A down to earth man who defies odds

Walter Mswazie, Masvingo Correspondent
GROWING up within a middle class society where the majority of the people were black, Zanu-PF National Assembly member for Mwenezi East, Cde Josbi Omar, endeared himself as a darling to many in and around Masvingo province.

A down to earth man who defied all odds, endeared himself to the black community despite his being of Asian descent and earned himself the moniker, Muzukuru, Cde Omar has demonstrated to the nation that we are a people and all deserve to exist as one.

He is famed for his selflessness, philanthropic work and empowerment projects which have helped a number of youths realise their full potential in politics, art and business. Cde Omar is the brains behind women empowerment programmes in Masvingo where among other initiatives; he provides free transport to women to travel to neighbouring countries to sell their wares.

His participation in politics started way before independence as he was elected interim Secretary for Economic Affairs at provincial level in Masvingo, as the party was an underground movement.

Cde Omar had a brush with the law under the then Ian Smith regime as he was opposed to white minority supremacy.

“I actively participated in Zanu-PF politics in the 1970s together with Jones Gondo who was a lawyer, Dr Simon Mazorodze who later became Minister of Health after independence and the late Nolan Makombe in Mucheke in the early 1970s,” said Cde Omar.

He lived in the Chatsworth farming community in Gutu but moved to Gweru in 1978 after being pressured by whites who did not want him to support blacks.

When he moved to Gweru before independence, he started a company, Zimbabwe Car Breakers, which the white regime was fiercely opposed to. Due to pressure from the Ian Smith regime, he was forced to disband his company and move to Chatsworth in Gutu.

In Gutu, he opened a service station with the assistance of Mr Madondo, who had become his friend and business partner.

He later moved back to Masvingo where he lived in Eastvale Suburb, along the Masvingo – Mutare Road.

“I always had trouble with the whites who did not want me to support the struggle. In Gweru, I worked with the late Vice President Cde Simon Muzenda and later on Cde Josiah Tungamirai who was then Zanu-PF head of the province.

“I also worked with the late renowned lawyer, Dr Edison Zvobgo together with the late Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education Dr Stan Mudenge and I was elected secretary for the disabled in the party, at provincial level,” he said.

A land and property developer of note through his company, Cde Omar has developed about 6 000 residential stands in Harare, nine state of the art primary schools and four high schools .

Muzukuru, who is also Zanu-PF candidate for Mwenezi East, is battling it out with former Masvingo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and now MDC Alliance candidate, Mr Kudakwashe Bhasikiti-Chuma.

The National Consultative Forum (NCF) co-chairman said the secret behind his passion to help the community, especially the youth and women, is that his late grandmother hailed from Chirumanzu and was of the Shumba totem, coincidentally like President Mnangagwa.

He said his relationship with Masvingo people is biological and not through other means that some critics may think; as others have accused him of being in the province on business grounds only.

“My late grandmother, VaMaSibanda hailed from Chirumanzi and was married to a Pakistani. Her father’s mother was MaSiziba from Gutu’s Gona area where I always visit. She was named VaGurajena. You can see that I did not wake up one day and choose to live in Masvingo. I have strong roots in the province and I do not have any regret with that,” he said.

Cde Omar said he was 13-years-old when President Mnangagwa, with his then crocodile gang, bombed a goods train at Masvingo railways, just across Shakashe River, a stone’s throw away from where he lived.

“In 1964, somewhere there, I witnessed the bombing of a train at the railway station. I was later told by elders, as I was about 13 years-old, that it was Emmerson Mnangagwa and his gang who had executed the mission to silence the white minority.

“When I look back to the incident, it gives me motivation to support ED and I will not look back as he is a courageous leader and focused cadre,” he said.
Cde Omar said he had never tasted opposition politics in his life despite spirited efforts by the parties to lure him. He said he is Zanu-PF to the core and will not stoop low and join other fly-by night political parties as he has benefited a lot from the revolutionary party’s socio-economic programmes.

As part of his corporate social responsibility, Cde Omar has assisted in refurbishing a mortuary at Masvingo General Hospital and provided food, drugs and other consumables, especially at the height of the economic meltdown in 2008.

He has also donated food stuffs to the less privileged at Mucheke Old People’s Home, Alpha Cottage for Orphaned Children in Eastvale and has provided jobs for a number of youths at his family business.

“I have assisted the youths in Masvingo and most of them are now sought after musicians with prominent names like Ras Caleb, Alchemy and many more.

Some are now aspiring to be councillors and they have all come through my stable, the HUB where I helped them to be equipped with a number of life skills.

“In Chingwizi, I provided them with tin huts as more than 3 000 families were evacuated from the flood hit Tokwe-Mukosi Dam flood basin in Chivi District in 2014.

“I have also managed to provide cement for the construction of proper structures at a number of satellite schools in Chingwizi which is also in my constituency.

“Most dip tanks have also been rehabilitated, so have roads, boreholes and market stalls,” he said.

Cde Omar has also assisted in the establishment of satellite schools and a clinic in Chingwizi for flood victims’ children to access education.

Cde Omar also mobilised food aid for the victims in 2014-15 through Gift of the Givers from South Africa who also provided clothes to the families.

For his efforts in humanitarian work, Cde Omar was awarded a certificate by the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society for being a champion in charity work.

Addressing Zanu-PF members at Kushinga Home Industry in Nyuni area recently, Cde Omar said villagers in Chingwizi were in need of assistance and offered to assist within his means.

“The people have appraised me about the challenges they are facing in their areas. I have moved in to assist.

“Firstly, I have helped in the grading of about 80 km stretch of road network in Masangula and Chikoko. I have also done a 27 km stretch of Rutenga-Mbizi Road,” said Cde Omar. He said at the height of the floods, before he was national assembly member, he provided shelter in the form of tents and cabins for flood victims.

He also helped in the establishment of a satellite school, Nyuni Primary, where he is presently constructing a classroom block to the tune of $30 000 through the provision of building materials and paying for labour. This is support from the Government’s ongoing $20 million OPEC schools construction programme led by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.

“I am in the process of engaging the relevant authorities on issues to do with offer letters for the home industry in Nyuni. I have already started helping the community to construct a classroom block, provided desks, 15 per school and exercise books, which also covers other schools in Mwenezi East Constituency. I have appreciated the plight of the Chingwizi people from the period of the floods up to now and I assure them I will finish all the projects I have promised them.

“We have bright pupils in Mwenezi East who I have assisted. Over and above the $50 000 Constituency Development Fund that government released, I want to ensure quality education in Chingwizi and beyond. That will not be determined by the outcome of the next election to choose an MP. We have many satellite schools that we should develop together with my constituents,” he said.

Born 54 years ago, Cde Omar is married to Rhowayda and the couple has three children, two girls and one boy, all now adults. He has seven grandchildren.

Cde Omar attended Hellen McGhie Government Primary School before moving to Morgen High School in Harare for his secondary education which he passed with flying colours .

He then enrolled with an electrical and diesel engineering company for a three-year journeyman training programme before getting a job with Mkwasine Sugar Estates in Chiredzi.

Muzukuru also worked for Map and Kondo Transport before venturing into private businesses under JS Omar (Pvt) Ltd with a number of subsidiary companies operating under the flagship.

He has come up with a number of youth projects through his company, JS Omar (Pvt) Limited and is happy to have empowered many disadvantaged youths.

Cde Omar has also helped in the rehabilitation of the late Vice President Dr Simon Muzenda’s homestead in Mucheke Suburb in Masvingo into the KwaVaMuzenda Heritage site in conjunction with the Friends of Joshua Nkomo Trust and Great Zimbabwe University last year.

Under his establishment, Cde Omar has an earth moving company, Granary (Pvt) Ltd and has a primary and high school in Harare alongside many other properties.

He is into ranching and to his name, there are more than 300 cattle in Mwenezi, a project which is complemented by a goat breeding one that he has started at Rutenga in the same constituency of Mwenezi East.

He said Mwenezi East belongs to Zanu-PF and no one is going to change that as it has become the status quo.

Cde Omar promised to win resoundingly in the harmonised elections slated for Monday with the party and President Mnangagwa assured of over 40 000 votes. @walterbmswazie2