Businesspeople honoured at awards night

Remember Deketeke Herald Reporter

BUSINESSPEOPLE were honoured during the Zimbabwe Business Awards (ZIBA) held in Harare on Friday night in recognition of their contributions and performance in the sector in the previous year.

Over 12 years since its inception, ZIBA has pledged to continue celebrating those that are doing the most in their fields and contributing to economic growth in Zimbabwe.

The awards celebrate the performance of individuals and companies that have done well and distinguish and honour business leaders who have contributed to and shaped the Zimbabwean economy, and visionaries behind outstanding businesses and organisations.

High-flying businessman Mr Eric Niyonsaba of Kombucha scored big at the ZIBA, scooping six awards. He said he owed his success to the people of Zimbabwe.

“I started this business on my own and now I have more than 300 employees thanks to the people of Zimbabwe who welcomed me into their country and helped my business grow. These awards are not mine, but ours,” he said.

Geo-Pomona Waste Management company won two awards while its Executive Chairman and CEO, Mr Dilesh Nguwaya scooped two individual gongs.

Geo Pomona won the Company of the Year Award and Waste Management & Environmentally Friendly Organisation of the Year Award with Mr Nguwaya scooping the Business Man of the Year National Award and the Business Leader of the Year National Award.

The recognition comes barely a few months after the waste management firm also scooped another prestigious Sustainability Innovation Champion award for its immense contribution to the sustainability of the environment and also at the Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers where they won the Presidential Special Award.

Mr Nguwaya said the accolade signalled the work ahead in fast-tracking their deliverables.

“This award is going to force my team and I to push and fast-track what we, as an organisation, agreed upon and we are thinking of pushing it to more cities and if possible preach the initiative to outside countries,” he said.

Mr David Munowenyu, the owner of Discovery Ambulance, won the Fastest Growing Business of the Year award, and he thanked the President for his award.

“Through NDS 1 and Vision 2030, we were given a platform to build our economy through the ‘Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo’ mantra and this motivated me to start my own ambulance company that has grown rapidly over the year to be one of the leading ambulance companies in the country,” he said.

Champion College director and chief executive, Dr Tendesai Mushamba, won three awards, solidifying the school’s dominance in the education industry.

Dr Mushamba said his main thrust was providing and promoting excellent educational facilities in the country.

“We are investing heavily in education to complement what the Government is doing. There is a shortage of about 3 000 schools and as private investors, we want to bridge this gap so that everyone has access to quality education,” he said.