VP mourns Munatsi

Herald Reporter
Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has described as shocking and disheartening, the death of senior banker Mr Douglas Munatsi in an inferno at his luxury apartment in the early hours of Monday.

At the time of his death, Mr Munatsi was the chief executive of the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA).

In a condolence message yesterday, VP Chiwenga said: “I learnt with deep shock about the passing on of Mr Douglas Munatsi, who was the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency chief executive officer, when his Northfields flat in Harare caught fire in the early hours of Monday, 29 November 2021.”

“Mr Munatsi was appointed ZIDA CEO in 2019. Prior to his appointment, he had worked as the CEO of BancABC since its formation in 2000, until its acquisition by Atlas Mara in 2014,” said VP Chiwenga.

He said it was disheartening that at the time of his demise, Mr Munatsi, through his leadership at ZIDA, had become the face of Zimbabwe’s investment drive as well as the economic compass for steering the country towards its aspired status of an empowered upper-middle income economy by year 2030.

“He successfully articulated Zimbabwe’s investment story to the world at various business fora, including the Intra-African Trade Fair held in Durban and the current Expo 2020 Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

“The country is poorer following his passing on. I wish to express my heartfelt condolences to the Munatsi family and ZIDA, an organisation which he led from the front and with passion. May his dear soul rest in eternal peace.”

Ambassador Mary Mubi, Zimbabwe Pavilion Commissioner-General for the Expo 2020 Dubai also sent a message of condolence to the Munatsi family.

“His contribution towards the successful exhibition of Zimbabwe at Expo 2020 Dubai, through his visionary leadership at ZIDA, cannot be overemphasised.

“Mr Munatsi was instrumental in packaging investment opportunities in the various sectors of the economy and marketing the country’s opportunities internationally,” said Ambassador Mubi.