Courage drives me!

is one man who believes that a person’s life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.
Mr Oswell Binha says his experiences in life have taught him to be courageous and not to give up.
“The most important aspect I learnt in my life is time management. Anything that is diarised can be done and anything that is not diarised might be done. If you think you can, you probably can. If you believe you won’t, you most assuredly won’t,” he said.
Mr Binha added that he plans everything that he does, saying a person should “spend 20 percent on planning and they will be able to achieve 80 percent results.”
The golf enthusiast was born in Rusape on 13 June 1971 and did his primary education at Holy Name School in Matsika under Makoni District and Vhengere Primary School in Rusape.
He proceeded to Inyathi Mine Secondary School in Headlands for his secondary education and then Mazowe Boys High School for his A-Level studies.
Mr Binha draws his inspiration from two gentlemen – his father and his father-in-law.
“I have seen these great men achieve to turn their offsprings into people who contribute to the betterment of this nation. “On my graduation my father-in-law told me that ‘uchadya chemaoko ako’ (you will eat of your labour) and I will always remember these encouraging words as they drive me to be a hard worker,” said Mr Binha.
Internationally he does not draw inspiration from anyone since “no international scenario is relevant” to his situation.
The father of four attained his diploma in mechanical engineering at the Harare Polytechnic and went on to attain a degree in marketing with the Zimbabwe Open University and is currently studying for a Masters degree in Management from the same institution.
In his words Christianity is his tradition and everything he does is guided by “divine intervention”.
“My family is quite devoted and our belief is that the more and closer you are to God, the more and closer are the answers you get on what you pray for,” he said.
Mr Bimha is the chief executive of Orax Systems, an engineering company that specialises in maintenance and ware resistance engineering.
He is married to Winnie and the couple has four children.
He also sits on a number of boards that include the Trade and Advocacy board and the Small to Medium Enterprises board.
“I would like to describe myself as a perennial student. A person learns something new everyday and continues to develop,” said the new ZNCC boss.
He believes that iron sharpens iron and that if one gets into critical and relevant relationships they continue to develop oneself and others in the process.
“I got married at a very young age of 20 and that did not stop me from achieving great things as my wife was and is still supportive. My first born is Garikai and was named after my father, then there is Dareen, and Karen who was named after my mother.
“The last born is Tadiwanashe who was born on the day of the chamber’s national congress last year. The news came when I was on the podium,” he enthusiastically said.
Mr Binha said he has not always aspired to be a businessman as he “got into business by accident.”
“What got me into business was just an incident that made me feel I needed to be my own boss and this incident had some racial connotations,” he said.
He said when he was young he always wanted to be in an influential position as he was quite a “responsible and mature boy.”
Mr Binha once worked as a mechanical engineering technician at Mazowe Mine and at Pan African Mines. He also worked for Field Technical Sales as product manager and at BHP Minerals as materials handling superintendent.
“I have lived my dream. A person’s life should look at issues of helping other people achieve their dreams. I always look at the level and magnitude I can continue developing other people’s lives obviously with spiritual guidelines,” he said.
As the new ZNCC president, Mr Binha said he is committed to ensuring the chamber retains its foremost position as a leading private sector advocacy organisation in the country.
“As I mount the saddle of leadership of ZNCC, effectiveness, efficiency, performance, transparency, inclusiveness, integrity and hard work shall and will remain my watch words,” he said.
He added that these were the attributes that have always guided him.
“A management expert once said, ‘efficiency is doing things the right way; while effectiveness is doing the right things’. Therefore, the overall interest of the Zimbabwean private sector would continue to be uppermost in our agenda,” he said.
Mr Binha’s call to his business colleagues is, “Zimbabwe is our home and we have to develop keen interest to develop our country and commit ourselves to play our part and give value to Zimbabwe.”
He said in order to foster economic development and growth Zimbabweans need to focus on those things that add value to the enterprises of the country’s private sector.
“The private sector remains pivotal to the current economic aspirations of Zimbabwe. The long-term economic thrust of Zimbabwe is, and will remain private sector driven.
“We need the private sector to provide leadership and enhance creation of wealth from which the Government can generate revenue. We need the private sector to create employment, ultimately reducing poverty in our society and we need a virile private sector to lead in making our country a respected member of the community of nations,” he said.
He added that people need to agree on a strategic plan and to quantify on the agreed direction in order to improve the economy.
“As ZNCC we advocate for enhanced economic and social infrastructures, conducive policy environment, quality institutions, enhanced business security conditions in all parts of the country, better ethical practices in business and demand improved political and economic governance,” Mr Binha said.
He called for consensus among Government, businesses and labour in order to make progress.
In his spare time the new ZNCC president enjoys playing golf, reading and doing “family work” especially on Saturdays.
“I am best friends with my parents and I spend most of my time with them,” he said.
His advice to young people aspiring to be part of the business community: “I have always heard and continue to hear that to be in business the first thing one needs is finance. To me the first important thing one needs to have is a bankable idea. Young people need to cease this notion of looking for resources but should make people buy their ideas and finance them.”