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Oliver Kazunga Senior Business Reporter
FOUR entrepreneurs from Matabeleland region scooped the 2013 Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce annual awards held in Victoria Falls on Thursday evening. The entrepreneurs were honoured with certificates of appreciation, floating shields and trophies for their outstanding contribution in business growth and development in the economy.
JR Goddard Company managing director Jim Ross Goddard was named the 2013 ZNCC Businessman of the Year while Mngane Ncube of Hawkflight Construction Company was named the Second Runner-Up in the Entrepreneur of the Year category.
Goddard encouraged Zimbabweans to remain resilient in the face of economic challenges facing the country.
He said Zimbabweans should continue to work together to promote economic development especially now when the thrust is on reviving the economy.
“As Zimbabweans we need to continue working together for our economic prosperity,” he said.
Goddard’s company was established in 1982 and is one of the companies involved in the upgrading of the Plumtree-Mutare highway.
The businessman also has farming, tourism and hunting interests.
Flathela Nleya of Touch of Wealth was crowned the Second Runner-Up in the Businesswoman of the Year category while the Marketers Association of Zimbabwe past president Ruth Ncube was named the winner in the Businesswoman of the Year category.
Other entrepreneurs and business organisations outside Matabeland region that were also honoured at the award ceremony include Mimosa Mining Company that scooped the first prize in the National Corporate and Social Responsibility category outclassing Tongaat Hullet Zimbabwe and Mbada Diamonds that were named first and second runners-up.
In the Rural Businessperson of the Year category John Musamvu from Rusape scooped the first prize for building and running a state-of-the-art supermarket while Tinashe Mangisi from Gokwe scooped the first runner-up prize for successfully running a piggery project.
The ZNCC awards ceremony also saw corporates and entrepreneurs being honoured in categories that include small and medium enterprises.
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Investment Authority chairman Nigel Chanakira has challenged the government and the private sector to work on improving the business environment.
“The prevailing business environment is undermining investor confidence. It has resulted in low levels of foreign direct investment. It is therefore critical for the country to work on improving the way we do business,” he said.
derick.khumalo