From kombi driver to farmer

Sydney Kawadza Senior Features Writer
In his quest to earn a “quick buck”, Victor Chininga shunned advice to take over the family farm opting to become a kombi driver.
He thought driving would give him some money and exposure compared to running the family enterprise. As his search for fame and fortune continued without much success, the young brother to the late Cabinet Minister Cde Edward Chindori-Chininga, Victor, became almost a delinquent in the family.

This did not go down well with the family as being the last born they had put their hopes on him although he had other ideas. They hoped that one day he would inherit the farming business.

In 2000, his father Jonah Toendepi Chininga had been allocated Nkozwi Farm (kwaMatemba), the 596-hectare farm situated along the Banket-Raffingora Road that has about 320 hectares arable.

But back then, for Victor (50) farming was too cumbersome and he opted for the bustle and hustle life of being a kombi driver where he spent most of his time running away from the police and municipality authorities in Harare.

But in his own sort of way, Chininga had scored some successes, having acquired three kombis thanks to a facility extended to him by his employer.

Yet the family could not give up on him. Pressure continued to mount, emissary after emissary was sent to him trying to knock sense into him.

After years of receiving emissaries Victor finally succumbed, sold his three kombis and packed his belongings and headed for the family farm.

The year was 2003.

Today, Chininga is a renowned farmer who confidently confirms he has made money from the business considering the developments at his farm.

Boasting a workforce of 130 workers, Chininga produces so much tobacco that he has to hire curing barns from three neighbouring farmers because the infrastructure at his farm is inadequate.

He has 37 barns at his farm but because of the massive yield from 51 hectares under the crop he has to hire 60 more barns from fellow farmers.

In the previous agricultural season, Chininga had produced 2 100 bales of tobacco and this year he expects to deliver more than 3 000 bales of the golden leaf to the auction floors.

Chininga confidently projects to harvest 5,5 tonnes of maize per hectare from the 20 hectares under the crop.

He also manages his late brother Edward’s farm near Caesar Mine in Mashonaland Central where they are 82 full time workers.

Victor’s story today has inspired many farmers in Mashonaland West especially beneficiaries of Zimbabwe’s successful land reform programme that saw more than 300 000 families being resettled.

His success as a farmer is now the talk of the area.

Born in Guruve in 1963, Victor went with his parents to Zambia where his father had acquired a farm in 1970 and the elder Chininga quickly became a successful farmer in the neighbouring country.

“My father did not employ many workers because my siblings and I were the employees at the farm. The hard work instilled in us by my father was an inspiration to the family and we grew up to be a hard-working family,” he said.

However, the senior Chininga had a policy that all his children would return to Zimbabwe soon after completing formal education in Zambia.

“I returned to Zimbabwe in 1986 and engaged in various activities. At one time I was employed at Cone Textiles and when Zimbabwe introduced commuter omnibuses into our transport system I joined the industry as a driver,” he said.

Chininga said his brothers advised him to take over his father’s farm but he vehemently refused opting to continue in the transport industry.

“I worked for a man who gave me a target and every time I achieved that he would give me the vehicle I was driving. I did this for three years until I got three commuter omnibuses.

“I later sold the three kombis for a tractor and headed for the family farm. There I started with 10 workers but it was not that easy. But they encouraged me to push the production levels. I would like to pay tribute to the workers whose knowledge I benefited from until we reached our goals.”

Initially, he started with three hectares of tobacco and about 60 hectares dedicated to maize production during the first season.

The tobacco hectarage has continued to increase over the years until the 51-hectare mark recorded this year.

“We have put 27 hectares of tobacco on dry land and the other 26 hectares is under irrigation after we bought the centre pivot irrigation system last year,” he said.

Chininga believes his success is hinged on the cordial relations he enjoys with his workers.

“Some farmers are failing to prosper because they do not pay their workers well. If a farmer fails to cater for his workers that would definitely be his downfall. The best is to pay your workers first before you look at your own needs.

“I give my workers maize for mealie-meal and we slaughter a beast for them besides paying their monthly salaries. If the workers are not satisfied they would steal from you or your neighbours. You could even lose your labour force as the employees seek sustenance and food,” he said.

It is also important that a farmer invests time to get more educated on his farming activities, he adds.

“I have made an effort to attend workshops on tobacco growing and I will continue acquiring more skills so that I am in tandem with the developing technology. I have also sent my 31-year-old son Tonderai to Blackfordby Institute and he is assisting at my late brother Edward’s farm where he is in charge of 30 hectares of flourishing tobacco crop,” he said.

Chininga believes every farmer needs to be a hands-on person to achieve desired goals.

However, like any other farmer, Chininga is facing several challenges which he believes if overcame the agriculture sector in Zimbabwe could contribute immensely to the growth of the country’s economy.

“Most of the equipment we inherited is now obsolete but our efforts to upgrade have been hampered by shortage of funds as it is very difficult to access loans from our banks,” he said.

He also castigated financial institutions for delaying in disbursing their loans.

“When you apply for a loan, most banking institutions release their funds sometimes in December and it is not ideal for farmers with crops under irrigation. The irrigated crops are planted in September and you receive the funds in December when you are already harvesting,” he said.

From the humble and difficult beginnings, Chininga believes farming has brought the necessary success he has always cherished in his life.

“I am happy that through agriculture I can do what is expected of me as the surviving member of my father’s family.”

Besides the centre pivot irrigation system bought for US$69 000 last year Chininga has seven tractors, a planter, several ploughs and disc harrows.

His pride and joy is the 120 herd of cattle enclosed at an island on the big dam at the farm.

This season Chininga has 60 hectares under maize while another 50 hectares are under soya beans.

“I am expecting tourists at the end of the month at the farm for fishing expedition so there is also an element of tourism at the farm.

“There are various farming activities we are looking at introducing at the farm and it goes without saying that our leaders in Zimbabwe should also be commended getting back our land so that we are empowered as a nation.

“There is serious potential in agriculture and if all efforts are made to develop the sector Zimbabwe should not be importing maize. We have to continue working hard so that we show the world that the land reforms were the right move to empower the people,” he said.