Mutumwa Mawere a Point of Light for Zimbabwe Diaspora

Mutumwa Mawere a Point of Light for Zimbabwe Diaspora Community

As Zimbabweans reflect and debate about the future they want it is important to note the role to be played by individuals in formulating discussions centered on nation building and value development .During such debates there is need to identify points of light who have taken ordinary and extra ordinary steps to keep certain discussions alive and have played a self less role in educating others about nation building and the need for a cultural shift on how many Africans relate to business and endeavors in business.

In this article I have chosen to look at Mutumwa Dziva Mawere, a man I believe is one of Africa’s Points of Light in the Continent’s quest to develop its own class of business leaders who are capable of developing the continent. Mutumwa was born in Zimbabwe but now a South African citizen , however this has not stopped him in being a point of light on the Zimbabwean business scene where he has continued to write religiously clarifying various concepts related to business, economy and general economic empowerment of Africans.

Mutumwa has developed a respectable profile as an African business executive, pioneer, financier, banker and entrepreneur best known setting up and being Chairman of Africa Resources Limited . Whilst many may not agree or understand how Mawere built his business empire it is important to note he has been an inspiration to many budding and emerging business people in Zimbabwe and beyond .

A society needs a point of light who assist in taking initiatives that can result in generation altering actions and trends. Mawere’s acquisition of SMM was one such initiative. It was a transaction that served to inspire many entrepreneurs of that generation and many other to follow.

For one to achieve high level of business success there is often need to see others before you who succeed. Their success serves as an encouragement, inspiration and eye opener for many others. This is the impact that Mawere had on many in business in the 1990s and the 2000s .

In 1988, Mawere joined the World Bank as a Young Professional which allowed him to get exposure in deal structuring at the highest level . 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, Mutumwa founded Africa Resources Limited (ARL), an investment holding company incorporated under the laws of the British Virgin Island. 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. This acquisition was the beginning of the empire he built which span almost every sector of the Zimbabwe economy .

In 2004, the entire group was nationalized by the government of Zimbabwe. The nationalization was challenged in a number of litigations in Zambia, South Africa and the United Kingdom. The ARL group of companies employs approximately 20,000 people and generates about US$400 million in turnover. Seven of the subsidiary companies are listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange.

Having lost such a huge business empire Mawere did not turn his back on Zimbabwe he instead remained engaged and proactive about how various policies need to be reviewed and changed to allow proper indigenization and empowerment take place.

Mawere built his business Group within a 10 year period. This is critical in relation to the fact that Zimbabwe has been independent for 29 years. One wonders if Mawere’s Group had been left to develop over a 29 year period where would it be?

The expropriation of Mawere’s business is well documented. What has been remarkable is how Mawere has kept his head up and written almost weekly to educate others on how his business was financed ,structured, built and finally nationalized. This is where one has to acknowledge that leadership is not a position but rather leadership is action. Mawere led a pro-longed campaign to educate others on the hazards of doing business under unstable social and political conditions.

It takes a true Point of Light to remain committed to your country of birth despite all the odds and trials that would have made it easy to abandon it. Mawere has demonstrated that one does not need to be based in Zimbabwe to continue to play a meaningful role.

This makes Mawere a Point of Light for the Zimbabwe Diaspora in particular and Zimbabweans in general simply by the way he has given has time, resources and energy to continue to remain engaged on matters relating to Zimbabwe’s nation building project and its Economic well being. Zimbabwe is in need of more Points of Light in the Diaspora who use their exposure and networks to influence positive development in policy formulation and in any other ways that are progressive.

Gilbert Muponda is a Co-Founder of 3MG Media . He can be reached at; Zimface

Email: gilbert@3mgmedia.ca . Skype ID: gilbert.Muponda

Twitter ; http://twitter.com/gmricapital

Phone: 1-416-841-5542


Mutumwa Dziva Mawere has developed a respectable profile as an African business executive, pioneer, financier, banker and entrepreneur best known setting up and being Chairman of Africa Resources Limited ("ARL"). Whilst many may not agree or understand how Mawere built his business empire it is important to note he has been an inspiration to many budding and emerging business people in Zimbabwe and beyond .

An society needs point of light who assist in taking initiatives that can result in generation altering actions. Mawere’s acquisition of SMM was one such initiative . It was a transaction that served to inspire many entrepreneurs of that generation and many other to follow.

For one to achieve high level of business success there if often need to see others before you succeed. Their success serves as an encouragement and eye opener for many others. This is the impact that Mawere had on may in business in the 1990s and the 2000s .

In 1988, Mawere joined the World Bank as a Young Professional which allowed him to get exposure in deal structuring at the highest level . 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 settling in 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. This acquisition was the beginning of the empire he built which span almost every sector of the Zimbabwe economy .

In 2004, the entire group was nationalized by the government of Zimbabwe. The nationalization was challenged in a number of litigations in Zambia, South Africa and the United Kingdom. The ARL group of companies employs approximately 20,000 people and generates about US$400 million in turnover.

Seven of the subsidiary companies are listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange. Having lost such a huge business empire Mawere did not turn his back on Zimbabwe he instead remained engaged and proactive about how various policies need to be reviewed and changed to allow proper indigenization and empowerment take place.

The expropriation of Mawere’s business is well documented. What has been remarkable is how Mawere has kept his head up and written almost weekly to educate others on how his business was financed ,structured, built and finally nationalized. This is where one has to acknowledge that leadership is not a position but rather leadership is action. Mawere led a pro-longed campaign to educate others on the hazards of doing business under unstable social and political conditions.

It takes a true Point of Light to remain committed to your country of birth despite all the odds and trials that would have made it easy to abandon it. Mawere has demonstrated that one does not need to be based in Zimbabwe to continue to play a meaningful role.

This makes Mawere a Point of Light for the Zimbabwe Diaspora in particular and Zimbabweans in general simply by the way he has given has time, resources and energy to continue to remain engaged on matters relating to Zimbabwe’s nation building project and its Economic well being.

Zimbabwe is in need of more Points of Light in the Diaspora who use their exposure and networks to influence positive development in policy formulation and in any other ways that are progressive.