Online Reporter
Nelson Gahadza
Business Reporter
DELTA Corporation has paid tribute to its former long-serving chairman, Dr Robbie Matongo Mupawose, describing him as a visionary leader whose stewardship transformed the company into Zimbabwe’s leading beverage manufacturer.
Dr Mupawose, who died on Sunday at the age of 90, chaired the Delta Corporation board from April 1997 until his retirement in July 2010, overseeing one of the most significant periods of corporate restructuring in the group’s history.
In a condolence message, Zimbabwe’s largest beverage maker said it had received news of his passing with profound sadness, hailing his contribution to the company’s growth and long-term strategic direction.
“The board, management and staff of Delta received with profound sadness the news of the passing of our former chairman, Dr Robbie Matongo Mupawose, on Sunday, 21 June 2026,” the company said.
The company extended its condolences to his family, colleagues and the wider business community.
“To the Mupawose family, business fraternity and colleagues, please accept our most sincere condolences at this time of grief. May you find comfort in the enduring legacy he leaves behind and the lasting impact he had on many lives,” Delta said.
Former Delta chief executive and business executive Mr Joe Mtizwa, who worked closely with Dr Mupawose for eight years, described him as an extraordinary leader, mentor and patriot.
“I worked closely with Dr Robbie Mupawose from 2002 when I became chief executive of Delta. He was my chairman until his retirement in 2010.
“Dr Mupawose was my mentor and cheerleader during the eight years he was my board chairman at Delta. I last visited him on June 1, 2026,” he said.
Mr Mtizwa also described him as an extraordinary man, humble, wise, incorruptible and utterly selfless.
“Dr Mupawose was a true professional who always had Zimbabwe’s best interests at heart. Zimbabwe has lost one of its finest sons,” he said.
Dr Mupawose succeeded the late Dr Silas Mundawarara as Delta chairman in April 1997 and went on to lead the company through what is widely regarded as its most transformative era.
When he assumed leadership, Delta was a diversified conglomerate with interests spanning retail, hospitality and agro-industries. Under his stewardship, the group embarked on a strategic restructuring programme aimed at sharpening its focus on its core beverage operations.
One of the landmark achievements during his tenure was the demerger and unbundling of non-core assets, including the separation and subsequent listing of OK Zimbabwe Limited on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange.
The restructuring enabled Delta to concentrate exclusively on its beverage portfolio, which includes lager beer, sorghum beer and soft drinks, laying the foundation for its emergence as one of Zimbabwe’s largest listed companies.
Beyond Delta, Dr Mupawose was widely respected as an accomplished agriculturalist and corporate executive who made significant contributions to Zimbabwe’s corporate sector over several decades.
He officially stepped down from the Delta board on July 28, 2010, after 13 years at the helm, and was succeeded by prominent Harare lawyer Canaan Dube.
