Three cheers for Zim Achievers Awards

champagne and toast to your success. We should pay tribute to our ancestors for watching over us and if resources permit, we should slaughter a beast and let the waters of wisdom flow and as they say in folklore, it will open up other opportunities in the future.
Recently I found it fascinating that in lands yonder, Britain to be precise, Zimbabweans in the Diaspora converged on the prestigious Grand Tower Bridge Hotel to recognise and honour their kith and kin who have excelled in various sectors.
The second edition of the Zimbabwe Achievers Awards was a star-studded event that attracted most of the socialites with a link to the homeland. The recipients ranged from conservation, tourism, business, sport, community, music and media categories.
Also in attendance was our very own Supa Mandiwanzira, who has made commendable strides since he branched out into business from a career in the media.  What Mandiwanzira has achieved over a short space of time is testimony that nothing is impossible if you focus on a chosen path. 
Of particular interest to me at the event was the recognition of two entrepreneurs — Dr Charles Mazhude and Viola Ncube — whose business acumen was outstanding. Dr Mazhude and Ncube were named male entrepreneur of the year and female entrepreneur of the year respectively. Renaissance Personnel was honoured as the company of the year while Tinaye Munonyara’s recognition as business innovator of the year should served as an inspiration to a lot of young entrepreneurs.
Dr Mazhude is the founder of Zambezi Medical in the United Kingdom that offers a comprehensive range of services that includes medical aid packages, GP and specialist consultations and prescription services through partner pharmacies in Zimbabwe.
He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in the UK, who began his medical career back here in Zimbabwe. He is a passionate advocate for the access and provision of healthcare for Zimbabweans worldwide.
Leveraging his professional experience and extensive links with doctors and other leading healthcare providers in Zimbabwe, Dr Mazhude founded Zambezi Medical in 2009 to provide a simple and reliable way for Zimbabweans in the Diaspora to help loved ones in Zimbabwe gain access to health services.
As the country continues to be on a growth trajectory, it remains for the business sector to continue exploring ways of coming up with innovative ways to build and sustain the economy.  It is our responsibility as Zimbabweans to create the means to improve our livelihood in the face of growing evidence that there is very little that will be coming our way from external partners who themselves are also experiencing difficulties.
Zimbabwe Achievers Awards chief executive Conrad Mwanza paid tribute to all the people who participated in the event stressing that there were no losers as every nominee was an achiever in their own right.
To me, the awards will continue to push our brothers and sisters to continue thinking and searching for answers to what are some of the pressing problems in our midst. True to the adage, “iwe neni tine basa” we expect them to play their part in our effort to make this a better Zim-babwe.
Among other luminaries that were honoured on the night were Mr Vulidlela Mkandla, who got a lifetime achievement award for helping over 1 000 Zimbabweans gain scholarships in the UK over a 20-year period.
Mr Strive Masiyiwa, the founder of mobile phone giant Econet Wireless, walked away with the chairman’s honorary award while the academic award went to Dr Winston Mano.
They deserved the recognition because they have excelled and we should all raise our glasses and toast to their success. 
As always, let’s make money.
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