoy being in business, making money for my shareholders, but I love more the fact that things that I do, such as the company’s social responsibility, make a difference in society,” he says.

“Platinum group metals have gone a long way to solve some of the society’s most intractable problems and being part of that makes me happy.”

Ndlovu gives credit to his poor parents, who kept him on the straight and narrow and believed in the last-born of the family of six.

“In poor families, more often than not, the hopes and aspirations for children is quite limited. But I was fortunate to be born to parents who found it within themselves to believe and hope that their son could do something much more than they had done themselves,” he says.

Simple faith

“I learnt that if you dream that you can be something else in life, if you literally see beyond the horizon of the naked eye, have simple faith and believe in your dreams – you can achieve great things.

“Each one of us was born with a gift to be the very best that we can be. I realized that and worked through it and always had the feeling that I should make better my today than my yesterday. I also sought and got God’s blessings on my side.”

Ndlovu has worked for Anglo-Platinum for most of his life, having had stints at ZimAlloys, Zimasco and Bindura Nickel Corporation, before migrating to South Africa in an intra-company transfer in 2001.

He served as Business Manager of Polokwane Smelter and also as its Head of Process Technology, before he rose to his present post in September 2007.

He still has high hopes for his home country. Unki’s operations are part of his grand plan to get Zimbabwe working again.

“It is pleasing to employ local people, contribute to local economy and exploit resources for the common good of the Zimbabwean people.”

And the best way for a child to lay the foundation for a decent future?

“Education, education, education,” emphasizes Ndlovu.

“I would like to advice the youth to take their education seriously because it is the only way through which they can open doors to opportunity. To be able to play the game, you need to first get the ticket and get in, and then you can start thinking about playing the game.”

Ndlovu also has advice for Zimbabweans in the Diaspora and great predictions for Zimbabwe’s economic prospects.

“Getting a chance of a breakthrough will always be difficult in a foreign land, but there are still vast opportunities opening up in Zimbabwe, which we should take advantage of,” he says.

“Instead of killing ourselves trying to find work in foreign lands, we should go back and leverage the skills we have acquired outside. Every Zimbabwean who has lived outside the country has learnt something valuable that they should consider giving back to their country. I have met teachers who have become nurses and engineers who have become managers of Zimbabweans in the Diaspora.

“Zimbabwe will reclaim its place as one of Africa’s best economies, but that will take willingness, determination and selflessness on the part of our leaders. Political divisions will not take us forward but only drag us down. We need to stand together as Zimbabwean people to make progress. Thank God we are not sinking any more.”

Tawanda Nyambirai TN Holdings

2012-06-27T07:54:00.001-07:00

A person must be motivated by the joy to provide good services and be inspired by the importance and relevance of their job or business towards the betterment of their country. This is the same kind of desire that drove one of the movers and shakers in the corporate world to become one of the top achievers in the banking and corporate finance sector. It brings to mind the words of the Nigerian Christ Embassy Pastor Chris Oyakhilome who said: "You may be a trader, cleaner, teacher, civil servant or a chief executive, no matter the job or business you do, let your goal be to render service. And that way your greatness will be inevitable."

At 40, Mr Tawanda Nyambirai the TN Holdings boss has managed to achieve what most could have considered impossible for someone who is a lawyer by profession. How can a lawyer make a breakthrough in the complex banking sector? His secret is that of treating his customers as kings as he makes it his business to know what customers need and then reaches out to meet those needs.

He is the major shareholder in TN Holdings through his investment vehicle Nyambirai Associated Trusts. TN Holdings is the holding company for TN Financial Services (Pvt) Ltd, TN Asset Management (Pvt.) Ltd, TN Microfinance and TN Harlequin- a furniture division.

To meet people's needs, Mr Nyambirai saw it fit to bring the banks to the people and not the other way round. That is the reason why he places most of his banks in clothing shops, furniture and grocery outlets like Greatermans and Meikles to make it more convenient for the customers. The down-to-earth father of eight would rather describe himself as " a sinner saved by grace" as he is human and makes mistakes like any one of us. "I usually don't like talking about my personal life as there is a temptation to talk about the good and leave out the bad. "Mostly when I say I am a Christian people tend to build an image of me and half the time they forget that I am also human like anyone else who makes mistakes." he said. A staunch Warren Buffet fan, the TN Holdings Limited chief executive is inspired by the billionaire's investment principles.

He however, does not believe in having a mentor because he says it tends to elevate an individual and model someone as an example that is worth being followed. "I believe in genuine friendship and fellowship from whom I can learn and who can learn from me as well. Friends do not speak down on me but they are there to encourage me," he said. The Apostolic Faith Mission follower is motivated by the desire to change lives and assist the less privileged and make others avoid the pitfalls he fell into. Mr Nyambirai is motivated by love and focuses more on what he wants tomorrow to be like.

"I'm not building a business for today but I am modeling it in what I want to see it being tomorrow. As other banks are retrenching I am actually going against the grain as I am recruiting people because I know that the future of banking needs one to have skilled staff," he said.

Challenges are not meant to destroy you, they are meant to groom you and it takes self-confidence, discipline and focus to be an achiever, said the staunch Dynamos supporter.

Mr Nyambirai said that during the hyperinflation era many Zimbabweans lived like there was no tomorrow but on their part they remained conservative and knew that there was a tomorrow that required them to work hard. The lawyer-cum-businessman who was born in the farming community of Lalapanzi did his primary and secondary education in Chiungura in Gutu and A-Levels at Chibi High School. He went on to attain a law degree at the University of Zimbabwe in 1992 and he also holds a certificate in International Conflict Resolution studies from the University of Uppsala in Sweden. Mr Nyambirai comes from a broken family of 16 and is happily married to Ketty Nyambirai.

Mr Nyambirai described 2010 as a "good and blessed" year for him and his organisation as he was named the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce Harare regional and national businessman of the year award. His company was also awarded the best commercial exhibitioner at the Harare Agricultural Show. In December last year, Mr Nyambirai won an international prize in Geneva, Switzerland, known as the Platinum Technology award for quality and best trade name.

He also got a "special award" from Tsitsi and Strive Masiyiwa for being an individual who was most supportive of the charitable activities they carry out. The successful businessman reflects with a lot of pride to the law practice that he built since it delivered value to his clients who still have fond memories of him.

Mr Nyambirai said he was particularly proud of his achievement as part of the legal team that successful led NMB Bank to dually list on the Zimbabwe and London Stock Exchanges.

He said that he managed to create a thriving bank because he had been patient for eight years since 2001 and put all his strength in building a bank that will not be short of capital.

"From humble beginnings in 2001 TN Financial Services offered advisory services and we used it as a platform to build capital to start a bank. "We preserved the capital and kept little in cash therefore suffered little losses during hyperinflation," he said. TN Bank was among some of the banks that satisfied Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe minimum capital requirements way before the deadline last year.

He added that in a few years his bank expected to have one of the largest branch networks in the country as they were expecting to have more than 32 branches and most of these will be in Econet and Meikles shops by June this year.

I'm no Masiyiwa front

TN Holdings founder and chief executive, Tawanda Nyambirai has insisted that he is “his own man”, dismissing speculation that he was a front for thenon- telecoms business interests of South Africa-based mogul, Strive Masiyiwa.

Nyambirai founded TN Financial Holdings in 2001 and engineered the group’s listing on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange in 2010 through the reverse take-over of furniture manufacturer and retailer, Tedco Limited.

In addition, Nyambirai also chairs the Zimbabwe operations of Masiyiwa’s Econet Wireless while the telecoms entrepreneur has also become a key shareholder in the fast-expanding TN Holdings.

However, while admitting that it would be an honour to be a “front” for Masiyiwa, Nyambirai insisted that this was not the case.

“If there is anybody I would love to front for it is Strive Masiyiwa … it would be an honour,” Nyambirai said in an interview.

“Masiyiwa (is) an honest, generous, kind and humble man. He declared that his first (Econet Wireless) dividend after profit would go to charity and when he realized it he did just that and I personally distributed the money and would manage it for him and give it to charity so I know he kept his word ... he has educated over 40 000 orphans in Zimbabwe.

“So for people to say I am a front for him is a compliment and a privilege! But he is a shareholder and he is known and cited everywhere in the records as a shareholder at TN.

“People who do fronting deals do not do that. They are unknown in the background as the fronts play the role of owner. He would have been in the shadows.”

Nyambirai said Masiyiwa became a key shareholder in TN Holdings after the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) ruled that bank executives could not be controlling shareholders of institutions they are supposed to be running.

“When the RBZ said I should dilute my shareholding I asked myself who the best person to partner with would be and I thought ‘Strive!” Nyambirai said.

“I was humbled and honoured when he had the confidence in me and my business to buy the shareholding. I am my own man and I have a shareholder in Strive whom I greatly admire!”

He also said TN Holdings was awaiting regulatory approval for the establishment of a cattle bank, a first for Zimbabwe. The proposed bank would allow farmers and individuals to use their stock as collateral when accessing credit.

“At the moment we are moving through the regulatory corridors,” he said.

“Steps are being taken, we have people all over the country talking to people, telling how they view it if we launch a cattle bank and the outcome is amazing.

“What is overwhelming is that it is not only rural people who are enthusiastic about the idea but also urban people.

“We have people living and working in the city who also have cattle in their rural homes as wealth and assets and they are very interested in the concept.”

Nyambirai said although significant progress had been made in improving operating conditions for business, the lack of liquidity remained a huge challenge.

“We operate in an environment and the major characteristic is illiquidity. We are operating in an illiquid market and whatever we do, we have to deal with that challenge,” he said.

“The way it affects us is there is more demand for credit than cash and very little cash is available. We have had to come up with strategies to deal with that problem and we seem to be winning.”

Lynn Mukonoweshuro Group CEO of Kingdom Financial Holdings

2012-06-26T18:53:00.000-07:00

Lynn Mukonoweshuro is the Group CEO of Kingdom Financial Holdings Limited (KFHL), as well as Chairperson of the Council of the Women’s University in Africa. She is one of Zimbabwe’s most important women, that when she agreed to meet with me, I was more than delighted.

On the day we were to have our interview, there was a time mixup on our calendars so that I ended up arriving at her office at 7am, instead of the 9am she had on her calendar. So because she had to be somewhere by 7.30am, we could not have the interview then, and she felt so really bad, moreso because I had come extremely early and now I had to go and then come back again. At 7am, Lynn looked like she had been in the office for hours, not that she seemed tired or anything — to the contrary, she looked serene and comfortable. The way you and I would look like round 11am. So naturally, when our meeting did finally commence, my first question (somewhat incredulously) was:

Q: What time do you wake up and how long is your working day?

“{smiling} My mother always said that ‘you shall sleep an uninterrupted sleep’, so don’t waste your time on earth sleeping’. I wake up between 2-4am. That’s because it’s the time I reserve for prayer, to usher in the day. I’m here at work by 6.30am and home by 8am. But I always make sure I’m home for lunch.”

Q: So you are CEO of Kingdom and Chairperson of the Council of the Women’s University. What else do you do? And as CEO, what exactly do you do?

“A lot of work. {laughs} I’m actually a servant in this whole organisation, which has five subsidiaries and branches in Botswana and Malawi. I also work with a lot of orphanages, I do strategies for churches and I’m on a number of boards.”

Q: In an interview you had in 2010 with the Standard, you said “working for Kingdom is a calling”, why is that?

“Work as if you work for God and not for man. The company’s vision is grounded in that verse, and so I work as if I work for God and not for man, and payment for me is a secondary matter. That’s why I see my work as a calling because I work for God.”

Q: I understand you are the first female CEO of Kingdom since inception. How does that feel?

“I don’t see gender when I look at people, I see human beings, so it’s not a really big deal for me, because if you go through life looking at everything from the point of view that says because I am a woman, then you will be in trouble. Besides, Kingdom has always been gender sensitive, we have a number of women in to positions. {similing} I think Nigel’s mom[Nigel Chanakira is the founder of KFHL] raised him well.

Q: Before you came to Kingdom, you worked at IBM Computers and Coca-Cola, please tell me about your experience there?

“I enjoyed my time working at those two companies. I’ve always believed that one must get a noteworthy exoerience whilst young. In order to do so, you join a brand because of their vision, and you grow with the company. This is why I’ve worked at the companies I’ve worked for before and now I’m here at Kingdom and I enjoy working here every step of the way and I’ve grown a lot since I’ve come here.”

Q: I read that you are married and have three children, how do you juggle being a mom, wife and business woman?

”{instantly she becomes excited, stands up and shows me a picture of her and her family on the wall, pointing out the individual members} My eldest son is 24 — he’s just finished university, the 2nd is doing his A’s, and the 3rd wants to be a doctor. She started her own soup kitchen with her friends when she was only in Grade six, now she’s in form two and she says to me one day when we had gone to a hospital ‘mommy I want my own hospital just like this one, and the poor won’t have to pay’, and i think to myself oh my. My family and I have so much fun and my husband is ever so supportive. I have a diary I keep where everyone knows they have to log on the day they want my time, if you don’t log on when you want me, then you can’t complain when I can’t make it to wherever you want me. We do work sometimes as a family, do charity work together for instance, I am so blessed to have a family like mine.” {you can tell she is very proud of her family as she says this }

Q: Growing up, did you ever envision yourself being where you are today?

”{laughs} I always thought I’d be a pilot, or if I didn’t end up a pilot I wanted to end up in the Sciences field. When I got to the U.Z however, most Sciences lecturers had gone to the U.K, and so I was forced to get into Business.”

Q: Speaking of, where did you grow up, and which schools did you go to?

“I grew up here in Harare and I went to Nharirire Primary School in Mbare” [with eyes wide open I’m like “really” because Mbare is one of the oldest Zimbabwean high density suburbs, and it is shocking that she went to school there because looking at her you could never guess] {she ofcourse, laughs, because she knows what I’m thinking}

Q: And your family, tell me about them

“My family was very small and close, two boys and myself, I am the last, the middle boy passed on. I was never spoilt, regardless of the fact that I was the last born, you see, moms then were differernt from moms now. And my father would treat my brothers and I equally, there was no gender differentiation.”

Q: What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

“{smiles} I create spare time. I enjoy interior decor and cooking, I love experimenting. So it’s very normal to find me revamping a room, it’s not as often as I’d like though. I’m also a very spiritual person and a great believer, so I create time just for me and my Creator.”

Q: So I want to know your favourite things: what’s your favourite food?

“Peanut butter in anything.”

Q: Favourite country?

“Switzerland — it’s so clean, it gives you hope that people somewhere can be clean.”

Q: Favourite music?

“I love Hillsong, and I’m into classic music so my other fav is Bethoven.

Q: To close our interview what would you want to say to those young women who look upto you, admire you and aspire to be like you?

“Be very focused, know what you want to do, let nothing come between what you want to do. Take it step at a time. But always be responsible.”

(c) TRUE AFRICAN WOMAN MAGAZINE

Beatrice Mtetwa Zimbabwe Human Rights Lawyer

2012-06-26T12:06:00.000-07:00

Human rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa has spent the last 20 years defending journalists and resisting government corruption in her home country of Zimbabwe. She has been physically attacked and faced threats against her life, and yet despite such adversity, she continues to fight for freedom and the ideals of democracy. In addition to journalists' rights, Mtetwa champions a variety of other social causes, including eradicating AIDS and poverty, protecting the rights of women and children, preserving the essential freedoms of peaceful assembly, association and speech, and helping poor farmers wrongfully evicted from their land by the government.

Prominent human rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa has spent years defending Zimbabwean journalists, many of whom have been arrested for their work. Mtetwa represented journalists from the Daily News, Zimbabwe's only independent daily newspaper, until it was shut down by the government in 2003. She has also defended international correspondents, including British and American journalists arrested inside the country while reporting on Zimbabwe's increasingly controversial elections. In this interview, Mtetwa talks about her ongoing efforts to protect press freedoms and the risks her job entails, including her own arrest and her assault while in police custody in 2003. She also explains how the ruling Zanu-PF Party continues to "mutilate" the country's legislature -- it has amended the constitution 17 times -- to stay in power. In 2005, Mtetwa received the Press Freedom Award from the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists.

What motivates you? And why on earth would somebody want to do your job when the ruling party keeps on stacking the legal odds so heavily against you?

Beatrice Mtetwa: Why do I do it? Well, certainly not for money, there's not much of that. I just feel very strongly that we need to continue showing up the system for what it is. We need to make sure we've got a record of this period in the history of this country. We need to litigate, we need to go to court to say the law says this, and see how it is interpreted because I feel very strongly that if anyone were to look back at this - you know, some of the cases we take to court - they have very good records to show how things were done. It is easy to say a judge is not being impartial; it's easy to say that, if you've taken a case before them and you see how they've made a decision. We go to the Supreme Court all the time with constitutional challenges, not because we expect to win. But for me it is very important that we must give the Supreme Court judges the opportunity to confirm what they are there for. We take the cases there; we know we are going to lose them, not because it's a bad case, but because the judges are politically compromised. And you are only able to say, "See what we mean?" Because the judgment will be there, it will speak for itself. And we'll be able to use it in the future to say that this person is not fit to be a judge in this new era. They should be out.

Are human rights lawyers ever threatened by the ruling party, or the police? Have you ever been harassed yourself?

You do get threatened; you do get harassed. I was beaten up one time by a policeman. I've been shoved around. But I do not consider that I've had it as bad as some of my other colleagues because, generally, the police know that if you do something to me, I'm not going to take it lying down. I'll publicize it, I'll do everything that needs to be done to be sure that everybody knows what happened to me. And also, I worked for the government in the 1980s, and you find that a lot of the people who are in these positions of authority are people that I know very well. Sometimes it's a bit difficult for those in authority to be as rough with me as they would like to be. Because they know that I am not a political person, that I'm doing this job... because it is the right thing to do, not because there is any glory or cash to it and not because I'm trying to antagonize the government. No, I'm doing it because it's a job that's got to be done.

Can you describe what happened when you were say you were beaten by a policeman?

I was assaulted by a policeman in October 2003. I had been in a car hijacking. In retrospect, I think I probably had been followed. I had an attempted hijack on the first of October in 2003 and then a second one on the 11th of October. And these were people that had been following me. And when the police were called, instead of the policeman coming there to really assist me, he said, "Oh, it's you. Human rights lawyer. Now we are going to show you who you are." They locked me up, and they said this happened to me because I was drunk. I said, "Fine, if I'm drunk, take me to have a Breathalyzer test or a blood test" - which they've got to do within two hours. But they didn't. They drove around with me, and he beat me up. His attitude was that when you talk about police brutality, you'll now be talking from experience. I wear glasses normally, and he smashed my glasses in and the glass was broken. It was actually quite traumatic, and I think that was actually the worst I've ever had in terms of being beaten up.

Have you ever been under surveillance?

Oh, yes, quite a number of times. I always feel that I am under surveillance - when they think that I might lead them to one of my clients when they don't know where he is. When Andrew Meldrum, the American journalist, said they were after him, I was under surveillance because they thought that I would lead them to where he was. I used to think this was very silly because the last thing that I would do if I knew where he was would be to drive to where he is. And it's very funny because they [surveillance people] always use the same cars; they just stick out like a sore thumb. So you're able to have a nice joy ride and check out how they're going to react in certain instances. So the job does have some light moments when some of the state officials bungle things. I'll tell you one story when they bungled big time. They wanted to deport one American evangelist, and obviously there was no basis for deporting her, but she was suspected of conniving with opposition politicians, so they started an operation they called Operation Zion. When they went to her premises to start the operation to have her deported, they left the entire file behind on her premises. She called me, and I said, "Just keep it." It was hilarious because it had everything, all their notes saying this is what we'll say she did, the entire plan... When we went to court to stop her deportation, we just used their notes saying that this has all been dreamed up. Nobody even came to defend that case.

Robert Mugabe, for all his brutality, is probably...

Oh, he's very bright, he's very effective.

It seems as if there are a multitude of functioning laws inZimbabwe . Are they more form than function?

The most incredible thing about Zimbabwe is that it looks like it is there, like it is working, like things are being done properly. The government doesn't go out there and do things without following the law. What they do is go out there and change the law and make it to what they want it to be. So there's all this veneer of respectability, you know, of a system that works. Why is it necessary, for instance, to amend the constitution to oust the jurisdiction of the courts when agricultural land is acquired? Because the government wants to say, "We are acting in terms of the law." But is that a fair law? Of course not. The government wants to be legitimate, and for it to be legitimate, it will go out of its way to make laws that will legitimize the illegitimate. That's basically how they're doing it.

How has this affected the fairness of elections?

We've got elections every couple of years, but the electoral laws are absolutely unbelievable because they are made to suit the particular system that the government favors. The government appoints the electoral officials, who will run the elections the way they want them to be. Zimbabwe is a signatory to the election guidelines that the Southern African government community signed. When the elections came last year, we actually presented the government with a report on the elections and how unfair the whole electoral system was and how the election laws do not actually follow the guidelines that we agreed to in 2004. The government's minister of Justice responded by filing papers saying that those are mere guidelines and that we are not bound by them. Yet they are the minimum standards for the conduct of elections in the region. Why should you pass laws that do not comply with the minimum standards that you have agreed to as a region if you actually want truly independent elections?

Has the president ever said anything directly about you?

I don't think he even knows I exist.

I'd be surprised if he doesn't - everyone else does. Describe some of the things known to have happened to people in police custody.

When people are in police custody, anything can happen. You can get beaten up; you can be tortured; you can be denied access to your relatives, food, lawyer; you may not be taken to the toilet. I had one client who I went to see in prison custody; he was given torn prison uniforms that exposed his private parts, and this wasn't just torn, it had actually been worn previously by someone who had had diarrhea and it had not been washed. It's just so dehumanizing. It's not enough that you've been put in custody; they really, really want to break your spirit.

Do people in opposition groups face a lot of legal restrictions?

The problem with Zimbabwe right now is that from looking at it and considering the political landscape, one can say, yes, there is political diversity. But there's so much you can't do. The laws that the government is creating make it virtually impossible for you to function properly, whether in opposition or as a human rights defender. The Public Ordinance Security Act criminalizes normal meetings that people must have if they are in politics. That law has never been applied to people in the ruling party. So opposition politicians have difficulty just meeting their constituencies because they must first go and inform the police that they want to have this meeting. They cannot organize protest marches because the law criminalizes that. You must get authority from the police to organize a normal march. And, of course, you are not going to get that. We had the mayor of the capital city of Harare arrested a couple of years ago because he was holding a meeting with residents of Harare in counsel property; these were counsel premises. And the police went and arrested him and said it was an illegal political meeting. Fortunately, the courts refused to place him on remand because the judge said, "Well, if a mayor cannot go out and meet residents, which is what he's there to do, that's his job, then I don't know why he'd be there. The police have no business stopping this kind of meeting." So clearly, if you are in opposition - and this was an opposition mayor - the government creates by way of legislation, by way of zealousness and general harassment, a way of stopping people going to meetings. There are so many of these examples that on a practical level, opposition politicians cannot function normally.

Who makes the law in Zimbabwe today?

The ruling party currently has a majority in parliament, and obviously, whatever laws the government wants to pass, they pass... Whether the law is constitutional or not, they can disregard any protest that the law might be unconstitutional because they'll be able to railroad it through using their majority status. The constitution is very easy to change in Zimbabwe if you have at least a 75 percent majority, and the ruling party has that. So basically, the ruling party is making the laws and obviously they make laws that suit them, that ensure they continue being in power, that ensure they make life as difficult as possible for those they perceive as being in opposition or those who are opposed to how they are running the country.

How many amendments have there been to the constitution? And what effect has this had?

The constitution has been mutilated at least 17 times as of last year, and I have no doubt there will be a further mutilation. I use the word "mutilation" deliberately because the ruling party has not amended the constitution to give people greater rights, greater freedoms. With every amendment, they have eaten away at the freedoms that have been there - sometimes, in fact, to reverse the gains that have been made in court. Prior to the Supreme Court being reconstituted, we had a lot of very good constitutional judgments where the Supreme Court would interpret the constitution to give greater rights to people. Each time the Supreme Court gave a judgment that gave greater freedoms, the ruling party would run back to parliament to pass an amendment that would take away the right that the Supreme Court would have given. So we've had a lot of amendments brought in specifically to try to defeat what the Supreme Court would have given. The most recent amendment, No. 17, was basically to say that if your land is taken from you, sorry, the courts have no jurisdiction whatsoever. Whichever way you look at it, it's clearly unconstitutional because if the government takes an action against you and deprives you of certain property rights, you should be able to get a court to determine whether they are fair or not, particularly in Zimbabwe's situation, where the land issue has been used to benefit a few well-connected individuals.

How has the land issue been defined by the courts?

There are a number of cases where black farmers' land has been taken and I have been able to go to court and say there is no color imbalance that is being redressed here. If you're taking a farm from a black Zimbabwean who bought it in 1995, when the government had first choice to buy that land, and the government said I don't want it and you buy it - and you have that land taken away from you and given to a ruling party person, clearly it is wrong for that person not to have the court entertain him. Farmers cannot go to court now because Amendment No. 17 says it's outside the court's jurisdiction as far as agricultural land is concerned. So these people will never be able to challenge the right to acquire their land comparatively when in fact they were supposed to be the beneficiaries. I'm sorry, that just cannot be constitutional.

You also have a lot of clients who have been journalists.

Zimbabwe has very repressive media laws, and those laws have made it difficult for journalists to practice their profession freely in Zimbabwe. As a result, we get more arrests in the media, and I found myself having a lot more journalist cases from 2002 when new information and protection of privacy laws came in that criminalized a lot of journalistic work. If you write a story the government doesn't like, you can be arrested. The Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act is a very poor name. Because it really doesn't give anybody access to information; if anything, it takes away access to information. It was this law that shut down at least four newspapers in Zimbabwe. So there's nothing that makes the media accessible. It is a very big piece of legislation; it makes it impossible to have independent media houses that can report independently because they get shut down. The government determines who gets registered [to operate] and who doesn't. Journalists can be locked up because they have reported what the government regards as falsehoods. You can go to jail for at least two years if you're convicted under that law. It forces media houses to register every two years, which is crazy because you go into the media to publish as a business. And to answer every two years as to whether or not you'll remain in operation means you actually make the media self-censoring. Journalists start to self-censor because you don't want to be without a job tomorrow. At the end of the day, this piece of legislation literally limits the flow of information in Zimbabwe because people are afraid of doing their job because they could be arrested or shut down.

What about judges? Are they subjected to the same sort of self-censorship?

The judiciary in Zimbabwe took a turn for the worse for us lawyers in 2001 when judges who were seen as independent were forced off the bench. And judges who it is generally believed look at things from the government viewpoint were appointed. For me, the system requires a complete overhaul because any judges who are there are dangerous because they are quite happy to do the politicians' dirty work, to interpret the law to suit those who made them judges. Even if there's a change, you cannot trust them. If you're willing to be used by the ruling party now, it means tomorrow you'll be willing to be used by whoever will be in the ruling party next, and that's just as bad. We need to get completely new judges who would be appointed in terms of a very transparent selection procedure.

Have judges fled the country because of judgments they've passed?

Certainly some judges have been forced to flee the country after direct threats. There was a judge who was dealing with one of the newspaper closure cases. He was threatened by people in government and he fled - literally fled the country. Those who left did so because they couldn't continue working under conditions where they were constantly under threat. The Supreme Court heard the war veterans demonstrate, and they were jumping all over the court while the court was in session, but nothing happened to those people. So clearly judges have been threatened. Even those who have remained from the old era - maybe two or so in the high courts - are afraid. They have stayed, but the freedom is just not there anymore. I don't think members of the judiciary feel that they have the freedom to really be judges, impartial judges, without interference. They know if they give judgments that aren't popular, they could lose their jobs and find themselves in deep trouble.

This interview between Alexis Bloom and Beatrice Mtetwa took place in February 2006 at a guesthouse in Harare. It has been edited for clarity.

Grace Muradzikwa Zimbabwe busineswoman

2012-06-25T11:44:00.000-07:00

Grace Muradzikwa is the managing director of short-term insurer Nicoz Diamond.

Muradzikwa is recognised as the first female managing director to win two IoDZ director of the year awards since their inception in 2004.

The Nicoz Diamond boss is credited with spearheading the formation of vision, mission and values of the short-term insurance group. Nicoz Diamond is listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange. Grace Muradzikwa also created the vision, mission and value statements for the regional operations in Malawi, Zambia, Angola and Uganda where Nicoz Diamond has management contracts. The Nicoz Diamond managing director gives general direction and has overall responsibility over strategy formulation for Nicoz Diamond and regional operations that the company manages. Her strategy of country diversification has helped the company cope with the challenging environment of 2008 to 2009.

Grace Muradzikwa, with over 24 years’ experience in the insurance sector, is committed to and passionate about her work, which has seen her receive numerous personal awards as well as on behalf of Nicoz Diamond. The awards were for first black female to list and head a publicly traded company in Zimbabwe, 1996 Insurance Personality of the Year, 2004 Zimbabwe Manager of the Year runner up, 2005 quoted companies Best Insurance Counter and Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce 2005 Businesswoman of The Year.

Muradzikwa sits on the boards of Nicoz Diamond, Africa University, United General Insurance (Uganda), Consolidated Farming Investments as deputy chairperson, Diamond General Insurance (Zambia), Nissan Clover Leaf Panel Beaters and Justice for Children. She is a holder of Bachelor of Administration and Master in Business Administration degrees from the University of Zimbabwe. She is also a Fellow of the Insurance Institute of South Africa.

Sam Levy Zimbabwe Businessman

2012-06-24T15:21:00.001-07:00

Sam Levy was born in Kwekwe on October 9, 1929.

There were a few simple things that made Sam Levy the extraordinary man that he was.

He was a complex man, but his principles were simple, and they translated into every aspect of his life, from family to business to friends.

He touched so many people's lives from all walks of life, and yet we all recognise the same things about Sam Levy. Sam Levy's Village in Borrowdale, Harare

Sam Levy was a very principled man, tough but fair. He had a very strong sense of right and wrong.

He was given the name "Kanyuchi" which is the Shona word for a honeybee: If you were good and fair, he gave you honey. If you were not honest or did wrong you faced getting stung.

He was a generous man. He gave without asking, and never asked for a thank you, or expected something in return. His reward and pleasure was to see those around him enjoy what he gave.

Sam Levy was a humble man. Despite his achievements in life, and the status and respect he earned as a successful businessman, he treated all people equally no matter their status in life, no matter the colour of their skin.

Whether a prominent business person, a Government official, the guy who cut the lawn or a stranger that he had never met before, he was always approachable, receptive and had time for you. He touched so many lives that way. He gave advice to anyone, and listened with patience and attentiveness. He had the ability to put himself in your shoes and see things clearly.

One thing Sam Levy was known for was his ability to see things that others didn't see. His insight and understanding were so vast that there was nothing he could not help you with. As long as you "put him in the picture" he was able to step into your shoes and "sort it out".

He was family oriented and his life revolved around his children. He loved passionately and deeply, and was very protective. No one could touch anyone he loved, and he made everybody know it.

Sam Levy's Village Borrowdale, Harare, Zimbabwe

In times of need, he was always the first to phone and always the first one to take action.

He reminded everyone he met: "Respect and honour your parents and don't fight with your brothers and sisters. Family is family and blood is thicker than water".

He was a good friend. No matter what he was doing, or how important it was, if he was needed, he made time. If there was a problem, he would help.

If they needed strength, he was supportive. If someone was nervous, he gave them courage. If someone was stumped, he gave them a strategy.

He was a man of his word. If he said he would do something, consider it done, no matter how large or small the task. He forgot nothing. If you told him anything, no matter how trivial, he never forgot. He amazed people by reminding them of something they did or said that would otherwise be long forgotten.

Sam was a very wise man. Not only because of his vast experience in life and business, but because he had the ability to sit back and evaluate things, break them down into simple elements, and be objective.

He was known to say, "If you have a problem, come to me", and he was always there as he said he would be.

The man was a doer. His motto was "Don't leave for tomorrow what you can do today". If something needed to be done, his attitude was "do it". If he wanted something done, he did it. It was that simple!

His tenacity was obvious in everything he did and he never gave up on anything or anyone. He was a very logical and practical man. He simplified the most complicated situations and made them easy to follow. If it could be done, it would be done, and it would be done right. He looked at obstacles as challenges, solved them and moved forward. He also knew when "enough is enough".

Sam was a very positive man. He "took the bull by the horns" and carried on. He was always optimistic and gave people hope. He made daunting situations approachable and was happy to lead through anything. No matter what happened, he always moved forward with a positive attitude, and it was infectious. He made all those around him feel safe and secure.

The businessman was a passionate man in everything he did. He loved every project, and he immersed himself into it and saw it through to fulfill it into the dream he wanted it to be. He loved deeply and fought fiercely. There was nothing he ever did that did not get everything right from his heart.

A visionary he was and this made him a pioneer for Zimbabwe. He spent a lot of time overseas looking for ideas and products to bring back to Zimbabwe.

The mogul can be credited with many astute initiatives, from creating supermarkets to better serve customers at cheaper prices, despite the resistance he got in doing so, to introducing a new breed of cattle to Zimbabwe, and creating a shopping centre which had something for everyone.

He always sought and appreciated new and clever ideas. He always said: "When I see a good idea, I take it and bring it back to Zimbabwe." His intention was always to let people here get a taste of what was only available overseas. He had so much pride in bringing new things to the country!

Most of all, he loved his country, his home. Everything he did in his life he did in the place he loved the most. Despite the challenges and the changing environments he persevered. When people were giving up, he invested more.

When things looked bleak, he kept building. He never gave up on the country or its people, and he made it known that he was here to stay.

He created a legacy in this country for the country. He made it very clear that he was a part of the team to carry this country forward, and he did so proudly and loudly.

It was called "Sam Levy's Village" for a reason. He wanted his legacy to be there for the people and he was proud to be a part of it, and wanted it to continue even after his death.

When he got sick, as soon as he was able to travel, he wanted to come home. He asked the doctors every week, "When can I go home to Zimbabwe?" and as soon as he was well enough to travel, he came home.

Zimbabwe inspired him, and was his anchor. Even when he was ill, he was always energised when he came home.

As he would always say when he was making a point or conclusion, "at the end of the day" he was a great man, an inspiration to us all.

We have a lot to learn in looking at his life, not for what he achieved, but for why he achieved. Simply, it was for his family, and his country. And he lived for both with passion, conviction, determination and love.

From the Levy family, we are proud to be his family. We will continue to have him live through us with everything he stood for. We as his family, and we as his country lost a pillar, but it's a pillar which will remind us everyday that he is still with us.

Thank you to a wonderful husband, father, brother and friend. We will miss you very much, but we will never forget you, and you will continue to live in our hearts forever.

Levy, the owner of the multi-billion-dollar Sam Levy’s Village in Borrowdale, among other business empires in the country, was born on October 9 1922 in Kwekwe and went to Prince Edward School.

In the 1960s, he was the founder and chairman of a large supermarket group, Macey’s Stores Limited, and by then he lived in Waterfalls. This saw him earning the nickname “Cut-price king”, when he started the supermarket business.

During that time, he also owned a fruit farm in Nyanga and a farm near Lake Chivero, where he was a pioneer breeder of beefmaster cattle. In September 1973, Levy bought Duly’s Angwa Street property from London County Properties for $1,5 million, which was reported to be the biggest property deal then.

The premise (now called Ximex Mall) was redesigned along American lines and it included a Macey’s discount store, butchery, bakery and other departments. Ximex Mall was bought by the National Social Security Authority about two years ago.

In 1975, Levy stood in the then Salisbury council elections and was elected councillor for Ward 8. During the same year, he introduced a new American cattle breed for the first time in Africa.

He once represented the then Rhodesia in three clay pigeon shooting internationals and won with national colours. In 1980, Levy won all the top prizes in the National Carcass competition during the four agricultural shows held at that time.

Dr Hope Sadza Founder of Women's University in Zimbabwe

2012-06-23T12:00:00.001-07:00

Women of substance - Dr Hope Sadza making dreams come true for women

Dr. Sadza is Vice Chancellor and founder of the only Women's University in Africa: opened with 145 students in 2002, now has a student population of 1,500, staff of 90, a farm of 285 hectares for commercial dairy (serves as the growth engine of the University). She is an eminent educationist who had a vision for opening a university for mature women who failed to access university education. The vision seeks to be the best African University in the promotion of gender equity and equal opportunities in tertiary education. The numerous awards the applicant has won nationally, regionally and internationally prove her unwavering interest in research and education for women. At the level of a Vice Chancellor, the result of her publications, research papers have cascaded in Africa to help mature men and women, especially in stamping out poverty through education for sustainable development - a theme that runs throughout her publications.

Dr. Sadza obtained her M.A. in Public Administration from the University of Missouri and her Ph.D. from the University of Zimbabwe in 1997.

IT has never been easy for the girl child to make it in the conventional "men's world". This
woman has been through it all, and the adage that "success is not a tree to be climbed with
one's hands in the pocket" rings true of Dr Hope Sadza, the woman at the helm of Women'sUniversity in Zimbabwe.

Born in a family of six children to Mr Bakasa, a businessman who owned a fleet of taxis and Mrs
Bakasa, who was a teacher, Sadza says she grew up in a "very loving environment which I
think contributed to my love for people".
Says Sadza: "My mother always used to tease me about my hobby of collecting friends."
From a tender age, Sadza always wanted to be a teacher, and it did not take her long to realise
her dream.
"I did my primary education at a school that still exists called Chirodzo Primary School.
Incidentally after my teacher training I went back and taught at that school," Sadza said.
"I attended Goromonzi Secondary School and then went on to Waddilove for my teacher
training. My first love is teaching so I went further and did teacher training to teach secretaries in England."
She went abroad to further her studies.

"I then went to the University of Missouri in Columbia in the United States of America where I
did my first degree (BSc) and second degree (masters in Public Administration)."
"When I came back I studied for my PhD with the Universityof Zimbabwe. I also taught for a
1 / 4Women of substance - Sadza making dreams come true for women while at the Evelyn Hone College in Lusaka, Zambia."

Her passion for teaching extended to assisting those financially unable to attain education.

"My dream has always been to help, particularly in the teaching field, those not economically
endowed. I have always felt for the downtrodden, those who, for some reason or other, have
missed out on school," Sadza says.
"I feel that women, especially in Africa, have a raw deal. In our household every child, male or
female, was treated the same but I watched with concern how other girls had to do chores and
drop out of school because parents preferred to invest in male children, education-wise."
Says Sadza: "That really hurt me and gave me the urge to want to help in changing that culture
and offer the girl-child and woman the opportunity to be enlightened and educated."
Sadza served in the public service for at least ten years before retiring to start the women's
university.
"I was introduced to commissions when I was appointed chairperson of the Parastatals
Commission that is now defunct and then I served in the Public Service Commission for ten
years," Sadza said.
"I took an early retirement to realise my dream to start the Women's University with my
co-founder, Fay Chung."
The Women's University offers courses for mature women from the ages of 25 to 60, who
missed out on school, either because of lack of finance or because they got married and were
engaged in rearing families.
"We offer women a 'second opportunity' as we call it, to go back to school away from the
2 / 4Women of substance - Sadza making dreams come true for women
Friday, 07 July 2006 02:00
ordinary university where a woman would feel like she is attending with her own child," the
veteran educationist said.

The Women's University is "user friendly" because women can attend in the evenings, on
weekends and during holidays and does not interfere much with family concerns.
There is also ample opportunity to network with other like-minded women.
The vision of empowering women is critical to their lives and that of their families, especially
children.
Before the university opened, research was done to establish the most critical areas, and came
up with four main fields namely:

Agriculture
Women are the tillers of the land, yet because of lack of education in that field, they remain
poor.

Reproductive health
Women are not in control so there needs to be some formal training so that they can fill the gap
between the nurse and the doctor.

Gender story
Women should be taught at an early stage the technicalities of gender issues and the
sociological connotations.
3 / 4Women of substance - Sadza making dreams come true for women
Friday, 07 July 2006 02:00

Management
This aims at empowering women who have become stuck in middle management by virtue of
being female. This is a popular course. The aim is for women to rise above diploma level and
get to the highest level, which is degree level.
This is Dr Hope Sadza's dream unfolding.
Besides her busy schedule at the university, Sadza also sits on a number of boards. She chairs
Rufaro Marketing and the National Art Gallery, to mention but a few.
She loves reading, knitting, cooking - but hates house work and she makes no excuses for that.
She loves travelling but at the moment she is unable to do so because of her commitment to the
university. Whenever she travelled in the past, Sadza was always struck by the plight of women
which she says is identical in Malawi, Zambia, Kenya and Zimbabwe.
Sadza says the story of women is always about lots of brains but lack of opportunity.
Her appeal is if you have any books, second hand computers which can be upgraded, they are
welcome at the Women's University.
Sadza is married and her husband is the chief executive officer of Premier Medical Aid Society.
She has two children - a son aged 23 and an 11-year old daughter.

http://www.theindependent.co.zw/business/14065.pdf

Professor Hope Sadza looks beyond Zimbabwe
BY GRACE CHIRUMANZU
Hope Sadza (Pictured) is on a mission to share her dream with all African women. As founder and Vice Chancellor of the Women’s University of Africa (WUA), she now wants to roll out her successful programmes beyond Zimbabwe and Zambia and in to Namibia and Malawi.

“The target now is to go through the whole of Africa and pick on the women who have been left behind,” said Sadza. She is the first woman in Africa to create a tertiary institution that allows ordinary women to advance themselves and improve their way of living.

"We call it the second opportunity university; it allows women the chance to start all over with their education. We help them achieve their dream and live a life they have always desired,” she said. WUA offers women Bachelor of Science degrees in areas of management, agriculture, entrepreneurial skills, information technologyand education. The university gives a flexible schedule as women take their classes in the evening, on weekends and in block releases.

WUA has produced 1 000 graduates since its establishment in 2002. The shortest programme runs for three years with the longest taking four. It gives first preference to employed applicants aged 24 and over. The oldest student the institution has empowered so far is Tsungi Hungwe-Chimbunde, who at the age of 64 graduated after a three-year degree programme in reproductive health in 2005.

According to Sadza, students have not found problems getting employment after years of empowerment with the university. She told The Zimbabwean ***** that the expansion into Namibia and Malawi should be up and running by 2011 and 2012.

“We will sign an MOU with their universities as we have done with the University of Zambia. We propose to start with 25 students and this time these mature students will pay for themselves or can be supported by their employers,” she said.

“We currently have 20 Zambian women with us. Since we are an opportunityuniversity accommodating married women who are also the working class with lots of responsibilities, we have given them a flexible programme that allows them to manage their social life as well. They (Zambians) are here for three months and theygo back for three months. While they are in Zambia they will also be doing open distance learning with the University of Zambia, using modules prepared by WUA.”

Since there are no hostels that accommodate foreign students, the University has a house in Harare’s low density suburb of Mount Pleasant. The institution has survived on funding from African Capacity Building Foundation, with scholarships from Econet Wireless and Zimbabwe Women’s Resource Centre and Networking (ZWRCN).

African Capacity Building Foundation donated a bus to the university and has committed itself to paying tuition fees for the foreign students from Zambia. Econet funds the top 20 outstanding students, while ZWRCN caters for four of the brilliant but poor students.

“Our lecturers are committed and have a passion for working with women. Lecturers have to be people who share the same dream of empowering women because a lot of patience is needed with them.”

It is the joy she has seen in the university’s graduates during past graduation ceremonies that continues to inspire Sadza to keep working with mature women.

“When I came up with the idea of establishing a university many people asked whether as a woman I could do it. But making it this far has proved to them that it is possible not only for me as a woman but for them as well. They have come to accept that everything has a beginning,” she said.

The university has registered a total number of 1500 students. “We want to go up to 4 000 students and we need more women in areas like law and sciences, I have realized that the women who graduate become more and more hungry for education. So we have opened an MBA and Masters in Development Studies as well,” explained Sadza.

Due to the economic challenges that have faced the country in recent years, WUA have seen over 200 dropouts. “It is a sad situation that we don’t have enough scholarships, but we have tried to make it easy for our students allowing them to write the exams and pay their tuition fees on collection of their results.”

Sadza began her career as a primary school teacher, became an officer in government and ended up as a Public Service Commissioner in 1989 resigning in 2000 to open WUA. She followed her dream to attain her PhD with the University of Zimbabwe.

“Before I did my PhD, the time management was a challenge. People had suggested I go to England for my studies but I could not because I had a family to look after. Then I just thought of how many women could be in my situation,” she said.

“Women fail to get the opportunity to go to university once they get married, it is difficult for them to manage the time. But we give them education with flexible timetable. In Africa 85% of the economy is based on Agriculture and 80% of the food is produced by women. Women know how to produce food but they don’t know how to manage, process it and add value as a finished food. We want to give them the knowledge to manage business and be leaders in society.”

Sadza and WUA were awarded winner of the 2007 "Empowering Gender through Tertiary Education" Award at the International Business Women's Conference, in Washington D.C. At the Women Entrepreneurs and Achievers Network (WEAN) awards held in Lagos, Nigeria the same year; she was named Africa's most influential woman in education.

Sheila Portia Tshuma
Regency Casino Operations Manager, Sheila Tshuma (44), believes without the knowledge she got from the Women University in Africa she would not be where she is today.

Tshuma co-owns one of the top of the range Casinos in Zimbabwe with her husband. She was one of the pioneers of WUA, where she attained a degree in General Management in Entrepreneurial development.

“I found the programme very inspiring, the entrepreneur development programme inspires you to take up the challenge of starting your own business, you learn everything how to make a business plan and how it could fail. One of the errors some small business owners make is being everyone in their companies. You would find that in most companies the owner is the seller, the driver, the secretary and this programme just teaches one how to run a business properly by having to employ people with the right skill.

“A lot of the women we went to school with are actually running their own businesses now, I recommend that degree to anyone planning to start their own business.

“The University has given an opportunity to us mature women. When I finished my A levels I didn’t have the requirements points to go to UZ but with the opening up of the Women’s University one didn’t necessarily have to have such requirements as they only require one’s working experience.

“So I like that idea about Women University where they are saying anyone can go to University. From there on I went to Chinhoyi University to do my Masters in Strategic Management but when I compare my programme from my undergrad and postgrad, I still think I learnt more from WUA; no disrespect for Chinhoyi. It has changed my life even at a social level; you get to view everything with a critical mind.”

Tsungirirai Hungwe-Chimbunde (Pictured)
Tsungirirai Hungwe-Chimbunde (68) is a holder of BSc Honors degree in Reproductive Health and Family Sciences with Women’s University in Africa. She registered to embark in this degree at the age of 60 in 2002, the year the university was established.

She was awarded the Ndoro Shield in 2005. The Shield is awarded to the model female student who has shown the embodiment of the university values, hardworking, determination, dedication to studies and a source of inspiration to the African Women.

Chimbunde was the deputy Minister of Women’s Affairs back in 1990 and a former Deputy Minister for Health and Child Welfare.

“Anything good does not come on a silver platter, it is through determination and perseverance, which are the characteristics of an African woman,” she said.

“During our time, not many girls were accessing secondary education, let alone university education. I only enrolled for my university degree at 60. I could not do it at a tender age. Having acquired my diploma in nursing, the traditional profession for a black woman person, I got married and had three children. The marriage did not see us through our lives and we parted ways. I took responsibility to look after my three children. Then it was not easy. However, with that load I did not lose hope, deep down I had that desire to acquire a degree.

“The establishment of WUA and its target group answered my prayer. I quickly grabbed the opportunity. My grandchildren now do not have an excuse not to be graduates. All other women should know that age is just a number.

“Being educated opens someone’s mind. One is able to think outside the box, get a confidence boost and earn respect. I’m now able to express myself much better and understand issues and interpret them better. I wish I had such qualifications during my time as Minister, I always look back and say I could have done better.”

http://genderwithgracey.blogspot.com/2010/04/professor-hope-sadza-looks-beyond.html

Zachary Wazara Spiritage Group Zimbabwe Businessman

2012-06-20T20:05:00.000-07:00

"WHAT can be done should be done and what cannot be done should be done." These are the words that drive the founder and the chief executive of Spiritage Group, Mr Zachary Wazara.. Spiritage Group consists of companies in the health, telecommunications, information and communication technology sectors. Having spent about 11 years in the telecommunications industry, and with all the vast experienced he gained, Mr Wazara decided to go it alone. "After spending 11 years in the telecommunications sector where I was involved in the planning, setting up of GSM networks in both small and large markets in Africa, I decided to start my own company."

His experience in the telecommunications industry was so diverse and as a result, he built his business empire, covering various sectors that include ICT and health. A devoted Christian, Mr Wazara said his passion and belief in the word of God has moulded him into the successful person he is today. Spirit Age Group uses the latest technologies to impact positively on the key sectors in the country. "What I studied at school and what I was taught by my parents is not exactly what I have become," he said. "Instead the word of God has been my inspiration. I attribute my success to God and it is the transformational side that helps us see the invisible and teaches us not to give up," he said Born 47 years ago in family of six, his parents were both teachers and were very nomadic that he never spent more than two years at one school.

He did his primary education at different schools such as Pamombe in Kadoma and Chembira in Glen Norah, Matoranhembe in Zvimba. He did his secondary education at Kutama College from 1978 to 1981 then his A-Level at Gokomere High School between 1982 and 1983. Mr Wazara is a holder of Bachelor of Business Studies (Honours) from the University of Zimbabwe, focusing on Marketing, Corporate Finance and Management Accounting. He says his special interest was marketing which he spent a considerable amount of time doing in the earlier part of his career. After college, Mr Wazara became a bit of a career nomad, jumping from one job to another seeking probably a job that he could work with passion. In 1987 he joined the Auditor-General's Office, where we worked for three weeks as a trainee auditor and left after he realised it was not his passion. He later joined OK Bazaars for only two days and left again after he realised that his orientation was creativity and doing what others deemed impossible.

He later joined Zimbank's retail division where he lasted for only four months. He left the bank because his passion was not retail but rather corporate banking. He finally realised his dream when he joined Lintas Worldwide where he worked for almost eight years as an account director. "The foundation in advertising was built when I joined Lintas Worldwide and this moulded who I am in terms of my orientation. "It gave me a very broad perspective about advertising and the different media that are available. This also gave me an opportunity to be creative and generate ideas all the time," said Mr Wazara After resigning from Lintas, Mr Wazara joined Blue Ribbon Foods where he created a name for himself when he relaunched various brands including Chibataura and Baker's Pride. "Working for Blue Ribbon Foods gave me an opportunity to discover the other side of marketing and see if it was possible to take a product that had a generic way to generate brand equity.

"The industry at that time was dominated by Red Seal and my task was to apply my creativity so as to change the fortunes of the company," he said. Because of his creativity Mr Wazara made noise with his rebranding of Chibataura mealie-meal and Bakers' Pride flour. This made the market share of both the Chibataura and Baker's Pride brands to rise marginally. He served Blue Ribbon Foods for over 18 months before moving to Econet Wireless Zimbabwe in 1996. Mr Wazara joined Econet as assistant general manager for marketing. "I participated in the legal battles that took place and I was doing more business development work," he said.

In 1998 he helped set up Mascom Telecommunications in Botswana and was appointed the chief operating officer. In 1999 he became the Econet marketing director, and rose to become the Econet Wireless Zimbabwe COO in October 1999 until July 2000 when he was appointed managing director of Econet Zimbabwe. Two years later, he helped set up Econet Nigeria and was appointed Econet Nigeria chief executive, a position he held for three years. He left in 2003 and went to South Africa where he was appointed the Econet Wireless Group's chief operating officer. At that time Mr Wazara was responsible for setting up Econet Worldwide operating in countries such as Kenya, Burundi, New Zealand (though it uses another name) and Lesotho among others.

He says his experience in implementing telecommunications systems on the African continent and the impact that it made inspired him to work for similar impact in the country. Mr Wazara says there are three visions that motivated him. "Firstly, is the way that I can contribute to the economy of Zimbabwe, secondly the way I can use technology to impact key sectors, and I am also driven by the need to build a business whose fundamentals are based on faith in Jesus Christ," he said. He is a Christian who believes in the revolutionary and transformational nature of the word of God. He does a lot of ministry activities and loves spending time with his children. He is married to Rukudzo and the couple is blessed with six children - two boys and four girls. (c) Herald

Broadacom: Telecoms’ new player

The landscape of the telecommunications industry appears set for a significant re-shaping with the latest entry of yet another network, Broadacom, which threatens the entrenched positions currently enjoyed by incumbent telecoms giants Econet Wireless, Telecel, Net-One, Tel One and Africom.
Founded by former Econet Wireless executive, Zachary Wazara, (pictured) Broadacom could significantly chew into the existing players’ near oligopolistic dominant positions in the country’s telecommunications sector. Broadacom’s offering cuts across voice telephony and broadband internet on cheaper platforms.

This is in contrast to some companies’ approach of offering new products at a premium price, enabling them to quickly recoup their investment and thereafter gradually reduce prices as the number of customers increases and competition picks up. Broadacom is entering the market with fairly low prices, where according to their submission to Potraz, an intra-network call will only cost six US cents a minute.

According to a business analyst, Broadacom is employing a phenomenon known as disruptive innovation, a process where new start-ups firms gradually but systematically chip away at dominant incumbent players’ market share by offering a lowly-priced option to lower and middle-income consumers. They then improve the quality of their offering and attract more discerning customers until their quality catches up with or even surpasses that of incumbents.

The Broadacom service is based on a platform called McWILL.

“This technology has a very efficient utilisation of bandwidth and can therefore deliver very fast speeds and penetrate buildings very easily,’’ Broadacom CEO Zachary Wazara said, adding that the technology allows the seamless delivery of video streaming, data, voice and value-added services at the same time.

This differs from the conventional mobile telephony system, GSM.

Analysts say the potential of the McWill system to disrupt the existing status quo is high and may explain why major companies as Econet, as the dominant owner of Wimax infrastructure in Zimbabwe, launched its own VoIP products early this year.

Wazara said: “We are targeting the average Zimbabwean who has been denied value for money on voice, and has had no access to broadband. So currently, all high density areas of Harare have instantly available and affordable voice and broadband. Service is now also in Chitungwiza, Ruwa, parts of Bulawayo and Mutare is coming up in the next 30 days. Thereafter we move into the cities in between.’’

Broadacom was granted a Class ‘A’ IAP licence and which allows them to setup and operate a national broadband network encompassing both public and private data networks, VPN Services and Internet Services. The licence also allows the establishment and operation of a voice network using Internet Protocol (VoIP) together with attendant services.

Broadacom has invested more than US$20 million to date and are now closing their next round of financing for a further $10-15m over the next 18-20 months, with 90% of the base station equipment needed for the next 12 months already in the country.

The company expects the quality of service in terms of coverage and capacity to increase with each month as it rolls out. In the next three months, they expect to introduce a few value-added services that will not be replicated in the short-term by existing networks. (c) Independant

Divine Ndhlukula Zimbabwean Millionaire

2012-06-20T14:53:00.000-07:00

2011 Africa Awards Finalist - SECURICO from Legatum on Vimeo.

Forbes

Divine Ndhlukula, a Zimbabwean national, is the founder and Managing Director of SECURICO, one of Zimbabwe’s largest security companies. The Harare-based outfit is a market leader in the provision of bespoke guarding services and cutting-edge electronic security solutions.

Ndhlukula has done remarkably well. In less than 15 years of doing business, SECURICO has achieved a number of significant feats: The $13 million (revenues) company now has more than 3,400 employees – 900 of whom are women. The company was also the first security outfit in Zimbabwe to achieve an ISO (International Organization for Standardisation) certification. Last December the company was the winner of the prestigious Legatum Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship.
Divine Ndhlukula is immensely proud of what she’s been able to accomplish so far. The Midlands State University MBA grad granted me an interview recently during which she recounted her start-up journey, shared a few lessons she’s learned in doing business in Zimbabwe and relived her experience in winning the Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship.

Take me back to your earliest beginnings as an entrepreneur, right to the time you founded SECURICO. Of all the opportunities in the world, what prompted you to venture into the very male-dominated realm of security services?

I have an Executive MBA from Midlands State University and an MBA (Honorary) from Women’s University in Africa conferred me in recognition of my business leadership and efforts on gender equality. After attaining an accounting diploma from an institution in Zimbabwe, I worked briefly for the government and Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation as an accounting officer. I went on to take up an appointment at Old Mutual and later took up a job at a local insurance company in 1985. While I was working at these places, I was always running around doing some small business on the side – I was ordering clothes from Harare factories and selling them to colleagues at work. Sometimes, I gave my friends in other companies some clothes to sell for me and I gave them commissions on clothes sold. Within a short while, I had made enough money to buy an 8-tonne truck, which I hired out to a construction company.

As time went on, a situation cropped up where I had to rescue my late father’s farm from being auctioned. My brother (who had inherited the farm according to our customs) had taken a loan with a local bank which he had been unable to service, so the bank opted to auction the farm which my brother had tendered as collateral. As a result, I had to sell the truck in order to raise funds to rescue the family farm from being auctioned. The title of the farm was changed into my name and I ventured into the farming business in 1992 and quit my job. I then took a loan against my house in Harare, to prop up the farming business and poured the loan in a maize crop that flopped due to a drought that season.

As I was almost losing my house in 1995, I then went back to my former employers, Intermarket Insurance (now ZB Insurance), and asked for my job back. Since I had been one of their top performers, the company was happy to take me back. In no time I moved to the executive team.

Let me say that right from a tender age, I had always told myself and everyone that I was going to start and run my own business which I always envisaged as a large business. Hence the time I had stopped working, I had taken time to learn about all the critical elements of business as I had learnt my lesson the hard way. Among the various development programmes I enrolled for was an Entrepreneurial Development Programme which I did in 1995 and this indeed sharpened my entrepreneurial competences in a big way. I learned elements like opportunity seeking, to goal setting, business planning, networking etc.
My quest to start and run my own company never dissipated and therefore, even as I was back at work, I started scanning at the various opportunities that I could see and think of.

Eventually in 1998 I saw an opportunity in the security services sector. The opportunity was prompted by what I had noted in this sector- a total lack of professionalism, quality and services that customers really yearned for. There were two distinct groups of security organizations: the first group was comprised of the long established and larger companies – there were about five of them at the time. They literally had the market to themselves and did not see the need then of meeting the customer’s expectations as they could simply rotate the business among themselves in a cartel like arrangement.
The second group was the small emerging or submerging companies which did not have the resource capacity to service big corporations and the multinationals. In short, the decision to start this company was made on the understanding that only service and value addition was going to carry the day.

With next to nothing in capital and no security background, just armed with passion and determination to succeed in a hitherto male area, SECURICO was founded in Dec 1998 in the cottage of my small home in Harare with 4 employees. The business idea was after the realization of a gap that I had noted in the market for a service and quality oriented security services provider.
I set up operations in December 1998 and the company was formally incorporated in 2000. We started with three security operatives and two administrators-I included. I used to do literally most functions like office administrative work, accounting, deploying operatives with my one vehicle, supervision, training and other related activities. We converted my servants’ quarters to an office and we had only one desk for furniture that we shared.
Give me a brief rundown of Securico’s security services. I know your company primarily provides uniformed guard services, but you’re engaged in other services I suppose.

When we started we were primarily offering guarding services but we started cash and assets–in–transit services in 2002. This service offering has grown phenomenally and we are now the market leader in this service in Zimbabwe with a fleet of over 80 armoured vehicles. We have since diversified this service to “Cash Management.” Besides moving cash, gold bullion and other valuables, we provide on-site banking where we deploy our own cashiers to receive cash from our clients’ customers. At that point the cash is considered banked so our customers are able to cut back on expenses to do with employment and transporting cash. They also reduce risks involving cash to zero. It’s a very attractive and innovative offering. We have also gone on to propose value to our clients by another offering of providing them with receptionists who besides being frontline personnel also provide security incognito for their premises.
In 2008, at the height of the Zimbabwean economic crisis, we acquired an electronic security systems company – MULTI-LINK (PVT) LTD as a going concern. We transformed this company into a high tech installer specializing in the latest innovative and cutting edge electronic security solutions. We have since established partnerships with suppliers in South Africa, China, Hong Kong and India. Within the last two years we grew this company into the second largest in Zimbabwe in the provision of electronic security systems like CCTV, access control systems, alarms, remote site monitoring and response services, electric fences etc.
We also do private investigations, employment vetting, and security consultancy. Our consultancy includes risk assessments, security policy formulation, setting up security systems and establishing security profiles of employees.

In 2005 we founded a subsidiary company – CANINE Dog Services – that breeds, trains and leases guard dogs. The company also trains dogs for domestic use or as pets.
The initial mobilization of funds was not easy. As a person who went into this industry as an underdog, we started very small, doing the best that could be done, exercizing a lot of discipline in terms of cash management and literally grew with very little borrowings save for bail outs from family when the need arose.

SECURICO is now one of Zimbabwe’s largest security groups. How have you been able to accomplish this feat?

Two things: Firstly, from the onset our emphasis has been on service quality and professionalism. Therefore when we started our operations our approach was distinctly different from the other providers. The aim was to establish ourselves as a high quality security services provider. We also worked hard to build a robust organizational culture with a strong customer orientation a culture that would define our make-up. Although we started building this culture from inception we decided to implement the ISO 9001 Quality Management System to buttress the culture. We became the first company in the security industry to attain the internationally acclaimed ISO9001 QMS.

We set a pace that transformed the private security business in such a manner that our brand became the flagship in this industrial sector. It involved very hard work on my part and my team but the effort led to the phenomenal growth that took us to where we are now.
Secondly, the security industry in this country was associated with people who hitherto had failed to make it into other careers. This resulted in the industry being served by people who had low self esteem and that indeed affected the quality of services. We embarked on an initiative to shift the paradigm altogether. This was achieved by a conceptual framework that I came up with that we implemented to change that mindset. That won the day and the security industry has tremendously transformed now to one that is respectable, professional and people are eager to build their careers in it.

You recently won the Legatum Africa Awards for entrepreneurship. How did that make you feel? Relive the experience for us.
Winning the AAE was the most humbling experience I have had in my life. I was awed to say the least. When it became apparent that we were going to be announced the winner, this is at the point when they had announced the other six winners and about to announce the grand prize, I just sat in my seat at loss for words and just managed to say to my colleague Mark Kupfuwa, “We are winning this award and I can’t believe it!” Though I tried very hard to be cool and composed, I just went up that stage not believing it was actually happening.
Before we got to Nairobi for the finals, my team and I had been so confident with our showing at that point that we were almost certain of getting the grand prize. However, after meeting the other finalists in Nairobi, whom I found to be dynamic and talented, I had then almost been convinced that the grand prize was going to any of the ten of us, but, at least I was convinced we would make it into the other 6 run up winners. So 8th December 2011 is a day I am unlikely going to forget for the rest of my life.

While we have won 11 national awards in the past 12 years, AAE is the most significant so far as we were competing with 3,400 companies in 48 African countries and this magnificent achievement has put us at a very enviable position. This will make our future growth plans easier.

Is Zimbabwe really an easy place to do business? Have you had to navigate some bureaucratic bottlenecks in trying to do business, and is corruption still a major problem?
I am a firm believer of the philosophy that there is no easy road to anywhere worth going to, especially business, in particular in Africa. The Zimbabwean business environment has been very difficult in the past ten years, however, at the same time, this presented opportunities for those with a good entrepreneurial flair. The record inflation, lack of consistent power, the uncertain political environment of 2007 to 2009 presented unimaginable challenges. We managed to pull through due to tenacity, creativity and determination.
Zimbabwe still boasts of abundant opportunities to do business. The environment has not reached expected levels necessary for ease of doing business but there is great progress. We are one of very few countries with potential for greenfield opportunities across all sectors. Competition in some of them is low and scope for maximizing profits exists. For those with little hesitation to plunge….this is the time.
Bureaucracy has been tamed now. The creation of Zimbabwe Investment Authority (ZIA) has plugged all cumbersome processes. ZIA has resulted in the realignment of licensing, registration and most, if not all statutory requirements, regulatory information is found under one roof.

Corruption, unfortunately, is the cancer the country is grappling to deal with. We as a business had anticipated to get a lot of government work after the multi-currency system was introduced 3 years ago, but we have not gotten much work from government as their awarding of tenders is fraught with corruption. Institutions created to superintend over graft have also been highly politicized rendering them ineffective. Graft exists in both private and public sectors. Yes, it is one of the negatives any investor will and is expected to deal with.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned in business?

The biggest lesson I have learnt so far is that nothing comes easy. While I had always knew I was going to make it in business, I had not really anticipated the amount of hard work, discipline, commitment and determination I needed to get here. Hence, I have now have had to learn that the secret of success is found in one’s daily schedule.

What is your philosophy in business and in life?
My philosophy is anchored on the biblical “never tire in well doing, because, in due season, you shall reap if you faint not”. I believe that every good deed is a door opener hence I always try to be as good as I can to others, my word being my bond, as the key to my success is loving and connecting with people which are always the seeds of great things to come. I believe in playing by the rules all the time and most importantly upholding my personal integrity as this gives me good night sleep.
In a nutshell, what is the most important piece of advice you’ll give to young, entrepreneurial inclined individuals out there- particularly the ladies?

My advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is start with an end in mind, know exactly what you want to achieve and start to work systematically towards the goal, exercising some patience.
Know the industry you want to get into, its internal and external environment.
Work your plan with passion, determination and diligence, and when a bit of cash starts rolling in, have the discipline to know that it is not your money yet.

My advice to women all the time is:
If you want a certain future, go out and create it. Conquer your fears as that is what enslaves most women. Opportunities are now galore. We just need to roll up our sleeves, lift our feet, and walk through the door as no one will carry us.
Have a game plan and execute it with passion, determination and focus. Never mind that you are a woman. Do not think about that except as a competitive advantage. No one is going to give you anything on a silver platter. You have to work twice, thrice, five times as hard and do not lose focus. Work with your passion, it will keep you going and once you have a footing in your business, make the most of it and create the momentum and that will get rid of all the little challenges that may bog you down. Lastly, choose your team carefully and get rid of non-performers soon enough.

Visit SECURICO at http://www.securico.co.zw

Determination drives Ndhlukula

IT is often said that success has no simple recipe because it takes focus and determination to get ahead in life. It is through abiding to this mixture of cocktails to success that Securico (Pvt) Ltd founder and managing director Ms Divine Ndhlukula is the success story she is today.

Ms Ndhlukula has managed to overcome many obstacles on her way to starting one of the country’s most successful security firms.
She has managed to hold her own in a male-dominated industry. Growing up, Ms Ndhlukula did not believe in being a failure.
She always wanted to be at the top from her time in school and even among her friends.

“As I was growing up I always enjoyed taking the leading role making sure that things were done properly.

“Another contributing factor was that back at school there was a lot of stereotyping from the male teachers and male classmates who were thinking that there is not much that can be done by a girl child, so I wanted to change that perception,” she said.

Her drive to succeed in a male-dominated world coupled with an entrepreneurial spirit that was inspired by her business-minded parents, who pushed her to start her own business.
“Let me say that right from a tender age, I always told myself and everyone that I was going to start and run my own business which I always envisaged as a large business.

“During my working days I took time to learn about all the critical elements of running a business. I also enrolled for various developmental programmes, one of which was an Entrepreneurial Development Programme, which I did in 1995 and this sharpened my entrepreneurial competencies in a big way.
“I learnt about elements such as opportunity seeking, to goal setting, business planning, networking and so many more. While I was working, I was always running around doing some small business on the side — I was ordering clothes from Harare factories and selling them to colleagues at work. Sometimes, I gave my friends in other companies some clothes to sell on my behalf and I gave them commissions on clothes sold. Within a short while, I had made enough money to buy an eight-tonne truck, which I hired out to a construction company,” she said

Ms Ndhlukula later sold her truck, as she had to rescue her late father’s farm that was on the verge of being auctioned.
This was to be the start of her adventure in business on a full-time basis as she quit her job to focus on farming in 1992.
As fate would have it, her first attempt nearly ended in a disaster after she took out a loan against her house in 1995 to prop up the farming business and invested the money in a maize crop that flopped due to a drought that year.

“I almost lost my house, I then went back to my former employers, Intermarket Insurance (now ZB Insurance), and asked for my job back.
“Since I had been one of their top performers, the company was happy to take me back. In no time I moved into the executive team,” she said.
Her return to working life did dissipate her desire to own and run her own business as she kept on looking for opportunities and one came her way in 1998 in the security sector.

She noted that there was a general lack of professionalism, quality and services in the sector. “There were two distinct groups of security organisations. The first group comprised of the long established and larger companies — there were about five of them at the time.
“They literally had the market to themselves and did not see the need then of meeting the customer’s expectations as they could simply rotate the business among themselves in a cartel-like arrangement.

“The second group was the small emerging or submerging companies which did not have the resource capacity to service big corporations and the multinationals. In short, the decision to start Securico was made on the understanding that only service and value addition was going to carry the day,” she said.

Since its formation, Securico has grown in leaps and bounds to become one of the leading security companies in the country.
It now collects about US$13 million in revenue annually and employs more than 3 400 employees of whom 900 are women.
Securico was the first security company in Zimbabwe to achieve an ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) certification.
Last year the company was the winner of the prestigious Legatum Africa Award for Entrepreneurship.

Other awards won by Ms Ndhlukula include the Zimbabwe Institute of Management Manager of the Year 2003, ZIM Director of the Year 2009 and Zimbabwe Women Filmmakers Business Award, among others.
Despite being one of the top female executives in an industry that is dominated by men, she has managed to conquer all the challenges that come with the job.

“Most people think that to be in this industry you have got to have muscles, but it is not about the muscles but brains, and a whole lot of determination,” she said.
Turning to the indigenisation drive, Ms Ndhlukula thinks that a lot has to be done to make sure that women are also included in the action plan.
They should be awarded some of the major tenders as well because they can do it not that they are women.

“The Government must make room for women to be included in the indigenous drive that is underway.
“Women are left out due to the fact that business deals are mostly discussed at golf courses and other places like that and very few women attend these because of the roles we have been accorded in the society and the way we have been socialised,” she said.

Ms Ndhlukula was born 52 years ago in Gutu. She did part of her primary school at Zvinavashe in Gutu before she went to Bondolfi Mission.
She later attended St Dominics Chishawasha and Makumbe Mission for her secondary education.

In addition to her accounting qualification she holds a Masters in Business Administration from the Midlands State University, as well as an honourary MBA from the Women’s University in Africa that was conferred on her in recognition of her business leadership and efforts on gender equality.
She draws her inspiration from Women University in Africa vice chancellor Dr Hope Sadza, Mrs Faith Ntabeni-Bhebe and Ms Leah Dauramanzi who are entrepreneurs in their own right.

She says these women have managed to start their own enterprises on their own without taking risks or listening to what people will be saying that a lot of injustice is involved when it comes to women who will be venturing into business.

Her last words to the women out there who would want to venture into business:

“The secret of success is found in one’s daily schedule and my advice to women all the time is if you want a certain future, go out and create it. Conquer your fears, as that is what enslaves most women.
“Opportunities are now galore. We just need to roll up our sleeves, lift our feet, and walk through the door as no one will carry us.”

Herald- Thursday, 15 March 2012 www.herald.co.zw

Helen Mubvumbi Business Reporter

Supa Mandiwanzira Zimbabwe Businessman

2012-06-18T09:32:00.000-07:00

Supa Collins Mandiwanzira is the past President of the Affirmative Action Group (AAG) in Zimbabwe.

Having started his career working in financial print media, he subsequently moved to the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, ZBC for five years as a business and financial reporter before enrolling in a Masters Degree in International Journalism with the City University of London. Here he worked for the BBC and Reuters financial Television, as well as becoming the London correspondent of Summit Television, a new business news channel based in South Africa jointly owned by the Financial Times from London and Times Media Ltd of South Africa. Supa was then managing director of the African Business Connections until 2002 when he became chief executive officer of Mighty Movies, following the purchase of the company from its original shareholders.^[1] He then worked for SABC, South Africa's State broadcaster, as the Zimbabwe Correspondent. Mandiwanzira joined the Al Jazeera English news channel as Zimbabwe correspondent. Recently, he has left the channel to pursue his growing media interests which include Civil Construction, Mining, Property Development,cinemas, radio and television production, and newspapers.

Ben Magara CEO Anglo Coal South Africa

2012-06-17T20:36:00.000-07:00

Bennetor (Ben) Magara (44)
BSc (Engineering) (Honours), ADP
EXECUTIVE HEAD: ENGINEERING AND PROJECTS

Ben was appointed executive head: engineering and projects on 16 November 2009. He is also a non-executive director of Anglo American South Africa since 2006 and is the former CEO of Anglo Coal South Africa. Ben has more than 20 years’ experience in the mining, energy and logistics industries. He is the former chairman of Richards Bay Coal Terminal and the Eskom 2008 Coal Working Group. He is on the board of trustees of the UNISA foundation.

Anglo Coal's Zimbabwe-born Ben Magara (37) is known as "Mr Smarty". The handle is not a reference to his mental abilities but an acronym for the safety campaign he led at New Denmark colliery, where he was the first black minemanager in the Anglo Coal group.

Magara did not invent "Smarty" (derived from Safety Must Always Relate To Yourself). The concept came from his predecessor. But he ran with the campaign so effectively that he became inextricably linked with it.

New Denmark set a series of productivity and safety records within the Anglo Coal group and aspects of the campaign, with its associated mascots, are now being adopted at other Anglo Coal collieries.

Safety is paramount, says Magara. "Nothing is so important that it cannot be done safely. If it cannot, then we don't want it."

He adds that one of the additional satisfying benefits of coming top in the Anglo Coal safety league was that New Denmark got to throw a huge party for its workers. The live entertainment included Johnny Clegg and it was all paid for by the other collieries in the group.

Magara was born near the Zimbabwean town of Masvingo into a family of nine children. He grew up in a rural environment and recalls how his schooling was frequently disrupted in the summer months because the school he attended was on the other side of a river which had no bridge.

Despite this, Magara went on to complete a degree in mining engineering at theUniversity of Zimbabwe and joined Wankie Colliery, then still part of Anglo American Zimbabwe.

After four years he was transferred to SA and flew into JohannesburgInternational on a day that is engraved in his memory: March 28 1994. That was the day the Shell House shootings took place. The scheduled introductory visit to Anglo head office in central Johannesburg was cancelled. Magara was whisked away to New Denmark, near Standerton, in southern Mpumalanga.

Eleven years later, Magara lives in Johannesburg, where his main concern is the traffic congestion he finds horrendous after the tranquillity of Standerton. His solution is to avoid it by getting to work at around 5.30 am and going home after 6 pm. But despite these long hours, Magara insists he is not a workaholic.

Arriving in the new SA, Magara found himself ideally placed for career development in a mining operation that wanted to change the way it did business. He flung himself into it.

He got his mine manager's ticket within a year and learnt to speak Zulu within six months. He worked his way through the ranks at a number of Anglo Coal operations until he was appointed mine manager at New Denmark in 2002 at the age of 34. He was promoted to GM a year later.

Asked how he set about running New Denmark, he replies: "When I was appointed to the job I asked my bosses - Anglo Coal chairman Tony Redman and Anglo Coal CEO John Wallington - what they wanted me to do there. Their reply was, Go and be Ben Magara'. Those were wonderful words. I will never forget them."

What Magara wanted was for New Denmark to be a happy mine. "You cannot be happy if you are injuring people," he explains. "You cannot be happy if your product quality is not what the customers want and your production costs are too high.

"I spent an hour every morning for the first two months just talking to staff and finding out what they wanted and what they were prepared to do. That was invaluable because through those interviews, I picked people I felt were important to the operation and who could influence others. From there we got buy-in from the entire workforce."

Magara says his management style is to "get to the coal face" and find out what his workers and staff require to improve their performance. He believes management of people is what differentiates companies and operations.

"Today everybody can buy the same technology off the shelf," he says. "The difference lies in the people. My approach is to get to know the people and they will tell me what needs to be done."

Anglo Coal is SA's second-largest coal group and produced 51,7 Mt in the year to end-December 2003.

Breaking that total sales figure down shows that 31,3 Mt of coal were sold to Eskom to be burnt in the utility's power stations and 20,4 Mt were sold to tradecustomers; the great bulk of that was exported through the Richards Bay Coal Terminal.

In his new position, Magara is responsible for five of Anglo Coal's 10 operating collieries. Three of his mines - New Vaal, New Denmark and Kriel - are major suppliers of coal to Eskom power stations.

Magara says his new job is essentially to be the link between these mines and Anglo Coal head office. "My main role will be to facilitate the sharing of best practice and communication between head office and the mines. My secondary role will be to participate in the strategic direction of Anglo Coal SA."

In his spare time - he does have some, he jokes - Magara plays golf and is "fanatical" about Formula One Grand Prix racing.

His own choice of vehicle is practical: a 4x4 Pajero. Not only do Magara and his wife and son enjoy the outdoors - their favourite region is the Drakensberg - but the Pajero is ideal for negotiating the rural roads in Zimbabwe, when he visits his family about three times a year.

Florence Ziumbe Prominent Zimbabwe Lawyer and businesswoman

2012-06-16T20:30:00.000-07:00

“When I look up into the sky, I not only admire the beauty of the Lord’s majesty, but I also yearn to reach for the stars and dwell among them and have the eagle’s view over all the earth. I want this for myself and for every woman out there who dares to dream and live in the reality of their dreams.”
I read those words in the Proweb (Professional Women, Women Executives, and Business Women’s Forum) prospectus before I met the writer and I prepared myself to meet a marvel. She surpassed all my expectations and the couple of hours that I spent with this astonishing woman turned out to be a defining moment in my own life.

Fifty-three years ago, in Nyazura, the Rwodzi family was blessed with a baby girl that they named Florence Erina. Today that girl, who dreamt big as she rinsed her face to run to school after a spell in the fields every morning, is living her dreams as Florence Ziumbe a successful corporate lawyer and Proweb president.

When I meet her, I am automatically drawn by the immense warmth and down-to-earthness that is characteristic of this high-achieving woman. There are no airs and graces to Ziumbe and she immediately reveals herself to me. “I am a rural girl. I grew up in the village, holding the plough behind a span of oxen. I cannot pretend to have some fancy tastes. I still love the rural food like nyimo (roundnuts) and sadza with offal.”

She finds the idea of having a favourite designer quite hilarious. “It took me time to be able to buy clothes with a clear conscience. I thought it was a dreadful waste ofmoney so I made baby clothes and even my husband’s shirts on the sewing machine that my father bought me.” This is one girl who does not believe in retail therapy!

“I love this cheap jewellery and sometimes it just falls apart on me and my children think it’s a scream.” I cannot imagine this immaculately groomed executive whose spray of choice is “Pleasures” by Estee Lauder, frantically trying to clutch some plastic beads as they cascade down her clothes and scatter on the ground.

She may have rustic origins but, Ziumbe has adapted to the modern trends and is as much a slave to technology as the next person. “I just cannot be parted from my computer. I would never leave home without my laptop.” She admits and her music choice is quite eclectic. “When Michael Jackson died I felt very sad. He defined an age for my generation. I listen to classical music, you know Mozart, Beethoven. I also love Tuku.”

She has not allowed her background to limit her horizon. “I watch news, documentaries, the Discovery channels.” She lists her pastimes and also adds that she reads autobiographies and takes time to watch some reality shows like Dancing With the Stars with her kids. “But not stuff like Big Brother,” she hastens to add.

It is when I ask for just one reason why we should all celebrate womanhood that she totally blows me off. “A woman is God’s latest model. After God created Eve, he did not create anything else. With technology, there is always a need to upgrade a gadget or it becomes obsolete, but a woman remains the final product for all time.” She says tongue firmly in cheek and I burst out in laughter.

On a slightly morbid note, I ask her what she would like to have written on her epitaph and she takes a very short while to come back with another unique return. “I would like it to read: A person who had such great ideas and so little time.” Amazingly with all that she has achieved, she feels that there are still so many things that she would like to do if she had the chance.

Ziumbe is married and has two daughters and a son. “When I get home then I am a mother and a wife. That is what my family will be expecting and it would be unreasonable and unfair to make them put up with anything else.” That is how she manages to juggle her personal and her professional roles.

Ziumbe is a woman of passion. There is drive in everything she does. “I will be alawyer until I die,” she states unequivocally then goes on to explain why she has changed fields in the practice of law. “I started out as a family lawyer. I would handle some high profile divorces but in almost all cases, the woman walked out of a mansion in Borrowdale with just her handbag after so many years in a marriage. I just could not take it anymore and I turned back to corporate law.” Ziumbe started out with Scanlen and Holderness before branching out into personal practice.

Ziumbe has sat on more than 40 boards including those of Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority and Cottco and at one stage chaired the Financial Gazette board. Currently she sits on several boards including Redstar, Pelhams, Afribank and its holding company. She is the deputy chairperson of the state Procurement Board.

But of all her “career babies”, Proweb seems to be her emotional crowning achievement. It is through this networking organisation for women that she is expending much energy to ensure that as many women as possible get to dream and live those dreams. “It is my aim to see membership grow to 200 000,” is an earnest expression of her wish.

And her parting words just make me itch to get up and push myself beyond my perceived limitations immediately. “Failure is experience. I really do not know any reason why anyone cannot achieve what they set out to. Look at me. I came from a poor rural background but that has not dimmed any of my dreams.”
*For feedback, please email pacificndoro@gmail.com

Marjorie Ngwenya Zimbabwe Actuary

2012-06-15T20:28:00.000-07:00

Marjorie Ngwenya

High School: Chisipite Senior School

Tertiary Education: Institute of Actuaries

Qualifications: Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries, Associate of Taxation Technicians

Family Status: Married

Lives In: London

Company / Organisation Name: Mazars

Title / Position: Director

Duration of time within your company / organisation: 2 years

Professional Membership held: Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries and Associate of Taxation Technicians

Previous positions held: Head of Risk and Governance at Acorn Fund Management, Senior Risk Actuary at Swiss Re, Manager at Deloitte, Business Development Managerat GenRe

What are your main achievements / successes in the category you are being nominated for :

Being an inspiration to young professionals who may have suffered hardship during their careers: When I first returned to the UK, I was pursuing a BSc in actuarial science at the LSE when financial difficulties meant I had to leave university. I subsequently began working and qualified as an actuary through this route. This early entry into the working world gave me a career headstart and has meant that my professional achievements have been achieved through hard work and potentially earlier than if I had continued through the university route. I am honoured to be an inspiration and role model to some to show that perserverance really does pay off.

What makes you most proud about your business / organisation:

Our belief in our values which are Integrity, Responsibility, Respect, Continuity, Independence and Diversity. We live by them and adhere to them in all we do with clients and with each other. We are a truly international and culturally diverse firm. We believe in the concept of stewardship – that we must leave the firm in a better state than when we joined. I find this inspiring!

Community Involvement:

I am a board member for the Legal Assistance Trustrepresenting the Legal Resources Centre in South Africa. I am an active volunteer for the actuarial profession and have a number of volunteer roles including examining students. I have volunteered to teach abroad atuniversities in Kenya and Armenia and found the experiences very fulfilling.
I am frequently approached to provide career advice to young actuaries, particularly those of African heritage as they identify with my background.
I am on the PR Committee of the Worshipful Company of Actuaries which has charitable aims.
Directorship / Leadership positions:

Editor of the Actuary magazine since 2009.
A member of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries Council.
Board member for the Legal Assistance Trust.
Recent Awards: The South African Power 100 accolade

Favourite Business Quote: ”Don’t let your ego get too close to your position, so that if your position gets shot down, your ego doesn’t go with it” - Colin Powell

Mentor: I draw on the expertise of many of my fellow professionals who inspire me. I find this gives me a balanced and varied view of the world.

JUST how bright do you have to be to be an actuary?
Bright enough to be competent at mathematics subjects but more so you need diligence to make your way through the professional exams. They can be daunting.

Your education took an unconventional path, tell us about it.
I started off university at LSE but due to currency problems in Zimbabwe, I had to leave in my first year and didn’t go back. Once my actuarial career had progressed there didn’t seem to be value in returning to my original BSc Actuarial Science degree but I may one day go and do a language degree to indulge a whim.

When building a CV how important is it to have worked in a few companies?
I don’t think it’s imperative but demonstrating a range of skills and a degree of progression would be more important to me.

Where would you see yourself professionally in ten years?
Having grown and advanced in my career. I haven’t defined the path necessarily.

Do actuaries have an insider sense of humour that only they understand?
Ha ha, from time to time. If I told you my favourite actuarial joke you’d think so!

Yes? ‘e to the x’ walks into a bar. The barman says I’m sorry we don’t cater for functions here.

After last week’s £1.2 billion ‘rogue trader’ fiasco, the world is baying for risk management blood. Can a bank insure against such a loss?
My background is in life insurance so I’m sure that my non-life colleagues would be better informed. To my knowledge you can insure through directors’ and officers’ cover but in reality that kind of protection comes at a great cost which is passed on to the consumer at some point and it’s unlikely to cover the full extent of losses of that magnitude. We need better risk managementframeworks and more honest individuals it appears!

How can you really balance risk management and the raw avarice it takes to fuel the banking system?
With difficulty. There should be separation of the activities which have conflicting objectives. Risk managers should be objective and unbiased; so the upside that traders stand to benefit from should not motivate them.

You’re from Zimbabwe and there must have been lessons learned by economists from Zimbabwe that had never been experienced in the world before. What’s your (honest) prognosis for the future economic health of Zim?
Zim economists could probably write (retrospective) theses on how to manage hyper-inflation! They dealt with situations not so commonly observed in today’s markets and hopefully behind us now. I am positive about Zimbabwe’s recovery. I was lucky enough to make it over for a visit recently and I continue to be encouraged by its development and progress.

What is your greatest extravagance?
Definitely travel. I’m always on the go and love discovering new parts of the world.

Personality quirks?
I hate fuss, and ironically I’ll go to great lengths to avoid it.

Unusual habits?
Doing unnecessary arithmetic in my head – just to keep checking if the brain cells are still up to it.

Famous relative?
A few relatives in the political space but none that I would call famous. People ask me if I’m related to Takudzwa Ngwenya who plays rugby (very well) for the USA. Not that I’m aware of.

Shingi Mutasa

2012-06-14T20:07:00.000-07:00

Shingai Mutasa or Shingi Mutasa owns TA Holdings and is the big brains behind the Joina Centre (one of the modern office buildings in Harare metropolitan area). TA Holdings is a diversified group listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange with a current net value of over US$100 million.
"My vision is like a rock, it's unshakable. But today, the challenges we have are of a country lacking a vision," he said.
A graduate of the University College London with a BSc (Econs) Hons degree in 1980, Mutasa returned to Zimbabwe after completing his studies and commenced upon a career in commodity trading and marketing through a family-owned company. He co-founded Venture Finance, an investment vehicle that bought into TA Holdings with the objective of turning it into a continental investment group.

JOINA CENTER

HARARE ZIMBABWE

"I started working with my father from 1980-1992 and that's when I learnt the power to empower.
"He gave me the opportunity to make mistakes. We were traders, but we later became a continental trading company.
"But my father told me to do things I am passionate with. I then later realised that I had no future in trading. After trying and failing, we managed to take control of TA Holdings in 1997.

"We had acquired a group that was riddled with debt. Between 2001 and 2005, we managed to clean up TA's balance sheet."
Mutasa also spoke about the Joina Centre, which he refers to as the Joina City.
He said the building was born out of his conversation with one renowned architect, the now late Mr Vernon Mwamuka, while they were in New York.
"Joina City was not driven by money, but a vision and passion for the country," he said.
The multi-million 23-story building will be the largest, though not tallest high rise in Harare when finished. (The tallest is the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe building).
The Joina Centre's 23 floors include three levels of parking, four levels of retail section and 16 levels of office space. The construction of the levels of parking and retail sections are complete.
The construction of the outside of the levels of office sections is complete with the contractor now working on the electrical and mechanical aspects of the building.

Shingi Mutasa and son Mudiwa on a game drive in Botswana

The building has remained unfinished for 12 years owing to escalating costs of construction materials.
However, a wealthy Saudi prince has invested in the project.
Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud, quietly sneaked into the country in 2005 and toured the Joina Centre, whose construction started in 1997.
The visit by the Saudi Arabian billionaire, brightened prospects for the completion of the state-of-the-art centre.
Commenting on the Prince's visit, Mutasa said it was significant for Zimbabwe in that the Saudi, who at one point was the second richest man after Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, had already promised to invest more funds in Africa.

"He wants to put a billion (United States) dollars into Africa and Zimbabwe is one of the countries he has invested in. The fact that he put more money into Joina Centre signifies his commitment to Zimbabwe and I believe it is up to us as Zimbabweans to decide whether men like that can be excited to invest in Zimbabwe," he said.

Joina Center Harare Zimbabwe

The TA chairman said the long period taken to complete the project should be viewed in the context of the tough environment the construction industry was operating under.

"We need to appreciate the environment. It is not easy to build when inflation and theexchange rate have moved the way they have done.

“We were working with an exchange rate of eight to one against the United States dollar when we started. There is no doubt that the exchange rate and inflation have dealt us a heavy blow.
Mutasa remains a humble man.

Shingi Mutasa is a very humble and he is a family man. Shingi lives in Harare but was born and grew up in the eastern boarder town of Mutare (Manicaland).

What advice can Mutasa give to aspiring businesspeople?

"My success hinges on four words, name, value, integrity and vision."
And his advice to other businesspeople in the country is that a company should be ethical in all its dealings.

"Equip company boards with the right people. If you get a good board you will win and board members do not cost you much," he said.
Shingi Mutasa buys BP assets

One of Zimbabwe’s richest business tycoons Shingai Mutasa has won a bid to acquire BP & Shell Marketing Services (BPSMS)’s refined oil marketing assets in Zimbabwe, including depots and service stations, through FMI Zimbabwe, a wholly owned subsidiary of his London-listed investment company, Masawara plc.

The Shell Petroleum Company trades under the BP franchise in Zimbabwe.

Collectively, BPSM local assets include 73 retail sites, six country depots, four town depots and a lubricants plant, now dormant, among others.

The facilities are currently being rented by a number of indigenous oil dealers such as Redan Petroleum, Sakunda Energy and Comoil, which were also vying for the same assets in a counter-bid to South Africa-based Engen Petroleum and KenoilKobil, which lost the deal on indigenisation grounds.

BP Southern Africa CEO Sipho Maseko on Monday revealed the global energy company had in principle agreed to sell its assets to FMI Zimbabwe.

“With their experience and existing businesses in Zimbabwe, we believe that FMI Zimbabwe will be able to build on BPSMS’s good assets and grow the business further in line with their plans,” Maseko said.

Masawara in which Mutasa owns 63,4%, also confirmed the deal through a spokesperson.

“As a Zimbabwean company we look forward to growing this business and meeting the needs of all Zimbabweans,” the spokesperson said.

The deal is expected to easily pass the indigenisation test given that both Masawara and FMI Zimbabwe are locally-owned.

Registered in Jersey, Masawara sold 29,9% to London-based Invesco plc in August and subsequently listed on AIM, raising approximately $25 million to financestrategic acquisitions in the country.

In spite of the dilution, Mutasa is confident to grow his empire by leaps and bounds through Masawara, where he sits as a non-executive director.

He is also the executive chairman of TA Holdings, a rapidly expanding investment company in which Masawara owns 30%.

Masawara also owns 40% of Joina City, the largest retail and commercial property in Harare.

Mark Chavhunduka Zimbabwe Publisher

2012-06-12T20:49:00.000-07:00

As founding editor of

Zimbabwe

's independent Sunday newspaper, the Standard, the award-winning journalist and publisher Mark Chavunduka, who died aged 36, was a champion for media freedom in southern Africa.

His paper became a symbol of resistance among his country's journalists, and a thorn in the flesh of President Robert Mugabe's government. He exposed the corruption and political intimidation rife in

Zimbabwe

, and his outspokenness made the Standard an internationally recognised voice for those opposed to Mugabe's tyranny.

Chavunduka entered the limelight in 1999, when the Standard's chief writer, Ray Choto, reported on widespread Zimbabwean army unrest over the deployment of up to 14,000 troops in the civil war then raging in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Choto claimed that 23 disgruntled soldiers had been detained for inciting mutiny against Mugabe.

For more than 10 days, Chavunduka and Choto were detained incommunicado at Cranborne barracks nearHarare. Their lawyer, Simon Bull, said both men were subjected to electric shocks on their genitals, hands and feet by military interrogators, and had their heads submerged in drums of water.

They were also blindfolded, stripped naked, made to do push-ups in the rain, and to roll in wet grass to clean the blood from their bodies after beating.

Independent medical sources confirmed the torture allegations, and the incident, seen by many as the most outrageous attack on press freedom in

Zimbabwe

since independence, drew worldwide condemnation.

President Mugabe, however, refused to condemn the torture. Instead, he threatened "very stern measures" against the independent press, warned writers not to antagonise the army, and ignored a court order to release the two journalists.

Chavunduka was born into a prominent Zimbabwean family in the capital, Salisbury (now Harare). His father, Dr Dexter Chavunduka, was

Zimbabwe

's first black veterinary surgeon, and a member of parliament nominated by Mugabe for his expertise in animal husbandry.

As vice chancellor of the University of Zimbabwe, Mark's uncle, Professor Gordon Chavunduka, a veteran nationalist, had conferred an honorary degree on Mugabe. His aunt, Sarah Kachingwe, was a top civil servant.

Educated at the prestigious St George's secondary school, Chavunduka graduated from Harare Polytechnic with a diploma in mass communication and journalism. He began his career as a business reporter, and later news editor, with the Financial Gazette.

In 1991, aged 24, he became the youngest editor of a national publication when he took over the monthly magazine, Parade, whose readership he increased to more than two million.

He became editor of the Standard in April 1997, and, under him, the circulation rose from 12,000 to 37,000.

After his release, he was treated for post-traumatic stress disorder at the London-based Medical Foundation for the Treatment of Torture Victims.

Two years ago, Chavunduka won a Nieman fellowship atHarvard University, but, last year, returned home.

"My family all said I should have stayed in the US, but I am so angry about the way we were treated," he said, "and I won't give the government the satisfaction of knowing I've run away."

Last April, he resigned as editor of the Standard after taking over the majority shareholding in the local Thomson Publications (Pvt).

The cause of the illness that led to his death was not announced. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son.

Mark Gova Chavunduka, journalist and publisher, bornNovember 28 1965; died November 11, 2002.

Mutumwa Mawere Zimbabwe Businessman

2012-06-12T19:35:00.003-07:00

Mutumwa was a senior investments officer at the World Bank till 1994 and left to set up structures and facilitate a number of BEE transactions in Zimbabwe and South Africa. His former Group was the largest black controlled group in terms of market capitalization of over US$300M. He is also the Vice President of Africa Heritage Society.

He was educated in Zimbabwe, Swaziland, United Kingdom and United States. He holds B.Sc (Economics), M.Sc (Management), MBA (Finance & Investments) degrees as well as other professional qualifications.

He began his professional career as an Acturial Student in 1984. He then joined the Industrial Development Corporation of Zimbabwe in late 1984 as a Research Economist amd rose through the ranks to become a Senior Research Economist in 1987 before joining the Merchant Bank of Central Africa in the same year as a Corporate Finance Executive.

In 1988, he joined the World Bank as a Young Professional. After completing the program in 1989, he was appointed as an Investment Officer for the International Finance Corporation, the private sector lending arm of the World Bank. He rose through the ranks to become a Senior Investment Officer in 1994. In 1995, he resigned from the World Bank and immigrated to South Africa where he has been based since.

In 1995, he founded Africa Resources Limited (ARL), an investment holding company incorporated under the laws of the British Virgin Island, before moving to South Africa. In August 1995, he approached T & N Plc the UK domiciled parent company of Shabanie & Mashaba Mines Private Limited (SMM) with a proposal to acquire the company's Zimbabwean subsidiaries i.e. the asbestos mines, two Zimbabwean industrial companies and a Zambian manufacturing company. Negotiations began in September 1995.

In November 1995, he formed a partnership with Investec Bank Limited, a South African investment bank, to structure and mobilize financing for a mining private equity fund.
While working on the private equity fund, he continued his negotiations with T & N that culminated in an agreement in March 1996 pursuant to which ARL, a company in which he is the sole shareholder, acquired the remaining mining and industrial assets of T & N in Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Since the acquisition of T & N's two UK based companies that were the sole beneficial owners of the Zimbabwean and Zambian companies, the ARL group of companies grew organically and through acquisitions to become one of the largest and diversified black controlled conglomerates with operations in South Africa, UK, Zambia, Namibia, and Malawi employing about 20,000 people and generating a turnover of about US$400 million.

In 1997, the group established a warehousing and forwarding business, Shipping Consolidated Holdings ("SCH") with operations in Zimbabwe (container depot) and Durban, South Africa (warehouse). Acquired a 100% stake in a cellular service provider, CST Cellular Private Limited, later renamed Firstel Cellular Zimbabwe.
Was the promoter, sponsor and investor in a greenfield commercial bank, FBC Bank ("FBC"). FBC was registered as a commercial bank in February 1997 in accordance with the Zimbabwe Banking Act. FBC is one of the first three commercial banks to be provided with an operating license by the Registrar of Banks and Financial Institutions since 1981. Since opening its first branch in August 1997, FBC has established 14 branch locations countrywide.

As part of the acquisition from T & N, ARL acquired:

(1) Tube and Pipe Industries (TPI) (www.tubepipe.co.zw), a wholly owned Zimbabwean company, established in 1968 as Morewear Tubes (Pvt) Ltd. It commenced operations in 1972 at the current premises in Harare's Willowvale industrial site. The company changed its name to Tube and Pipe Industries in 1978 after being acquired by Turner and Newall (Manchester - UK).

(2) Turnall Fibre Cement (TFC) (www.turnall.co.zw), a division of SMM that is involved in the production of building material including fibre cement roofing products, piping and accessories. TFC manufactures conduit steel conduit pipes and couplings, water pipes, tubes, steel places and borehole casings.

a. In November1997, ARL listed through a reverse takeover of the Acacia Group, SMM's industrial assets being Tube & Pipe Industries and Turnall Fiber Cement and changed the name to TH Zimbabwe Limited. This was one of the most successful listings in Zimbabwe that created a platform for a broad-based ownership of the company including workers and management. The operations of the Acacia group and SMM's industrial divisions were successfully merged to create one of the strongest black-owned and controlled groups of manufacturing companies. SMM became the controlling company of THZ and strategically offloaded about 30% of its stake in the company to institutional shareholders i.e. pension funds as a broad-based empowerment initiative.

b. To create more focus and give more value to shareholders, in 2002, ARL unbundling the TH Zimbabwe group into three separate listed companies as follows: Steelnet (Zimbabwe) Limited comprising three divisions:- TPI, BMA FASTENERS, a company that was part of the Acacia Group, engaged in the manufacture of a range of bolts and nuts, wire nails, roofing products, rock support systems and specialized forgings. It also offers complementary services like hot dip galvanizing, electro plating heat treatment, wire drawing and general engineering, and Hastt Zimbabwe - www.hastt.co.zw also acquired from the Acacia Group whose activities included the manufacture of a range of engineered equipment and spares for the agricultural, transport and manufacturing industries, General Beltings Limited, also part of the Acacia stable whose activities included the manufacture of Rubber, Plastics Hoses and Belting.

He was the pioneer of an initiative to mobilise investment funds from Zimbabweans in the diaspora through a special purpose vehicle, Africa Resources Invesments Limited (ARIL) that was established in 1996. The fund was launched in 1997 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Through this initiative, a special purpose vehicle was established in Zimbabwe in 1998 to deploy the funds mobilised from the diaspora into investments. The vehicle, Ukubambana-Kubatana Investments Private Limited (UKI), was incorporated as an investment holding company through which investments were made in the financial services industry including taking a significant shareholding in FBC.

In 2000, the group made a significant inroad into the financial services sector by acquiring the largest stake in the Initial Public Offering (IPO) of Zimre Holdings Limited (Zimre) (www.zhl.co.zw) company that was formerly a state-owned company that was privatised by the state together with Dairiboard, Cottco, Rainbow Tourism Group. The government subsequently sold its controlling stake in Zimre and ARL through UKI and Endurite Properties became the largest shareholder of the listed company. ARL then unbundled the Zimre Group and listed the life company, Fidelity Life, and merged Nicoz Insurance Company with Diamond Insurance, a wholly owned subsidiary of ARL, to form Nicoz Diamond Limited, a company that was then subsequently listed on the ZSE.

In 2001, the Group established FSI Agricom Holdings (Private) Limited (Oct. 2001) as a vehicle to investing in commercial agriculture as well as provide a wholesale supply chain and trading solution to the new black farmers. During the same year, the Group established a stockbroking firm, UKI Securities (Private) Limited that was subsequently acquired by Fidelity Life Asset Management Private Limited (FLAM), a wholly owned subsidiary of Zimre.

Strive Masiyiwa Zimbabwean Businessman

2012-06-12T19:18:00.000-07:00

Strive Masiyiwa was born in what was Southern Rhodesia in 1961. He went to High school in Scotland; he gained a degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering (Cum Laude) at the University of Wales, returning to newly independent Zimbabwe in 1984, where he took a job with the state-owned telephone company. He later grew up to his own engineering company.
Strive is a committed Christian. He lives in Johanessburg, South Africa, with his wife, Tsitsi, and six children.

IStrive Masiyiwa certainly has an eye for a good deal. The electrical engineer who founded the Econet Wireless Group has made his name and money on a knack for a smart move and a quick decision.

He is probably best known as a kind of African David, a CEO who fought off the Goliath of government monopoly repression to take the mobile phone revolution to Zimbabwe in 1998. Since then he has expanded into or bid for telcos in Botswana, Nigeria, Kenya, Cameroon, Malawi, Burundi and Lesotho as well as taking on ventures in the UK and New Zealand. In 2002, he was crowned one of Time’s Global Influentials - one of 15 selected in a global poll from a list of more than 100 - for his potential as well as achievements as an entrepreneur.

His career has been built on the strength of his instinct for a savvy business move. For him, the decision to establish Econet was a natural process of watching and waiting: "You have an entrepreneurial feel about something that is going to happen, and you say, well, we’ll set up a venture on the side, we’ll hire a few people, we’ll keep a closer eye on it. That’s what we did in telecommunications, and by the early nineties I could see it was going to gather some momentum. So I began to invest a little more."

For Masiyiwa, business isn’t about being a visionary, but being quick to jump at a chance. "There was nothing original in what I saw," he says. "You can’t move on a vision, you move on insight. Insight is when you see something there that others don’t."

Doing his homework

As the nascent telecoms industry began to take shape, Masiyiwa drew from every available source for ideas and business models that could add to his venture. "I just travelled," he says. "I went to fairs, I went to see manufacturers, I met players in the industry, I argued with them about where things were going, so I could get my own clear view. And that’s when I decided that this thing is going to happen."

That search provided all the tools he needed for Econet’s success - and gave him the assurance that the market was bigger than any previous expectations. "In the early nineties I argued to anyone who would listen that cellphones could go to mass communication, but even some of the industry’s best people couldn’t see it," he says.

"I heard about an Israeli company that had come up with a concept that everybody now knows as pre-pay. When I saw it, I thought, yes, that’s where the money is."

His research gave him the conviction to push all his resources, including those of his family, into Econet. "As soon as I saw where this was going, we sold out of every other business area - our family business, our construction businesses - everything - and said ‘We’re in telecommunications now’".

The entrepreneur in Masiyiwa clearly thrives on pivotal decisionmaking, though he claims it is a careful process. "I don’t consider myself rash. I spend a lot of time in prayer, thinking about it, meditating about it, and when I’m comfortable - I use an expression around here that I have to have found the peace - then I make the decision."

It’s also his instinct to enjoy the cut and thrust of business - chasing the deal and bidding in high-stakes plays. At the same time as facing down the Zimbabwean government’s telecom monopoly in the Supreme Court, he pitched for the Botswana telecoms license against four other well-prepared consortia. Against the odds, Masiyiwa won the day and Mascom, the cellular operator he founded there, has performed strongly and recorded 557,000 subscribers at the end of September 2006.

"To the surprise of many people he won the license," says Alan Boshwaen, CEO of the Botswana IFSC. "People attributed it to the fact that the man is very entrepreneurial; he spotted the opportunity. The business rolled out very quickly and is very successful, probably only limited by Botswana’s population size."

Clouds form on the horizon

With his first two markets established, in 2001 Masiyiwa stepped up into the big league with a bid for a Nigerian mobile licence. It was a bizarre three-day public auction: "We weren’t allowed any recording devices, telephones, only a TV. We couldn’t get hold of anyone." He remembers the challenge with relish: "We went all the way to US $285 million, and everyone said we were crazy. And now we have licences in Africa or Saudi Arabia changing hands for $6bn. So we were vindicated there too."

It may have been a victory, but soon it got messy. Econet didn’t have the cash to pay the $285m fee, and Nigerian investors ended up taking most of its stake. One Nigerian CEO who watched the deal closely recalls a lack of real resources to back up his claims. "Strive ran into a situation where there wasn’t enough money to invest in the business. He saw Nigeria as an opportunity to expand his position in the GSM environment and he led people knowingly or unknowingly to believe that financing was not a problem. He didn’t have a lot of money to bring to the table and he had already developed a reputation with a few other financiers who were clearly not ready to back him."

It was not only financiers - a partnership with Vodacom that rebranded the network as VMobile failed, prompting years of litigation from Masiyiwa, but his efforts to regain a stake were finally thwarted in 2006 when Celtel stepped up to the board and smoothly bought 65% of the company for a staggering $1bn. Econet, outraged, claimed it had expected to buy VMobile entirely instead, and filed more litigation to prevent the sale, but to no avail; Masiyiwa has had to stick to his 5% stake in the new Celtel Nigeria. In Kenya, and Cameroon too, rash financial promises have fallen through or deals have become mired in controversy.

With a trajectory as bumpy as this, does he ever regret the decisions he has made? "I’ve never regretted a decision. I can regret a mistake I’ve made, but I can’t regret a willful decision. If I’m comfortable that that is the right decision, with all the information in front of me -that’s ok. If it turns out that I didn’t understand something, or have the right information, or things got better or worse, I’m not going to regret that."

Path ahead

There are other threats, to Econet too, as the telecoms sector in Africa matures. The fast-paced environment is increasingly crowded with new investors, prices are high and virgin territory of the kind Masiyiwa knows is ever scarcer. Accessing finance for speedy acquisitions is crucial - could Econet lose out by alienating potential partners?

As Boshwaen says: "Telecoms is an attractive sector in Africa now, and it has drawn investors with deeper pockets and access to capital markets that have come in and taken the shine off Econet. They can come and raise funding very quickly."

Masiyiwa remains bullish about the prospects for Econet’s future, and takes a long term view of the company’s growth. "Econet is a generational project. Great businesses are not built in the generation of one man. Our vision is that we are going to be in every single African country - but it doesn’t have to happen in my lifetime."

More than this, he doesn’t see an exit from a market as a closed door. "When we walk away, it is not because we don’t like that country," he says. "But at that point in time we are not happy with the deal that’s on the table."

One can’t shake the feeling that he enjoys antagonism and controversy enough not to let it hinder his expansive vision. He’s rightly proud of his successes over the years - "only the diamond business is supposed to be bigger than Mascom in Botswana, and we started that business," - and, he says, he’s still turning down offers from other companies at least once every six months over the last two years.

The future is definitely still rosy for Masiyiwa - and he’s not at the end of his dealmaking by a long way.

BOX: FAST FACTS

About him

Born: 1961, Zimbabwe; then Southern Rhodesia
Education: high school in Scotland (UK) and a degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering (Hons) at the University of Wales (UK)
Family: wife, Tsitsi, and four daughters
Lives: Johannesburg, South Africa

About Econet

Generates revenue of more than $300m per annum
Has interests in five networks worldwide reaching a total of 8m subscribers
Is the first emerging-market operator to own a 3G license in an OECD country, through its 3G license in New Zealand

Other activities
Amongst his other business leadership achievements Strive was a member of the coordinating committee which set up the Social Dimensions Fund (SDF), an initiative to alleviate the impact of poverty arising during the implementation of economic reforms in Zimbabwe. He was also a founding member of the African Latin American Institute at Punta Del Este in Uruguay in 1994. The institute promotes cultural, educational and business linkages between Southern Africa and the Mercusior region of Latin America.
Strive has served on numerous boards and trusts both in Zimbabwe and internationally. In 1995 Strive was appointed by American President Bill Clinton to a Board Member of the Southern African Enterprise Development Fund (SAEDF) which is chaired by Ambassador Andrew Young. He is currently also a member of ThebeInvestment Corporation of South Africa, an empowerment company that was set up by the Mbabatho Trust of the ANC.
Strive has won numerous business awards and recognitions. Notable of these are the following: in 1990 he was the youngest ever recipient of Zimbabwe's coveted Businessman of the Year Award; in 1998 he was named his countries Manager of the Year as well as Entrepreneur of the Year. He was recently named by Junior Chamber International (JCI) as one of the "Ten Most Outstanding Young Persons of the World" for 1999. In 2002 he was named to Time Magazine's Global Business Influentials List. He is also known as the Bill Gates of Africa, on account of his business and entrepreneurial savvy. He is a workaholic who has bucket loads of guts and passion to achieve his goals notwithstanding anything standing in his way.
He was also the publisher of the Daily News, Zimbabwe's only independent daily newspaper, shut down by the government in late 2003 after its management refused to comply with new media regulations which required that media organisations be registered with a government commission.
http://www.africainvestor.com/article.asp?id=1757

Sifiso Dabengwa MTN CEO

2012-06-12T18:45:00.000-07:00

Sifiso Dabengwa may be the new chief executive officer and president of the MTN Group – Africa’s leading telecommunications company – but few people know much about the man behind the title. And that is exactly how Dabengwa wants it. He dislikes interviews and is unwilling to discuss anything personal. “I prefer it that way – it is easier to manage,” he explains.

He is fiercely private and finds talking about himself uncomfortable, and being photographed disconcerting. He mostly refers to himself as ‘one’ rather than ‘me’, and speaks very softly. From the short time we spent together, my sense was he would rather have stood naked in the freezing cold than answer my questions while being photographed. He must have thought a profile in WBS Journal was worthwhile...

Dabengwa, 52, was appointed to his position in December 2010 after 11 years with MTN. He hails from Zimbabwe and has a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Zimbabwe and an MBA from Wits Business School. As a youngster, he had no career aspirations, other than “to be an engineer”. And when he completed his engineering degree, he did a couple of years as a trainee on British Rail. After that, he went to work on Zimbabwe Railways, before joining a consulting engineering firm based in Pretoria, where he worked on projects in Botswana, Swaziland and the former Bophuthatswana.

“In 1990, I decided I needed to do an MBA, so I gave up working to do it full time,” he says. He chose to do it at WBS because “it made sense for family reasons”. He insists that doing his MBA was “very demanding but not that difficult, because if you are willing to meet the demands, nothing is impossible”. Was it life-changing, though? “In the sense that it was unique, because it created new opportunities for changing my career.” It was while on this course he met a man who became – and remains – his best friend.

Professor Joel Stern lecturing on corporate finance stood out for Dabengwa because, he says, “what we talked about then, I deal with now in terms of business performance, mergers and acquisitions, among other things”. But the person who influenced him the most was Nick Binedell, then director of WBS. “We have a great
relationship and I still work with him.”

Dabengwa believes education is fundamental to anyone’s career and life. “It is a crucial building block in one’s life,” he says. He joined Eskom on completing his MBA and left the parastatal as executive director of distribution to join MTN in 1999 as managing director of South African operations. He finds the telecommunication industry fascinating.

“This is a capital-intensive, technology-based business mixed with retail, and one has to manage across the two, which is quite unusual,” he says. “This industry is
young and has a lot of opportunities and challenges, from a penetration of mobile telephony perspective to being highly technological and continuously changing. It is an integral part of facilitating the Internet today... It certainly keeps one on one’s toes.”

As this is his first year leading this massive telecoms company, he is clear: “The role of leadership is fundamentally to deliver results, and it is how you get to that, that counts.” He also acknowledges that he needs to surround himself with quality leaders, dispersed through the business. When asked if he plans to make changes, he smiles for the first time during the interview and says: “Yes, of course, otherwise why get the job?”

Dabengwa explains this by using an analogy. “If we both look at a teapot, we see different things. So it is when running a company. It is important for a company to be refreshed with new leadership and management to see things differently and make necessary changes.”

While he was not willing to divulge what changes he intends making, he says: “There are always things that need changing, and the important thing is to focus on priorities. One needs to set priorities and strategic objectives and execute them. If one make mistakes, it is essential to recognise it and take corrective action.”
He explains that he inherited his leadership team but as he implements new strategies, he will make both structural and staff changes. “For example, developing
infrastructure was important until now, so people with those skills were essential, but it is not so important any more. Instead, people with skills around the Internet
are.”

While Dabengwa’s workday might start at 7.30am and end at 6.30pm when he leaves the office, he never stops working. “It can’t be switched off. When one goes home, that is when one does one’s work-related reading and preparation for the next day.” When he has time out, he says, he mostly reads... business books and articles. At least 50% of his time, Dabengwa is travelling and working at MTN offices in other countries.

He has clearly reached a pinnacle in his career – I mean, where does one go after running this international giant? “Retirement,” he says almost in a whisper, before smiling broadly and admitting that, at 52, with his propensity for work, he was unlikely to do that anytime soon. “There is always a lot one can do, whether it is within or outside the company,” he says. “One sees a situation and you do what you can, carrying on for as long as you are capable.”

As for a 10-year plan, he says: “I have a number of ideas but nothing fixed. Right now, I am concentrating 100% on what I am doing.” As a role model, his advice to youngsters wanting to go into business is to make their starting point a quality education. “Strive to get into a good institution. The key issue is the quality of the people teaching you. They must be able to provide you with much more than just the tools to pass your exams. They need to be able to provide you with the tools that give you a better chance for a successful career.”

Dabengwa believes it is essential to get any good degree with a numeric component. This, he says, gives you the basics and discipline of working to deadlines and being graded. “A person at 18 or 19 does not know what they want to do, so they need to get that degree and some work experience and then they will find out what they want. “They also need to be committed to what they are doing, and prepared to work really hard. Like in sport, in the past, it might have been possible to get away with practising three days a week but, today, you can’t take time off because the standards keep getting higher. So, to do well, you need to put in the hours. There is no room for being average – it won’t get you anywhere.”

Dabengwa uses sport analogies to illustrate his business beliefs, and admits to being a sports lover. “I always play sport – squash, tennis and soccer – but not
seriously. I am a believer in keeping fit and maintaining a lifestyle that includes fitness.” In his criteria for hiring, he comes back to sport. “If a football player has not scored goals in years, would you hire him to score goals for you? Then you need to decide whether, culturally, they will fit into the environment and the team. Will they work the way the team works and find the opportunities in this environment? At the end of the day, it is a judgement call. If one makes a mistake, it is
soon evident and one needs to correct it quickly.”

And much like the person hired to score the goals, the continent is watching to see Dabengwa’s skills and abilities on this telecommunications sports field.

Sifiso Dabengwa is group CEO of MTN and serves as the company's vice-president of the South and East Africa region. He previously served as CEO of the Nigerian business, where he is now director, after a stint as MD of MTN SA.

Before joining the telecom company in 1999, Dabengwa headed Eskom's distribution division, where he controlled a multibillion-rand budget in a division employing 17 000 people and generating revenues of more than R20bn/year.

Dabengwa is the former chairman of the Dawn Suite Hotel Group. He previously served on the boards of Peermont Global and Impala Platinum Holdings.

Dabengwa is an electrical engineer by training. He obtained his junior degree in engineering from the University of Zimbabwe, and has a Wits MBA.
http://www.wbsjournal.co.za/profiles/people-profiles/78-mtns-top-scorer.html
http://www.mtn.com/AboutMTNGroup/Leadership/BoardOfDirectors/

Philip Chiyangwa Zimbabwe Businessman

2012-06-11T18:42:00.000-07:00

PHILIP CHIYANGWA (PHILLIP CHIYANGWA) is one of the most known Zimbabwean black businessmen to emerge in independent Zimbabwe, who features prominently in Africa's Richest Black People List. His meteoric rise from a barefoot and spike haired vegetable vendor in the dusty streets of Hartley (now Chegutu) in Rhodesia to a flamboyant businessman, property developer and politician in Zimbabwe has never been understood by many, who have more often than not, claimed that his wealth is ill-gotten. Daring and unshaken in his spirited quest to get richer and richer, Mr Chiyangwa — who says he has a PhD in Common Sense — has courted controversy on his road to riches. ISDORE GUVAMOMBE (IG) talks to Mr Chiyangwa (PHILLIP CHIYANGWA) about his upbringing, Business Empire, wealth and the future.

IG: Who is Philip Chiyangwa?

PHILLIP CHIYANGWA: I am a businessman, who has gone through a long way. I did not get my wealth yesterday. I got it through years of hard work, investment, reinvestment and strategic planning.

I am Christian but I must say these things are not manna from heaven. Where others see disasters and problems, I see opportunities. Even when I diversify, I remain focused. My mother Marita taught me to be astute and to be an entrepreneur from pamusika, the vegetable market. She taught me to buy and sell and my father taught me to cast visions and to stay focused. That is me.

IG: People say you are a crook . . .
PHILLIP CHIYANGWA: No, no, no! They are mad. If I stole a cent from anyone or anyone’s mother, grandmother or so, they should come and claim it. Kana ndakabira mai vemunhu kana tete kana mbuya vake ngavauye vatore because I now have the money, I have the money! My money is clean. When people are spiting me or sleeping, I am thinking hard and strategising to make more money. I have a doctorate in common sense, where academics and professional end, is where I start.
IG: HOW did you make your money?

PHILLIP CHIYANGWA: There is no magic in making money. You must characterise money as your friend. As blacks we have over the years believed that no one makes clean money. There is no magic in making money. They think money is difficult to make and that money is for those who have it already and that is wrong. If you have a problem with money it’s you because as for me, I have the money and I don’t have a problem with money.

In many homes people fight over small money and how then do they expect money to visit them when they fight over small money? If you value money and you wish to create and accumulate wealth, you must be able to sacrifice and do things to make it happen. All my investments are in Zimbabwe not outside Zimbabwe. I can export but I remain in Zimbabwe.

Phillip CHiyangwa's Rolls Royce

IG: That is a bit philosophical. Anyway, where did you grow up and how?

PHILLIP CHIYANGWA: I was born in what is now Chegutu. You know there is no tarred road in those locations? I grew up in the dust. I was born in a family of 14, same mother, same father and I was number seven, now I am number one. All those senior to me died. My mother was a vendor, a vegetable vendor and she was the first to teach me to buy and sell, which is what I do to make money up to today.

What differs is the scale. My mother sold vegetables, I sell stands and properties. I buy companies and sell, when it becomes necessary. My father was a restrictee, a political detainee in Whawha and Gonakudzingwa. He was in and out of detention for politics.

I went to school with old people, in Grade three, you would get someone 15 years old and in grade six or seven you would get someone 20 years old. You needed to be clever and it made me clever. In between school I was a vendor helping my mother.
IG: That famous story about your scramble with bigger boys to get to the top of the rural bus and grab vegetables . . .

PHILLIP CHIYANGWA: Ah, that story. Okay, as vendors we would get our vegetables from buses, Dikita, Matambanadzo and Masiyandaita, that came from rural farming areas like Musengezi.

Each time a bus arrived, there was pushing, shoving and jostling among vendors to grab the vegetables first. I was too small and young but I would run for my mother.

The other boys were big and strong so it was a struggle for me to get the vegetables from the bus career for my mother.

One day, I cycled to a place 15 km away and parked by the bus stop and when the buses arrived I paid for all the vegetables and when the buses got to Chegutu, the other vendors were told that they had all been bought by me. I was a rendezvous buyer.

This is how my mother became a wholesaler of vegetables and all vendors would get vegetables from her. It became a norm. This is how my mother managed to send all of us to school, as a vegetable wholesaler.

IG: After school did you ever work for anyone?

PHILLIP CHIYANGWA: Yes, my first job was working as a garden boy for an elderly Portuguese family that had abandoned Mozambique when Samora Machel took over power.

I was later to learn that those are the people who blocked sewer and water pipes in protest of black rule in Mozambique.

Between running their errands and tending their flowers and hedge, I would dream of getting rich.

I would think of having my children growing the same way like I did. Like I said, my father was a restrictee. My situation did not make me despair, it hardened me and made me more ambitious. My poverty inspired me. I always dreamt of getting rich. I knew my situation would change for the better.

IG: How did you leave?

PHILLIP CHIYANGWA: Cutting hedge as usual, the milky liquid accidentally got into my eyes and the old lady would not understand seeing me rinsing my eyes with water at the tap continuously.

She was enraged and shouted at me so I ran to my mother who took me to the shops and bought milk. She cleaned my eyes with the milk. I never went back.
IG: People say you are not educated, how far did you go?

PHILLIP CHIYANGWA: I am educated. I attended Universal College in Highfield and did bookkeeping, elementary, intermediate and advanced certificates. I did typing too. That was in 1976. In 1977, I did Accounting Machines (NCR and Burroughs) at Commercial Cotcers College, now Zedco; ask the old folk what it means.

It was a special course. I then went to work at York House in Bulawayo, now owned by Mines Minister Cde Obert Mpofu. While there I did an advanced diploma in accounting.

I left in 1980 to join Dunlop Zimbabwe as an Industrial Engineering, Assisted and Work Study Trainee. I learnt the whole process of making a tyre. That time my elder brother, the late David popularly known as Mr Bulk, was working at Chitungwiza Council as a debt collector and he pressurised me to relocate to Harare.

I made seven applications for jobs in Harare and was finally called by Willovale and I shocked them in that interview, where I finished answering questions in a record 15 minutes of the stipulated 30 and I got 100 percent. I was later to move to Van Leah together with Tichafa Ndoro, who is still Managing Director there and that is where I first met Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono, way back in 1982. So all those people who say things about me and Gono don’t know what they are saying, man. I have known him since that time, not yesterday.

IG: When exactly did you go into your own business?

PHILLIP CHIYANGWA: When I left Willowvale for Van Leah, my brother David, had left Chitungwiza Council and was buying and selling cars. I used to market cars for him from my office. I then decided to do my own thing and left.

IG: What did you go into as your first business?

PHILLIP CHIYANGWA: I formed Phids Electric Sounds, a disco that became very popular in Chitungwiza, Musami and St Ignatius and massive promotional work. I managed Hosea Chipanga, the Erosion Band and others. I dominated boxing promotion and wrestling. I managed the African Boxing Champion, Proud Kilimanjaro Chinembiri, Gilbert Josamu, Ambrose Mlilo, and Langton Tinago. I accompanied Kilimanjaro on his fight with Lennox Lewis, which was a fluke. I also did accounting books for many black business people who had shops. I felt I should be a businessman.

IG: Is this when you formed CIA?

PHILLIP CHIYANGWA: Yes, its actual name is Commercial Industrial Agency. We supplied stationary and furniture to rural schools and institutions and by 1984, I had started manufacturing my own furniture and selling it. My business then grew with the economy. Business was not difficult; there were opportunities for all enterprising young Zimbabweans.

In the 1990s, I became the first black to own a Betting Licence and the whites were after me. They wanted no black person in that industry. I was minting money; I had 43 branches throughout the country and employed more than 183 people.

IG: What did they do to you?

PHILLIP CHIYANGWA: Mashonaland and Matabeleland Turf Clubs were after me, man. They were white-dominated and there were an enclave of classic white racists, diabolic and protective of their interests. They spent three years fighting me. Suddenly, I was fighting all white people because I had gotten deep into their enclave.

I touched their raw nerve and white law firms came after me big time. Some blacks are apologetic to the whites because they don’t know these people. Most of them are coconuts for the whites to crush and eat. For whites to respect you, you must know that you are black, good and equal and as hungry for money as them.

IG: What can you tell us about Affirmative Action Group?

PHILLIP CHIYANGWA: I had enough reason to enter and fight agriculture, the white man’s nerve centre after my ordeal with the turf clubs. The only way was black empowerment and this is how we mooted AAG with the late Peter Pamire. I attacked them where it hurts most and founded AAG, 17 years ago. AAG has done extremely well for black Zimbabweans. It was the entrance of blacks into the private sector.

I am also a strategist.

IG: How did you leave politics, was it your involvement in the so-called Tsholotsho debacle?

PHILLIP CHIYANGWA: After MDC got into Parliament through the backdoor by taking advantage of the relaxation and infighting within Zanu-PF, the internal struggles took their toll on a lot of us. Some ended up cooking stories about me. I was caught up in that. Some said I was leading the Tsholotsho team. That led to my unfortunate exit from politics. I had to come to terms with the machinations of politics and I forgive those small-minded people who created the story for me.

IG: How have you received the Inclusive Government?

PHILLIP CHIYANGWA: After the formation of the inclusive Government I have been able to analyse the total ineptitude in dealing with the MDC-T. Tsvangirai has a collection of touts, bad apples, people who have failed in life yet to be in Zanu PF one has to have a distinction of competitive edge. Criminal perverts and excretes collected into MDC and Tsvangirai buries himself into the pus.

It is common cause that the Prime Minister is not among the most learned and he talks about me while addressing Harare councillors, without getting the facts right. I have more money anybody has ever come across and he said I was a crook. No one who has associated with Tsvangirai has ever made money like me. I challenge them.

IG: That brings us to your land deal with Harare City Council. What really happened?

PHILLIP CHIYANGWA: This was an unfortunate incident that was cooked up and made believable for the people of Zimbabwe. I wonder if the MDC-T can govern.

An incompetent assembly of people, who had absolutely no idea of law, facts of the deal gathered and decided to deal with Chiyangwa of Zanu-PF.

Firstly, the council was broke and I gave them money for salaries, US$7,1 million and they gave me land but as usual, this is a sign of the poverty in MDC-T. Tsvangirai brought into councils a baggage of corrupt councillors. We are now locked up with this kind of councillors, bereft of ideas and procedure. They sat and discussed my issue without getting in touch or inviting those who crafted the deal. It was a land swoop deal and they still owe me a lot of land, ask Tendai Mahachi the town clerk. I gave them 22 ha of land and they gave me 17 ha. Stupidity took over reasoning. If they owe me a public apology and if they pay little money I will forgive them. I have an affidavit from Mahachi on the deal.

IG: What positions to you currently hold?

PHILLIP CHIYANGWA: I am the president of the Construction Industry Federation of Zimbabwe, Vice president of the Zimbabwe Construction Industry Council which incorporates Zimbabwe Institute of Engineers, Zimbabwe Building Contractors Association, Institute of Architects of Zimbabwe and Real Estates Institute of Zimbabwe, among others. There are seven of them. Of course I am the founder and chairman of Native Investments Africa Group.

IG: In your life, which incident do you regret most?

PHILLIP CHIYANGWA: When I lost my daughter. She was my first child and she drowned in a swimming pool together with my friend’s daughter at Jameson High School in Kadoma. Apparently, I had influenced my friend Isaiah Chabveka to send his daughter to the same school with mine. Both girls drowned. It was very sad. It was a double tragedy.

IG: What is the future of your business empire?

PHILLIP CHIYANGWA: The future is to diversify; there are a lot of foreigners coming for our diamonds and other minerals. We need to look into that area. The housing project is being reviewed so that we provide cheaper stands at around $25 per month for 30 years. The poor must have access to decent accommodation. This is what we want.

I am a trendsetter, I want to take advantage of the situation and look at econometrics. I want to write my autobiography, I want to release two books on how to make money.

They are coming onto the market soon. I think it is easy to make money; there is nothing scientific about making money. I have a doctorate in common sense; I start where academics and professionals end.

Zimbabwe’s Denzel Washington: Philip Chiyangwa and his acting career

Flamboyant businessman Philip Chiyangwa is never short of surprises. Following his debut appearance in "The Gentleman", it appears the overtly flashy businessman now wants to spread his tentacles into showbiz full time. Arts and Entertainment Editor Ruth Butaumocho(RB) caught up with Chiyangwa (PHILLIP CHIYANGWA) to speak about his life, business interests and political future and, of course, his recent new baby - showbiz.

RB: In the last few years, you have been unusually quiet; can you tell us what you have been up to?
PHILLIP CHIYANGWA: I have been refocusing my whole life and paying attention to family, given that I am now a grandfather and needed to get closer to God as well.

RB: Following the dollarisation of the economy, there have been a lot of fundamental challenges in the economy, where a lot of people are actually saying life is much more difficult now in the era of the US dollar than when people where using the local currency.
Putting it in the layman's terms, some people are saying it has been difficult for many to lay their hands on the dollar. How have you managed to stay afloat?
PHILLIP CHIYANGWA: Financial challenges should not be mental challenges, it is indeed a time to build true value and extend the same given the prevailing sanctions mode which has given rise to serious innovations which I am champion.
The situation bedevilling Zimbabwe requires constant innovation but thanks to the same, we are not victims of the economic contagion which naturally comes with full economic engagement, a case in point is that of the eurozone crisis.
By the grace of God, sanctions have saved us from carrying other people's problems like what most countries are doing.

RB: You are a renowned businessman, who is into property, car hiring and a host of other things. You recently revealed that you now want to get involved in showbiz. What inspired you to venture into the arts?
PHILLIP CHIYANGWA: I am a product of the arts and culture industry, in fact business is showbiz, the difference is in how it's presented and perceived, sitting where I am, Oliver Mtukudzi, Sulumani Chimbetu are as good as Denzel Washington, Chris Brown and Philip Chiyangwa. We are all brands in business.
Arts is a platform to shine, transform and space for mass interaction and transaction.

RB: I believe that it was in the locally produced movie, "The Gentleman" that you made a debut in film production. What has been the response from the public, especially those who had an opportunity to watch the film?
PHILLIP CHIYANGWA: The response is overwhelming and humbling. As you know I featured briefly but had an impact role that gave appetite to fully explore more opportunities.

RB: You recently announced that you will appearing in yet another movie, "Mr Roger's Big Score", which can best be described as the sequel to "The Gentleman", can you tell us more about your role and how far you have gone with production?
PHILLIP CHIYANGWA: I am the real "Denzel Washington" not "Ticky" and this is destined for an Oscar nomination cast out in Zimbabwe and South Africa, it's to show you an action-packed, true-crime movie.
We will be on location dependent on weather this festive season period, but that should not be a problem since Zimbabwe boasts the best climate in the world.

RB: Still on that issue, how much money have you sunk into the production of the film?
PHILLIP CHIYANGWA: We have and are still seeking enough resources to ensure that quality and storyline is world class - you know if you want to be "Denzel" do it the Denzel way, no expenses should be spared. Hazvidi zvechinzara nzara!

RB: But Comrade, those in the know will attest that the arts industry in Zimbabwe does not pay. It surely boggles my mind, why a businessman of repute like you would want to spend hours, reading a script and hours in front of rolling cameras, at a time you should be making money and attending to important deals?

PHILLIP CHIYANGWA: Value is what you bring to the table. The fact that I am doing this should be enough affirmation that it is something worthwhile and valuable.
Inga munondiziva handiite magame ecent cent. Leadership is about overcoming fear, in other words, fearless people are true leaders, and this is exactly what I am trying to do.
A good name is better than riches, going by your doubts, I will go into my mansion and be chauffeur-driven in my Rolls Royce.
Meanwhile drive past many who have nothing and continue to acquire serious education which thus without those who take the lead see lives wasted and do not create opportunity, which if not created can lead to destruction of living standards (the destruction of my property, because of anger which is driven by mere denial of access to the same people)
You know as I do that, the arts industry has many graduates who partake media studies, film production, theatre and so forth.
These people now need a serious and viable platform to express the talents like what has happened in India (Bollywood), USA (Hollywood), in Zimbabwe we have to have our own identity. Success means different things to different people, in this instance my success is through creating access for others, in fact true and sustainable prosperity should be a rising tide that lifts all Boats.
Kana tasumuka, ngatisimuke tese !

RB: There are also schools of thought, which are saying that your involvement in the arts sector is a way of boosting your political career following your re-admittance into Zanu-PF a few weeks ago. What is your take on that one?
PHILLIP CHIYANGWA: My political career needs no boost, when I should run for any office, it will be the spirit of national service in giving back to a country that has given me so much more. Remember, I successfully ran for public office as MP for Chinhoyi in 2000 without being "Denzel".

RB: Zimbabwean arts industry is heavily under-funded, and the few organisations that are still up and running are doing so with international donor funding.
Artistes continue to live as paupers and yet they would have made their name in the arts industry. What do you think is the long-term solution to the problem of funding in the arts sector?
PHILLIP CHIYANGWA: The long-term solution is to turn arts into a formidable industry of repute and take its players notches up, no wonder ndavamo.

RB: Your involvement in the arts industry in addition to your already existing portfolios (businessman, politician, leader in the indigenisation drive), presents a complicated situation to a lot of people out there Comrade. What would you want to be known for?
PHILLIP CHIYANGWA: I would want to be known as a person who lived well in understanding of bringing total commitment to everything that God and good fortune have brought my way.

RB: At the beginning of this year, you publicly announced that you would be buying a private jet, when are we expecting to see the new baby?
PHILLIP CHIYANGWA: I bought one in 1998, a twin-engine 10-seater Cessna, sold it in 2003. In 2011, the Zimbabwean skies are very clear at the moment, the first sight you have of a new bigger jet will be "Tsivo".

RB: People are wondering what happened to your life of bling, nice cars, nice clothes, nice houses and beautiful women??????
PHILLIP CHIYANGWA: God has blessed me with all spiritual blessings and has given me dominion over earthly issues, I am still reigning in life and wisdom.

Inside Philip Chiyangwa Private Jet

BELOW is the full list of Phillip Chiyangwa’s properties, businesses and other investments according to a divorce petition filed by his wife, Elizabeth, at the High Court in Harare. LIST OF SUBSTANTIAL MOVEABLE ASSETS AS KNOWN TO WIFE BELOW is the full list of Phillip Chiyangwa’s properties, businesses and other investments according to a divorce petition filed by his wife, Elizabeth, at the High Court in Harare.

LIST OF SUBSTANTIAL MOVEABLE ASSETS AS KNOWN TO WIFE

1. Chrysler Cross Fire motor vehicle valued at approximately $50,000

2. Range Rover Vogue motor vehicle valued at approximately $60,000

3. A Jeep motor vehicle valued at approximately $120,000

4. Chrysler Sebrin motor vehicle valued at approximately $60,000

5. Ford Ranger motor vehicle valued at approximately $70,000

6. Mercedes GL6 motor vehicle valued at approximately $300,000

7. A Bentley motor vehicle valued at approximately $350,000

8. A Rolls Royce Phantom motor vehicle valued at approximately $475,000

9. A fleet of Mercedes.

10. Substantial household goods and effects valued approximately $200,000

LIST OF COMPANIES IN WHICH HE HAS MAJOR SHAREHOLDING

1. Linchen Dale Village (Pvt) Ltd

2. Padley Investments (Pvt) Ltd

3. Magnet Metal & MFRS (Pvt) Ltd

4. Native Investments Africa Group (Pvt) Ltd

5. Pinnacle Property Holdings (Pvt) Ltd

6. Rectitude Investments (Pvt) Ltd

7. Rural & Urban Investments (Pvt) Ltd

8. Total Communications (Pvt) Ltd

9. Tainbos Investments (Pvt) Ltd

10. Phillip Chiyangwa Family Trust (Pvt) Ltd

11. Bovine Hides & Sign Procurement @ Export (Pvt) Ltd

12. Sensene Investments (Pvt) Ltd

13. Dispark Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd

14. Raulgrade Investments (Pvt) Ltd

15. Kiliman Investments (Pvt) Ltd

16. Brighthouse Investments (Pvt) Ltd

17. Kenwood Investments (Pvt) Ltd

18. Gabroc Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd

19. Jetmaster (Pvt) Ltd

20. Ripley (Pvt) Ltd

21. G.A. Investments (Pvt) Ltd

22. Shawdene (Pvt) Ltd

23. Ukubambana-Kubatana Investments (Pvt) Ltd

24. Building Suppliers (Pvt) Ltd

25. Stoneridge Estate

26. Pledgwick (Pvt) Ltd

27. Clear Horizon Creations (Pvt) Ltd

28. Halgor Estates (Pvt) Ltd

29. Finwood Investments (Pvt) Ltd

30. Value Quest Investments (Pvt) Ltd

31. Carey Farm (Pvt) Ltd

32. Ndarama Assets Management (Pvt) Ltd

33. Silkwood Engineering (Pvt) Ltd

34. Worldwide Investments (Pvt) Ltd

35. Ecofin Asset Management (Pvt) Ltd

36. Smasvalve Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd

37. Kufela Investments (Pvt) Ltd

38. Critall Hope Limited (Pvt) Ltd

39. Glory Car Hire (Pvt) Ltd

STANDS, FARMS ETC

________________________________________ Advertisement ________________________________________

1. Stand 422 Quinnington Township of Lot AD Quinnington measuring 4128 square metres, Salisbury DT 8683/97, DT 7155/2002.

2. Stand 707 being remainder of Subdivision C of the Grange measuring 60, 6869 hectares held under DT8322/2005.3. Stand 2453 Hatfield Township of Subdivision D of Subdivision B of Hatfield held under DT2686/2009 dated 22 May 2009.

3. Property held under DT 1001/2007.

4. Remainder of Stoneridge in Salisbury measuring 586, 7149 hectares held under DT 5428/2001.

5. Lot 1 of stand 223 of Quinnington township of Lot 1A Quinnington measuring 1, 6239 hectares held under DT 5929/1971, DT 3840/1988, DT 5418/2005 dated 23 June 2005.

6. Stand 19682 Harare Township of Stand 19675 Harare Township measuring 6, 1884 hectares held under DT 2037/59 dated 16 April 1959, DT 2688/09 dated 22 May 2009 and DT 5128/09.

7. Lot 1 of Lot 16A of Reitfontein measuring 4164 square metres held under DT 216/2013, DT 1614/58 and DT 1862/87 dated 26 March 1987.

8. Stand 65 Colne Valley Township 5 of Lot 7A Colne Valey measuring 7,5956 hectares held under DT 2037/59 and DT 2888/2009.

9. Stand 19682 Harare Township of Stand 19675 Harare Township measuring 6, 1884 hectares held under DT 2685/2009.

10. Stand 3789 Salisbury Township of stand 4450 Salisbury measuring 9959 square metres held under DT2685/2009.

11. Lot 3 of Delnadamph Estate measuring 5, 105 square metres held under DT 2683/09.

12. Stand 2453 Hatfield Township of Subdivision D of Hatfield measuring 2, 2876 hectares held under DT 2686/2009.

13. Stand 389 Derbyshire Township of Subdivision E of Derbyshire measuring 25, 8304 hectares held under DT8209/99.

14. Lot AD Quinnington measuring 5, 4867 hectares.

15. Stand 426 Quinnington Township of Lot AD Quinnington measuring 4002 square metres held under DT3532/56, DT 2770/83 and DT 8687/97.

16. Stand 402 Quinnington Township of Lot AD Quinnington held under DT 3499/93, DT 2770/83 and DT 750/2002.

17. Stand 3701 Salisbury Township of stand 4450 Salisbury measuring 1190 square metres held under DT 3455/48 and DT 5525/2007.

18. Property known as 26 Fleetwood Road, Alexandra Park.

19. Stand 120 Quinnington Township of Subdivision K of Quinnington of Borrowdale Estate measuring 86223 square metres held under DT3248/48, DT 785/56 and DT 7831/87.

20. Stand 121 Quinnington Township of subdivision K of Quinnington Township of Borrowdale Estate measuring 8135 square metres held under DT 3248/48, DT 3993/78 and DT 6855/85.

21. Stand 311 Quinnington township of lot 1A Quinnington measuring 23632 hectares held under DT 5285/73, DT 5897/85 and DT 2658/2002.

22. Subdivision 1 of Wilbered in Zvimba District of Mashonaland West Province measuring 1331.20 hectares.

23. Remainder of Stoneridge measuring 586, 7149 hectares held under DT1465/75 and DT5428/01.

24. Subdivision A of Subdivision A of Stoneridge measuring 13, 4188 hectares held under DT 25369/30, DT 1465/75 nad DT 5428/01.

25. Subdivision A of Odar measuring 8, 2283 hectares held under DT 25703/30, DT 1465/75 and DT 5428/01.

26. Subdivision 1 OF Sinoia Citrus in Makonde District of Mashonaland West Province measuring 3477 hectares.

27. Lot 1 of Lot 1 of Fern Rock Block C of Hatfield Estate measuring 40952 sqm held under DT 391/58 and DT 392/58.

28. Stand 532 Derbyshire Township of Shortson measuring 7 544 square metres

29. Piece of land in Salisbury Shortson measuring 72 3652 hectares held under DT 2685/94 and DT 6238/2004.

30. Property in Chinhoyi held under DT 1674/63

31. Sinoia Drift Farm, Chinhoyi measuring 901, 05 hectares held under DT 5709/85.

32. Sangwe farm, Chinhoyi measuring 845,67 hectares held under DT109/29.

33. Olympus farm, Chinhoyi measuring 2812,86 hectares.

34. Old citrus farm, Chinhoyi measuring 1416, 124 hectares held under DT 1674/63

35. Strathcona farm, Chinhoyi measuring 1416,124 hectares held under DT 3924/94.

36. North Umzari farm Chinhoyi measuring 600, 217 hectares.

37. Remainder of subdivision A of Stoneridge measuring 589,5874 hectares held under DT 1567/46, DT 3634/03, DT 5021/07 and DT 5631/07.

38. Remainder of subdivision A of Stoneridge measuring 586,8960 hectares held under DT 5021/07 in favour of Pinnacle Holdings (Pvt)Ltd.

39. Lot 11 of Lot AB Quinnington measuring 8902 square metres held under DT4011/2002

40. Lot 1 of stand 223 of Quinnington township of Lot 1A Quinnington measuring 1, 6239 hectares held under DT 5418/05 and DT 1247/12.

41. Property held under DT 5021/2007.

42. Remainder of Thornicroft park of Galway Estate measuring 17, 3104 hectares held under DT1965/45, DT 1540/2010, DT 1539/10 and DT 2193/86.

43. Stand 424 Quinnington township of Lot AD Quinnington measuring 4002 square metres held under DT 8685/97 and DT 7158/2002.

44. Property otherwise known as No. 11 Crowhill Road, Borrowdale.

45. Stand 420 Quinnington of Lot AD measuring 4003 square metres held under DT 8681/97 and DT 7153/2002.

46. Stand 419 Quinnington of Lot AD measuring 4002 square metres held under DT 8680/97 and DT 7152/02.

47. Stand 427 Quinnington of Lot AD measuring 4002 square metres held under DT 8688/97 and DT 7161/02.

48. Stand 421 Quinnington of Lot AD measuring 5281 square metres held under DT8682/97 and DT 7154/02.

49. Stand 418 Quinnington measuring 4056 square metres held under DT 8679/97 and DT 7151/02.

50. Stand 423 Quinnington measuring 5933 square metres held under DT 8684/97 and DT 7157/02.

51. Stand 425 Quinnington measuring 4002 square metres held under DT 8686/97 and DT 7159/02.

52. Stand 426 Quinnington measuring 4002 square metres held under DT 2770/83, 8687/97 and DT 7160/02.

53. Stand 422 Quinnington measuring 4128 square metres held under DT 8683/97 and DT 7155/02.

54. Stand 428 Quinnington measuring 4048 square metres held under DT 8689/97 and DT 7156/02.

55. STAND 3052 Bluffhill Township of Lot 13 of Bluffhill measuring 3, 7919 hectares held under DT4940/2006.

56. Remainder of Lot H Borrowdale Estates situated in the district of Salisbury held under DT2844/90.

57. Remainder of stand 24 of Lot C of Borrowdale Estate measuring 1, 0959 hectares held under DT 11252/2003.

58. Remainder of Lot 1 of stand 24 of lot C Borrowdale estate measuring 4067 square metres held under DT 3212/2003.

59. Properties under Brighthouse Investment P/L.

60. Stand 3523 Chinhoyi Township measuring 850 square metres in district Lomagundi held under DT 6952/2006.

61. Stand 418 Quinnington measuring 4056 square metres held under DT 8679/97 and DT 8656/05.

62. Property held under DT3840/1988.

63. Property held under DT 5418/2005.

64. Stand 7753 Salisbury Township of stand 4839 Salisbury Township measuring 2, 1194 hectares held under DT 9423/2000 and DT 1771/2003, Phillip Chiyangwa Trust.

65. Stand 625 Mandara Township 16 of Lot 7A Mandara measuring 6, 6867 hectares held under DT 1592/75 and DT 3432/2009. Pinnacle Property P/L.

66. Stand 2453 Hatfield Township of Subdivision B of Hatfield held under DT 2686/2009 and DT 2688/2009.

67. Stand 19682 Harare Township of stand 19675 measuring 6, 1184 hectares held under DT 2614/2009.

68. Stand 3789 Salisbury Township of stand 4450 Salisbury measuring 9959 square metres held under DT 2685/09.

69. Remainder of Lot 3 of Delnadamph Estate measuring 5105 square metres held under DT2683/2009.

70. Stand 65 Colne Valley Township 5 of Lot 7A Colne Valley measuring 7, 5956 hectares held under DT 2037/59.

71. STAND 19682 Harare Township of stand 19675 Harare Township measuring 6, 1884 hectares held under DT2614/2009.

72. Stand 3789 Salisbury township of stand 4450 Salisbury township measuring 9959 square metres held under DT 2685/2009.

73. Remainder of Lot 3 Delmadamph estate measuring 5105 square metres held under DT 2683/2009.

74. Stand 2453 Hatfield Township of subdivision b Hatfield measuring 2, 2876 hectares held under DT 2686/2009.

75. STAND 389 Derbyshire township of subdivision E of Derbyshire measuring 25 8304 hectares held under DT 8209/99.

76. Property held under DT 2888/2009.

77. Property held under DT 2688/2009.

78. Stand No. 7753 Salisbury Township of portion of stand 4839 Salisbury Township of Salisbury Township Lands held under DT 2246/47 and DT 9423/2000.

79. Lot 57 of Meyrick Park of Mabelreign in Salisbury measuring 1, 0553 hectares held under DT 2460/96 and DT 8442/90.

80. Stand 3507-3544 Chinhoyi township of Chinhoyi being residential Park medium density housing development of 38 units residential stands measuring 6, 0505 hectares valued at $675,000.00 as at 31 May 2008.

81. Lot 11 of Bluffhill, corner Northolt Drive and Lavenham Drive , East Bluffhill. A cluster of 120 units of residential stands with water supply and sewer connected and borehole drilled measuring 1, 0065 hectares and valued at $5,940 000.00 as at 31 May 2008.

82. Stand 3051 of Bluffhill, corner Northolt Drive and Lavenham Drive East Bluffhill being a cluster development of 57 units with water and sewer connected and borehole drilled measuring 1, 7385 hectares valued at $10,260 000.00 as at 31 May 2008.

83. Stand 3052 of Bluffhill, corner Northolt Drive and Lavenham Drive East Bluffhill being a primary school built on a stand measuring 3, 7919 hectares and valued at $6 300 000.00 as at 31 May 2008.

84. Remainder of Lot 13 Bluffhill, Corner Northolt drive and Lavenham Drive East, Bluffhill being a secondary school with 23 cluster houses and 36 Duplex Flats built on a stand measuring 7, 5291 hectares and valued at $19 300 000.00 as at 31 May 2008.

85. Stand 3341 Kadoma Township (stand 2620-3340 Blue Ranges) Kadoma being a residential development with 693 stands/units measuring 20,7900 hectares and valued at $1 600 000.00 as at 31 May 2008.

86. Stand 1-504 Eyecourt Township of Nyarungu estate being a development with a shopping centre, hotel/motel, and industrial stands measuring 46, 1270 hectares valued at $7 320 000.00 as at 31 May 2008.

87. Stand 389 of Derbyshire Township being a development with a shopping centre and industrial site measuring 7,2287 hectares valued at $1 210 000.00 as at 31 May 2008.

88. Stand 19345 harare township beong a development with residential stands measuring 10, 000 hectares and valued at $5 000 000.00 as at 31 May 2008.

89. Stand 913 Mandara Township being a cluster development of 26 units measuring 3, 1634 hectares valued at $7 840 000.00 as at 31 May 2008.

90. Subdivision C of The Grange (stands 566-712 the Grange Township) off Beeston avenue, a development with a five star hotel, 496 cluster homestead properties and 43 low density residential stands in total measuring 307, 957 hectares and valued at $12 010 000.00 as at 31 May 2008.

91. The remainder of Stoneridge a mixed use development with a shopping centre, institutions and residential developments measuring 586,7145 hectares and valued at $36 150 000.00 as at 31 May 2008.

92. Subdivision A of Stoneridge an agric-residental development measuring 8, 2283 hectares and valued at $1 340 000.00 as at 31 May 2008.

93. Subdivision A of Arda an agri-residental development measuring 8, 2283 hectares and valued at $820 000.00 as at 31 May 2008

94. Stand 289 Willowvale Township, an industrial stand with 14 units measuring 0.9752 hectares and valued at $200 000.00 as at 31 May 2008.

95. STAND 10050 Chinhoyi Township being a hotel site measuring 1.4430 hectares and valued at $220 000.00 as at 31 May 2008.

96. Lot 8 of Hunyani, a hotel site IN Chinhoyi measuring 29.9077 hectares and valued at $4 490 000.00 as at 31 May 2008.

98. Stand 7538 Gweru Township in Gweru, a hotel site measuring 4.9534 hectares and valued at $920 000.00 as at 31 May 2008.

97. Stand 8432 Gweru Township in Gweru, a hotel site measuring 4.5934 hectares and valued at $390 000.00 as at 31 May 2008.

98. The remainder of subdivision A of stoneridge a mixed use development with a shopping centre, institutions and residential developments measuring 586,8960 hectares and valued at $63 480 000.00 AS AT 31 May 2008.

99. The remainder of Arda Farm being a mixed use development with a shopping centre, institutions and residential developments measuring 605,8092 hectares and valued at $75 730 000.00 as at 31 May 2008.

100. The remainder of A of the rest being a mixed use development with a shopping centre, institutions and residential developments measuring 1456,1440 hectares and valued at $36 400 000.00 AS AT 31 May 2008.

101. Stand 625 Mandara Township being a mixed use development with a shopping centre, institutions and residential developments measuring 6,6860 hectares abd valued at $3 340 000.00 as at 31 May 2008.

102. Stand 27406 Masvingo Township being a hotel on a stand measuring 1.9879 hectares and valued at $280 000.00 as at 31 May 2008.

103. A mixed use development with a shopping centre, institutions and residential developments in Kasese Township of Kariba measuring 65, 5325 hectares and valued at $7 910 000.00 as at 31 May 2008.

104. A lodge called Victoria Falls lodge in Victoria Falls built on a stand measuring 0.8000 hectares and valued at $320 000.00 as at 31 May 2008.

105. Stands 418-428 Quinnington Township of Lot AD Quinnington Borrowdale, Harare a development with 12 units of residential stands serviced with 7 boreholes and 3 reservoirs of water

106. Stand 288 Willowvale Township an industrial property measuring 0.6792 hectares and valued at $140 000.00 as at 31 May 2008.

107. Block D Avondale Township being an office complex in Broadlands with 1400 square metres with lettable office space on a stand measuring 0.1980 hectares and valued at $2 800 000.00 as at 31 May 2008.

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