Mutumwa Mawere

Va Mawere
The truth of this matter will come to light and those who are manipulating the truth will be judged by the history of Zimbabwe. It is a shame that the way this case has been handled is nothing short of unprofessional mud-sliding.
However keep up the fight and one day the truth will prevail.

Tendai Tagarira
The New Zimbabwean Generation
www.tendaitagarira.com

Listening to your story and the facts you have shows how our brothers and some fathers are corrupt and inconsiderate. A man who fights the truth is fighting with what they can't see. Your name is not a coincidence but a blessing. Keep your cool and work well. There shall come a time when you shall be on top of the situation and the tricks of the wicked shall be exposed. We all know the truth but there is little that we can do. It might take time for order and law to rule but that time is near.

Let bygones be bygones & the wicked shall never understand. Men who joke and accuse other men even when they must let the truth prevail go against it. A fool without fingers and lack of knowledge will fight with those with an opportunity to drink from straws. The same fool will poison anyone and everyone so that they can be the best man in front of the masses. Give them time and soon they will be out of foolish ideas. To be honest the silly man is he who digs a well in a sailing ship. the moment he gets the water that's the beginning of the end. Watch the space.

Anotuka Mutumwa aenda kuMawere.

Never trust politicians you're a business man and a good one for that matter.

You are still my role model here in Zimbabwe. I always tell my workmates that we need people like Mutumwa Mawere in order to rebuild Zimbabwe. I strongly believe that you are going to possess all your empires in due season. Being the first black Zimbabwean to possess every sector in the country shows that you are still on top in terms of investment in Zimbabwe. I quote the DAILY NEWS of yesteryear "one who is able to sell ice to an Eskimo" referring to you Mr Mawere because of your persuasive skills when it comes to business. I am behind you.

I have read a lot about Mutumwa Mawere from 2004 and I have read a lot of propoganda about a famous dirty double dealing whistle blower - Tendai Tagarira commented that the truth of the matter will come to light - offical Documentary evidence shows that Fortune Chasi advisor to the Governor of Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe paid Vincent Kahiya to run stories unmasking the dirty whistle blower and Vincent has maintained this character assination of a person who has done so much for Zimbabwe and to whom so little is known about the person - Buks van Rensburg Managing Director of Coma Transport Krugersdorp and Veronica Marsh-Smidt Financial and Managing Director for Mawere at his Rivonia offices together with a hired investigations company in Johanneburg produced a dossier on Mawere\'s global operations and Hilary Munyati C.E.O. for Mawere until Mawere lost his companies was not arrested but offered a top position at the RBZ reporting to the Governor - Joyce Mujuru told Paul Sigauke at Exchange Control RBZ Division Chief that the whistle blower was paid US$5 million Buks van Rensburg bought a new transport company in Ndola and Veronica bought a very exclusive resturant in RSA - Shabanie Mine was responsible for the mess that Mawere finds himself in because they failed to pay Coma Transport over ZAR7 million in unpaid transport fees - but Mawere was not to blame but that bungling C.E.O. Munyati perhaps Mawere could enlighten us to what were the true facts

This is the the man accused of being the whistle blower for Mawere and accused of insulting the President we know that both are not true it is more to do with WOOVEVILLE shelf company a money laundering operation even Mugabe does not know about-according to Vincent Kahiya July 10th 2011 NEWSDAY

This was posted on LINKEDIN Rural Development
and has received world wide letters of tribute
he also worked for MAWERE
contact me for the full story on Pioneering Rural Zimbabwe

PIONEERING- RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN ZIMBABWE.
IT BEGAN IN JUNE 1980.
In June 1980, I delivered two 10 ton loads of Fertilizer from Harare to Reginia Coeli Mission 330 km, in the Nyamaropa Valley in the New Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe had only just been installed as the Prime Minister, the war at ended and now Rhodesians had the choice to go or stay, many trekked by car and lorry or whatever other transport they could load their personal effects onto and were on the road to South Africa and we had that choice too, but we had only just moved to Marandellas now Marondera, Mugabe assured the Rhodesians that if they could accept his leadership then no harm would come to them and in the Lancaster House agreement, presented by Lord Carrington on behalf of the British Government and Kissinger from USA and Ian Smith and Robert Mugabe, It was agreed that nothing would change for the first 10 years, even up to the year 2000 white farmers were still on their farms some renting farms on state land from the Government and about 1000 farms had been purchased by white farmers under Mugabe rule.
• But for my family and I, it was the kick start of a new life in a new Zimbabwe in a new location in Marondera 74 km from the capital city of Harare, I had started a new Job at Browns Transport and we had joined a Christian group known as the Marondera Christian Fellowship which initially was at the home of my Managing Director Jim and Anne Wolton, but later the venue had been changed to a different venue at the Gatehouse Community and our 3 Children, Faye Craig and Hazel had settled into Digglefold school.
• In Mutare ( Umtali ) I had worked for the 1st Year on Water Aid borehole and pump and Lister engine installations in urban and rural locations and 11 years in Railways workshops, everybody worked on the railways. I had been an Elder at Presbyterian Church in Mutare.
• In late May of 1980 two CIO officers approached Browns Transport to see if they would be interested in delivering agricultural goods to one of the camps which were established around the country to accommodate the comrades former soldiers loyal to Robert Mugabe, there were 2 transit camps in our transport area one of which one was at Regina Mission in Nyamaropa valley and one at Ruti Dam south of Buhera both in Manicaland Province.
• Umtali city was mortared several times from Mugabe’s soldiers based at Chimoio just across the border into Mozambique and now I was to meet face to face with those former enemies.
• I had been in both area’s myself during the war and now I was being asked to go to Regina which was a temporary base for 1200 comrades, After discussions with CIO officers, Browns Transport accepted the contract based on our prayers about the project, we were stepping out in faith believing that this was the right thing to do, I and 2 lorries set off in June with the two ten ton loads of fertilizer on a journey that I never intended take but looking back in life, I have never regretted.
• The loads were the first to be collected and delivered in this province, the two loads from Harare moved by tarred road to Ruspae 170 km then left on a strip tarred road to Juliasdale, the road was very steep in places both uphill and downhill and a very winding route, the next few km was easy until we reached the right turn into Rhodes National Park then 100 metres further, turning left onto the Nyagombe river crossing over a narrow bridge, the torrent of clean crystal water flowed down a slope into a natural swimming pool with a sandy beach a place where we would be visiting many times in the future with my wife and three children, we had now reached the section of the road the end of the smooth tar and now onto tough brown sandy gravel surface, although the road from Nyanga to Nyamaropa is now fully tarred, when I pioneered the first deliveries under Robert Mugabe the road was rough neglected gravel surface, because of the war lasting 8 years in Manicaland Province.

Political risk in Zimbabwe is high and the degree of the risk is increasing with each passing day. Be reminded Mr. Mawere. U are not the only one crying mind u. We thot since the \"old generation\" is dying we will have a new Zimbabwe. Unfortunately even the new crop of leaders has taken it upon their shoulders to continue with the old generation\'s adage. zvinotyisa but we still have hope that one day all this rubish will come to an end. companies are said to be losing liecences everyday i dont know which companies will be there for our children.

If anyone would like to read the full story about Pioneering Rural Development in Zimbabwe please contact symondsjack@hotmail.com for the full story - after all he also worked for ARL

Having read the above report re Mugabe they are lying through their teeth if you want the truth Mutumwa Mawere and by the way Dr Gono was behind the siezure of your assets not Mugabe

You do not know me but I know Bert Gott

Jack

Whistle Blower for Mutuma Mawere is revealed in the web site htpp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gideon_Gono

US$5 million paid out to whistle blowers - google the above link and scroll down to PERSONAL and the Dirty Double Dealing whistle blowers name is reveaked to all - It was Dr Gono himself and it even explains what he spent the money on

My unreserved apology goes out to the person I accused in 2004 as we now know from the Sigauke Report that the whistle Blowers are Buks Van Rensburg Director of Coma Transport and Veronica Marsh Smidt Financial and Managing Director for Mutumwa Mawere Rivonia offices in South Africa
they declined the whistle blowers money so Gono paid himself the US$5 million

The Full story an Inspiration to all Zimbabweans

Rural Development Nyanga Zimbabwe
PIONEERING- RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN ZIMBABWE.
IT BEGAN IN JUNE 1980.
• In June 1980, I delivered two 10 ton loads of Fertilizer from Harare to Reginia Coeli Mission 330 km, in the Nyamaropa Valley in the New Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe had only just been installed as the Prime Minister, the war at ended and now Rhodesians had the choice to go or stay, many trekked by car and lorry or whatever other transport they could load their personal effects onto and were on the road to South Africa and we had that choice too, but we had only just moved to Marandellas now Marondera, Mugabe assured the Rhodesians that if they could accept his leadership then no harm would come to them and in the Lancaster House agreement, presented by Lord Carrington on behalf of the British Government and Kissinger from USA and Ian Smith and Robert Mugabe, It was agreed that nothing would change for the first 10 years, It was that assurance that we stayed on in Zimbabwe.
• But for my family and I, it was the kick start of a new life in a new Zimbabwe in a new location in Marondera 74 km from the capital city of Harare, I had started a new Job at Browns Transport and we had joined a Christian group known as the Marondera Christian Fellowship which initially was at the home of my Managing Director Jim and Anne Wolton, but later the venue had been changed to a different venue at the Gatehouse Community and our 3 children had settled into Digglefold school.
• In Mutare ( Umtali ) I had worked for the 1st Year on Water Aid borehole and pump and Lister engine installations in urban and rural locations and 11 years in Railways workshops, everybody worked on the railways. I had been an Elder at Presbyterian Church in Mutare.

• In late May of 1980 two CIO officers approached Browns Transport to see if they would be interested in delivering agricultural goods to one of the camps which were established around the country to accommodate the comrades former soldiers loyal to Robert Mugabe, there were 2 transit camps in our transport area one of which one was at Regina Mission in Nyamaropa valley and one at Ruti Dam south of Buhera both in Manicaland Province.
• Umtali city was mortared several times from Mugabe’s soldiers based at Chimoio just across the border into Mozambique and now I was to meet face to face with those former enemies.
• I had been in both area’s myself during the war and now I was being asked to go to Regina which was a temporary base for 1200 comrades, After discussions with CIO officers, Browns Transport accepted the contract based on our prayers about the project, we were stepping out in faith believing that this was the right thing to do, I and 2 lorries set off in June with the two ten ton loads of fertilizer on a journey that I never intended take but looking back in life, I have never regretted.
• The loads were the first to be collected and delivered in this province, the two loads from Harare moved by tarred road to Ruspae 170 km then left on a strip tarred road to Juliasdale, the road was very steep in places both uphill and downhill and a very winding route, the next few km was easy until we reached the right turn into Rhodes National Park then 100 metres further, turning left onto the Nyagombe river crossing over a narrow bridge, the torrent of clean crystal water flowed down a slope into a natural swimming pool with a sandy beach a place where we would be visiting many times in the future with my wife and three children, we had now reached the section of the road the end of the smooth tar and now onto tough brown sandy gravel surface, although the road from Nyanga to Nyamaropa is now fully tarred, when I pioneered the first deliveries under Robert Mugabe the road was rough neglected gravel surface, because of the war lasting 8 years in Manicaland Province.

• Landmines had been frequently planted by Mugabe’s soldiers during the liberation war and to venture on such a road so soon after the end on the war, to many it would seem suicidal and even I had been a victim of a landmine in 1977 in Mutsago Maranke communal lands, so I know the after effects of a landmine and I had spina injuries from my blast and the Police lorry front wheel landed 50 meters away.
• These first deliveries were to 1,200 combatants loyal to Mugabe who had been based in Chimoio in Mozambique now at Regina Mission, the Agricultural goods were for distribution to the surrounding communal farmers in those area’s and over the next four years, hundreds of thousands of tonnes were to be delivered to this area and many other areas in Manicaland Mashonaland and parts of Midlands, work awarded to Browns Transport
• I could free wheel 14 km in my pick up, from the top of the Nyamaropa escarpment at Nyanga North past Troutbeck to the bottom of the escarpment at Nyamhanda, where the road forked, left to Elim Mission passing the Catholic Mission of Regina, the road was very steep all the way down from Matema past Tombo 1 and Tombo 2 and there was a road to the right from Tombo to the Tangwenya people a Swiss Settlement situated high above the Garezi river which was normally approached from Troutbeck via the Church road but here was another way to that Swiss Mission one of the delivery points and it was at that same place that Robert Mugabe had walked from Rhodesia into Mozambique to join the liberation movement.
• As we reached the top of the escarpment after passing the famous Troutbeck Inn Hotel and past the RMS halt and through some commercial farmers lands, one of the drivers who was formerly a comrade, he should have stopped before reaching the steep downhill gradient and changed into first gear, but was in second and with the weight behind him that gear could not slow the lorry down to negotiate the bends in the road and he ran into the bank on right side, damaging a radiator and fan belts, there were no mobile phones in those days although we had radio phones on most farms, by the time a mechanic arrived and we fitted new parts we had lost a day and a night and it was white with frost in June, winter in Africa is June and July.
• The gravel surface road, was rough and tough full of potholes some deep others like trenches filled with rocks for buses and trucks to winch their vehicles along the road and on a hot dry day the dust was like a rainstorm, one was covered from tip to toe if walking, if you happen to be driving behind the bus or truck you would be in a storm of dust, but I always stopped to allow the dust to settle and let the vehicles get ahead, besides the scenery was magnificent and I was one such person that marvelled at God’s creation, I had been on this route many times during the war, landmines and ambushes were plentiful and now in June 1980 I was on my way to meet with my former enemies who were based in the Catholic Mission eagerly awaiting for these first deliveries of Fertlizers Seeds and Chemicals and ploughs.
• The next day we got moving at crack of dawn around 6 a.m. it was winter and high up these mountains it was white with frost but there was no shortage of dry wood mostly pine in that area to make large fires for cooking and warmth.
• We slept with the vehicles and we had 10 casual labourers on hire for the season, but eventually it increased to over 40 and they all came from different walks of life some had even fought for Mugabe others for Joshua Nomo others whom were cooking in kitchens on farms even serving in hotels, so I felt quite safe and relaxed with these guys, when they work in harmony and in groups they whistle and sing, I was privileged to be working with them.
• I got my PHD in driving in 1980 on that journey ( Pot Hole Dodger )
• Later the next day, we arrived to within 12 km of the mission but as the 2 trucks drove down a steep hill to cross a shallow fast flowing river, I was horrified to see that the road was a meter higher than the river, the 2nd truck could not reverse due to steepness and weight of the load and the state of the old truck, we all had tea while I prayed what to do next, the water in those rivers was mountain water and crystal clear but I always boiled water before drinking, It was mid day when we got to the river and it took four hours to build the makeshift bridge, the first lorry inched its way across this bridge and finally across the river, the bridge was intact and then the second lorry carefully went across, the bridge lasted several months until a new concrete bridge was built by roads department.
• We used large pebbles and grass to build our makeshift bridge, 10 feet wide up to the height of the road, but it has to be strong to carry the weight of both the load and truck, about 16 tons, it took hundreds of huge pebbles and I built the makeshift bridge, we were on the move again and before 5 pm we arrived to a jubilant 1,200 comrades fully armed to the teeth with every type of weapon.
• I thought that I would die that day until I saw a catholic priest, Father Tom O’rieley with 2 nuns by his side with the Political Commissariat to whom I was to hand over a letter from their leader Robert Mugabe and thus allowing me access to the camp which was normally barred to whites especially those who were former security forces, I was offered tea whilst the letter was read, then I was taken outside and I heard the words Pamberi Mugabe.
• I was told I must always be in the same little Browns Transport green pick up and on the left side it had no window, too old to get a new one and I had clear plastic to keep dust out of the cab whether travelling day or night I would be safe and they could easily identify me.
• From that day on despite concerns for my life from friends at the thought of travelling day and night on these rough and often lonely roads usually by myself, I had the LORD with me in my passenger seat, I feared no one or did I have time to consider that at anytime I might hit a landmine planted by my former enemies.
• Ironically my wife and our 3 children and I, had applied to emigrate to Richards bay in South Africa, a job was waiting for me in the mining sector, but the papers had not arrived but came 8 months later, but by then, I had been given a task by the LORD and now was not the time to go.
• The comrades at Regina had that day in June 1980, advised me that a survey done by them in that huge area stretching from Matema to the Ruwenya River near Fombe and from Nyanga to Kozonzo past Nyajezi and Nyamazura and Ruangwe and Elim Mission there was no means of transport, no ploughs or tractors no scotch carts not even oxen, therefore suggestions that all the fertilizer should be dumped at the Regina mission would serve very little purpose.
• Someone in Harare had never been to the communal lands nor done their homework, just drop it all in one place but they needed to get the goods to the people, water was plentiful in Nyamaropa and Zimbabwe was divided in that area with Mozambique by a river border, the giant fast flowing Garezi river, there one could brag about those big trout, even 10kg for the best of anglers.
• I and Political Commissariat comrade Alfred as he wished to be called, agreed on a distribution program supported by his many soldiers he referred to it as swings and roundabouts and everywhere I went he came too and over those years we had a good relationship between the 2 of us and the rest of the comrades, I would have liked to have met up again with him later in life.
• From Regina Coeli Mission in Nyamaropa the deliveries now in thousands of tons of fertilizers and compounds were extended into Honde Valley, Mandeya 1 and 2 and Katiyo and area’s around and past Eastern Highlands tea estates where one can experience seven hairpin bends to that tea plantation then into Nyanga North into Nyajezi into all the communal lands between Mutare to the Ruwenya river close to the Malawi border at Nyamapanda border both east and west and north and south. The area was rich in soil and water was plentiful and over the 4 years from 1980 to December 1983 thousands upon thousands of tons were collected delivered and distributed by Browns trucks personally supervised by myself, I had to ensure accurate counting and that nothing went missing and get a signature from every rural farmer who received the goods and I learnt much about rural farming and small scale projects from the millions of people and those 4 years were just a training ground for what was to come, soon I would be in charge of all deliveries and collections for 13 million people throughout Zimbabwe.
• It had been deemed that it was impossible for one single person to complete the task. But for the LORD nothing is impossible.

• I remember the many occasions where trucks and trailers had over turned or springs had jumped out of their slippers due to poor roads and vehicle accidents orhad sunk into the mud in the rainy season right up to the floor of the trailer, we had no cranes or breakdown equipment but sheer hard labour brute force and ignorance they called it, we righted overturned trucks and trailers made major repairs on the rugged rough terrain roads, day and night often I never went home for up to 6 weeks and being a fitter for 12 years I could weld and make these repairs.
• I had attended many rural agricultural meetings in so many different area’s of Manicaland Province and although the local language was Shona and Manica they obliged me with English when I attended, I was confident and now becoming a force to be recognised in Rural Development, I had build a reputation of a manager who had accepted the hand of Mugabe’s reconciliation to whites and also I never lost any of the goods entrusted to me for the poorest people.
• I encouraged and persuaded the hierarchy in Harare to start projects in these area’s some are the Samanga Coffee growers and Tea plantations in Ruda they are just 2 of many to come both of these are in Honde Valley.
• The new Government chose the road to Socialism like so many other countries in the world communist or social was the order of the day, but it all collapsed, yet the concept of co-operatives working in communities was a good idea and worked well for Zimbabwe.
• I saw many wonderful sights and magnificent scenery and lots of God’s creations, rocks like as if they were from the parting of the waves, purple granite rocks and I had decided that everywhere I go I would collect a sample rock large and small.
• One of the most wonderful sights was a river running near to Regina Mission, this river fed the giant Nyamaropa Irrigation scheme, such a scheme built in Rhodesia times, when I drove from Regina up a hill to the irrigation scheme, I had to make 3 attempts to get up the hill in 1st gear, yet the river flowed from the bottom to the top of this hill, the priest explained that it was built by British Engineer’s in such a way that they could get the water to the top of the hill without any power.
• Avilla Mission in Kozonzo rural area, north of Elim Mission both in proximity to Ruangwe Police Station, this mission is where I found large rocks purple granite, granite is normally black or grey, the mission was built by Italian Prisoners of the 2nd world war based in that area and the whole church was built out of gem bearing rocks the alter was carved out of one giant rock, a cracked brass bell hung solemnly and because of the crack it had a dull ring, but so beautifully inscribed. A remnant of a gold mine stood nearby forgotten by time.
• From this early beginning and with much prayer and reconciliation between the comrades and myself we were on opposite sides until only a few weeks earlier when the war ended. It was a new beginning that I have never regretted, from this early Pioneering, I progressed and was very successful. I spent most of my life with Rural Development Communal area’s thereafter, I did not know what the LORD was training me up for, still to be revealed but for now it was great.
• In late 1983 Browns Transport now the proud owner of 16 new trucks mostly Leyland but added to the fleet some brand new 7 ton Scania’s, Browns sold their business to a local company, Duly’s who had their own staff, there was no other jobs in Marondera therefore we had no choice but to move to the city of Harare, praying and trusting the LORD that we find the right job and a new home to rent, I found a job at Swift Transport part of United Transport Group and I became a commercial representative, a far cry from my last 4 years.
• It seemed the end for me, yet it was through another Christian family John and Leslie Floquet, who operated a seed company in Harare ( Agritrade) within the head office depot, that I managed to get a job with Swift Transport, yet this move was the LORD’s plan for what was still to be revealed to me, we had a nice home and a good school for the 3 children in Northpark suburb and later Vainona High school.
• On a sunny day in 1985, walking down a busy street in Harare city, I met Peter Silk from Agritex, I had met him on one of my agricultural rural meetings between 1980 and 1984 in Murewa, Peter said that he had been discussing my work and experience and achievements at a meeting with Government only a week earlier he had described my work as someone who had been successful in Rural Development and right now Government needed a Joseph as in the bible, because long range weather forecast was indicating a drought was coming and yes we had seven good years soon to be followed by some very dry years.
• With the passing of time, Rural Aid money was flowing into Zimbabwe from donor aided countries and Zimbabwe was keen to see that it was put to good use but they lacked the skills and infrastructure to distribute it to the farmers throughout the whole of Zimbabwe, I last counted 465 communal lands in a country nearly 3 times as big as UK and I spent a lot of my free time developing and restructuring and re-writing land classification maps and distances in kilometres.
• The next day at Swift head office, a high level Government delegation was in a meeting with directors of Swift Transport and myself, the task was to collect and distribute hundreds of thousands of tons of fertilizer and seeds and chemicals and deliver to designated district service centre offices and then distribute to every communal family in each of the 465 communal lands each had a district agricultural and Agritex officer and people would indicate major delivery points in each communal area.
• The MD of Swift had to contact London to ask if they could undertake such a program but with 52 depots around the country who better than Swift and furthermore they were the head quarters for the T.O.A. Transport Operators Association of Zimbabwe with may member transport companies. It would take 750 x 30 ton carrying capacity trucks plus smaller truck to successfully carry out this task.
• Aid Donor Funds came from many countries some of them are:-
CIDA – USAID – Save The Children UK & USA– Danida – West German Trade – Belgium –Australian Aid. – WFP – EEC - UK
Delivery of local produced fertilizers, compounds, chemicals, ploughs and tools, Refined Maize financed by the above donor agencies.
• I became the Zimbabwe National Transport Coordinator for both the inputs of the above and for the collection of Agricultural grown produce from rural farmers in 465 communal lands for delivery to Grain Marketing Board Depots on line of Rail.
• Grain Marketing Board set up hundreds of tented temporary collection points in rural Zimbabwe manned by 2 trained GMB officials who would receipt the incoming crops and test and grade them and stack them for collection and part of my job was to continually collect every bag on a daily basis usually in 20 to 30 ton loads, many transporters were just about to go under and into liquidation from the effects of drought in some area’s of Zimbabwe, so we were not short of trucks.
• I recall that there were only 3 extra unauthorised collection points some unscrupulous criminals set up their own points giving A grades to everyone but they intended that that Maize would disappear overnight, we were on the ball though the Maize arrived at GMB rail depot in Masvingo and those criminals, the last I heard were inmates in a jail.
• Thompsons magazine and Voice newspaper reports quoted 105 transport companies and over 750 vehicles operating at any one time, It was imperative that the Government of Zimbabwe should prove to donor aid agencies that they could ensure transparency and could successfully deliver the goods for the benefit of its estimated 13 million people and in return the country and its people would benefit in substantial food production both for local consumption and for export.
• 1985/1986 was a very successful year and yes, the LORD was present and in control, neither inputs or outputs went missing every single bag was accounted and signed for.
• I remember the Managing Director of Swift, saying to me, that if an Intelligence agent went into another country and successfully carried out the task and came home, they usually got a medal, but if they failed, then we say we do not know him, indicating that for me it was to be similar. Yet for me praying daily how could it fail.
• In the 80’s drought had ravaged Zimbabwe but that year food was in abundance and I remained in my role until the end of the 80’s at Swift Transport and even though we had drought we survived and by then I had an excellent reputation and was recognised as a consultant in Rural Aid and Drought Emergencies and my learning was to continue into the mid 2007 even beyond.
• But, in 1980, when I became a Christian, I had made a Covenant with the LORD in that I would not accept corruption in the workplace or for any of the donor aid funding. To that end I battled to keep that covenant and so my work in Zimbabwe was after all the Lords will and only through being a Christian was I successful in my working life and as I write this part of history I did not know how it would end.
• During the war years in Eastern Highlands 1972 to 1980, I was ordained an Elder of Presbyterian Church in Umtali but not a Christian until sometime later in 1980.
• In 1985, I was appointed to the Board of A.M.A. Agricultural Marketing Authority and Grain Marketing Board as Consultant for Transport Inputs and Outputs and all controlled agricultural products in the co-ordinations and drought operations and their training and support was very beneficial for my future.

Kariba Dam
• In 1986, I was asked if I would undertake a Consultancy job in surveying Lake Kariba a man made lake dividing Zimbabwe and Zambia, it is 17 km wide at widest point and 300 km long between Kariba and Mlibizi further still as you head to Deka Drum near Hwange, what a reward for my co-ordinations.
• With other Government officials and DDF we set off on a journey of a lifetime down every river along the entire shoreline and every Island and plotted every living establishments be it tourism or business or fishing camp or crocodile farm it was all recorded.
• The Boats and Barges had been donated by Danish and Belgium aid funding and had the potential for major growth on the lake. The survey took 2 weeks we based up half way down the lake from Kariba at Bumi Hills Safari Lodge 4 nights going and 4 nights coming back, it took 14 days in all.


• Swift Transport part of United Transport Group London was keen to get into the lake transport operation both for the transport and tourism, another division of United transport was UTC United Touring Company and they were already into Safari operations and operated large boats at Victoria Falls for tourists, when I had visited Victoria Falls during drought operations and for holidays, truly it is a magnificent view, Dr David Livingstone statue memorial is one of the few still remaining in Zimbabwe.
• The Danish and Belgium Governments had donated these fast boats capable of 20 knots per hour and the 2 barges that could carry vehicles and goods the whole length of the lake, takes 24 hours from one end to the other (180 ) miles long from Kariba to Milibizi and you are still not at the end of the lake.
• When the report was finalised and distributed, queries came from ZIMRA they wanted to know about Tiger Bay according to them there was no hotel past the crocodile breeding area even a sign had been visible stating that no boats to go past this point, even National Parks had an officer to ensure that no boats did pass there, but on board in our party was 2 CIO officers and their authority exceeded all others, there was this magnificent thatched hotel and private lodges not registered for taxation.
• Further down the lake at Sijarira near to Binga was a Forestry Commission lodge who waved frantically for us to stay away, they had a licence, but the new Director of Forestry Commission said that they did not own such a lodge, we said phone your secretary in Bulawayo and say that you want to stay there yourself, he did and she smartly hung up, I guess you must be right he said they wanted it for themselves he said.
• Then inland from the lake was the road to nowhere and that is what locals refer to it. I drove the whole length of that road from Omay and it stopped at a chevron end of road, no one lived at the end because it went to the edge of the lake and no one lived on route either. Apparently it was meant to come out at Irvines Fishery 12 km away.
• I was invited to a donor conference in 1986 being held at Nyaminami in the Omay communal lands south of Bumi hills and in my talk about my operations and trip on the lake, that year Embassies decided to hold an annual conference away from cities and tourist places and set up Marquee’s and tents in the Omay communal lands about 70 km south of Bumi Hills safari lodge and it was in the middle of game safari.
• I was approached by the Canadian High Commissioner ( Roger Anthony Bull ) he wanted to do another trip with himself included and Government agreed, I remember the trip well as there should have been diesel fuel waiting in Binga on the banks of the Binga District Development Funded workshops but they had not had their delivery.
• Roger Anthony Bull told me that he was an engineer in his earlier life so we tapped into the tanks of a standing barge and using a hand pump, I pumped diesel out into a bucket and carried it to our boat, Rodger was pouring it in to our tanks from the bucket and makeshift funnel until we had enough to get us back to Kariba, the rest of the party seemed keen to stay in Binga for the weekend but both of us had to get back to Kariba and back to Harare.
• Had I have known what was at Binga I might have been tempted to stay too as later on, I discovered that Binga had a hotel the rooms were nice still the old mosquito gauze instead of window panes but immaculately kept, they had a hot mineral natural swimming pool where one could relax in it drinking an ice cold beer, even now in 2011 Castle Beer is considered part of the history of the country, Binga had boats for hire, crocodile farming and the Danish Aid had an office and was involved in the rural area’s of the almost forgotten Tonga people.
• On arrival back at Kariba there was no one to meet us with transport for us to get back to our hotel and I remember walking to Lake View hotel to collect my Swift pick up then going to collect Rodger Bull from the harbour, The district development officer in charge of the boats had been investigated by Auditor General because he had been diverting funds from the hire of the Danish and Belgium barges to his Kariba post office account and that was a nail in the coffin for the lake operation has far as Swift was concerned.
• In the following years ahead I had undertaken Consultancy work in rural development in countries such as Malawi – Zambia – Mozambique – Botswana project rural studies in these countries even in South Africa, for major financial establishments Price Water House and KF&R , it was very useful training for me when I was offered a position in 1994 with Nexus Trading who needed my past skills.
• Nexus Trading was a Transport Agency and Trading company for collection of Agricultural Grain Produce from Grain Marketing Board depots throughout Zimbabwe for delivery to Zambia, D.R.C., Malawi, Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho on behalf of Newman’s International, - Intercontinental – Glencor of Rotterdam and Save the Children Fund for deliveries to Lesotho and Malawi in 30 tonne loads. Contracts were in hundreds of thousands of tonnes per country.
• From the time of Independence 1980, I was the first to undertake Rural
Development, I was often referred to as the PIONEER of rural development with transported inputs to former combatant and the establishment of small businesses through project work, by creating small cooperative cash businesses with communal farmers in various communal lands mainly Manicaland and Mashonaland and Midlands provinces and we were able to start co-operative farming believed by the socialist Government to be the future in farming.

• In 1994, I was appointed by Windmill (PVT) Ltd a fertilizer company in Harare whom specialised in supply and delivery of fertilizers and chemicals to communal farmers throughout Zimbabwe in line with intended cooperatives emphasized by Government.

• I was contracted for 6 years through Nexus Trading to calculate distances from Windmill Harare factory to the centre of each of the 6,600 grid squares distances on the 100,000 to 1, on 36 maps making up Zimbabwe it took many weeks to finish and to collate all those distances and then design a program and enter the data onto the Windmill computer system so that when the farmers came to the sales department, they could pinpoint their village on the coded map e.g. A60 & D27 and on the computer data, it would have the distance from factory to that village, the thousands of small orders were collated into suitable loads from 7 tons upwards to maximum 28 tons,for delivery throughout Zimbabwe communal lands. Had it not have been for valuable assistance from my youngest daughter, I would have taken much longer, but at that time my daughter was taking her O Levels exams and in between she gave her valuable time to this project, she was trained in computers, I was a novice then.

• Previously transport charges were based on each communal area, thus a farmer living only 50 km from Harare would pay same as one living 150 km in same communal land, a farmer could now pinpoint his village on a map demarcated by ‘A’ for grid squares across and ‘D’ for down squares, all the grid square distances were computerised and then transport costs were per 10 km grid square. This revolutionized the entire deliveries from Harare to whole of Zimbabwe.

• Following on with Windmill, I collated hundreds of thousands of tons of fertilizers orders in 50 kg bags for transport to communal farmers who would arrange loans through, AFC Agricultural Finance Corporation for small orders which needed to be delivered in large loads to economise the transport costs and make it viable for transporters. There could be up to 50 AFC orders for one load of between 7 and 30 ton, The choice of trucks used depended on terrain and quantity.

• In all the 20 years that I was associated with Rural Development both for Donor Aid funding – Government grants using locally produced fertilizer supplied by Windmill and ZFC and Seed Companies, I never failed to deliver or collect goods and we never lost any goods.
• I had first started my new life in Rhodesia in Rural and Urban Water Aid in the form of borehole and mono pumps installation and laying irrigation piping in rural schools in Manicaland.

• I was a qualified irrigation fitter when I first arrived in Rhodesia. I had no drivers licence, but a quick few lessons over 2 weeks I soon had my licence and soon I was driving a 2 ton lorry on route to a rural school in Headlands.
• I was to install a mono pump into a borehole casing install a Lister engine and 1 km of Asbestos water piping in trenches already dug by eager school children.
• I slept in a new school building but only discovered at night that it had no windows, No, I did not close my eyes that night, listening to the wild animals and insects and Oh those mosquitoes. But the next night I lay down exhausted from the heat of the day, the night had passed by it was 8 a.m. next day and still alive, we were finished in 4 days we returned to the main gravel road with our guide over rock faces and through bush land an area hidden from normal civilization of towns and cities. That job was only temporary for 6 weeks but lasted for almost a year.
• I soon had a job with the railways workshops stripping and rebuilding diesel locomotives for 12 years, I was in a gang of fitters that were trained to put locomotives back onto the tracks when the locomotives had jumped tracks, it was all manual work, but I found that the experience gained from those early years was a great benefit to me in the Rural Development and it was useful when travelling around the communal lands, I was able to mend many broken down water pump and scotch carts and farm tractors over the many years
• Our move to Marondera was confirmed to us when praying about the offer of a job with a company on the verge of being declared bankrupt, a town some 74 km from Harare it was peaceful and it was a nice place to raise 3 children, the owner of the transport company was Jim Wolton of Brown’s Transport and he and his wife were the leaders of a Christian Community held at his home, Jim was also the Catholic representative to visitations to or by the Pope. Later the fellowship moved to what is now known as Gateway Fellowship and it was on one of those meetings that I gave my life to Jesus and from that day on, my life changed forever and this story is how my life became so successful in a new Zimbabwe.
• Confirmation of our move to Marondera from Umtali can be seen in 2 remarkable circumstances that can only have come from the LORD.
• Our home was put up for sale on Boxing day 1979 in Umtali, our neighbours had said to us that they were going out to Odzi for the day, good luck with your sale, there home was on the market for 2 years and not sold, they had a Kerry Mark 2 and ours was a Kerry Mark 1, they had swimming pool and garage we had neither but otherwise the houses were same, We sold the house the same day for the price we were asking. $12,250 Rhodesian Dollar actually $2-00 = £1-00 then.
• In Marondera I was interviewed for the transport managers job, at Browns Transport and out of 40 trucks 37 were damaged by landmines only 3 were operating but despite that, the company was willing to repair the trucks and give it a go, financially they were bankrupt, I was offered the job providing we could find accommodation and we needed a house to rent, there was nothing.
• Praying about it at the hotel that night, we put it in the Lords hand, as we were leaving the next afternoon without success, a farmer had decided to leave and needed to lease his home that very afternoon, it was a beautiful home too and it was confirmation that we were to live in Marondera, we did for 4 years.
• I remember an African Chief in a rural mission, he picked up a handful of sand and let it trickle into the wind blowing the dust over me, your spirit will never settle anywhere but in Africa you belong to AFRICA God chose you. - I realise that now being back in UK.

• Through my involvement in Rural Development over the many years I
had no time to study like so many others, Through achievements and dedication to rural development work, I was awarded in 1982 a diploma (Associate Member of Institute of Marketing Zimbabwe (A.I.M.M.) and later after successfully coordinating the drought operations in 1986 that same year I was awarded an Associate Member of Institute of Transport London ( A.C.I.T. )

• From the time I had emigrated to Rhodesia / Zimbabwe in 1967 to returning in 2010, - I have progressed from a fitter to a business development manager, consultant in transport up to Group General Manager and an Investigator, all of these achievements are documented in United Voice inter-company newspaper and magazines. I have never been on a Government payroll, always in private employment, NGO.( None Government Organisations.)
• Over the years in that country, we have learnt to be survivors, water shortages where no water has been supplied through the tap for 2 years in the capital city of Harare even in 2010, now it comes but once a month for one day only. Poor electricity output but fortunately we had our own generator and 5000 litre water storage and being a past artisan and D.I.Y. person we were not without the essentials.
• We know about inflation queuing at banks for days for cash to buy just one loaf bread and your pension and shares wiped out forever, 2 days in a bank queue to get a million dollars which would buy a loaf of bread but had usually gone up before you got the bread, prices advertised on the supermarket shelf often went up before you got to the cashier at the till. When I see and read about the likes of Ireland and Greece and Portugal, I smile, What is the panic Zimbabwe is thriving yet had collapsed into a 4th World country even past a 3rd world.
• I have learnt to lead and manage Aid work even in the field, I do not profess to be an expert but a hand’s on very qualified and experienced person who can get the job done, I care about people and how they are treated. I can make a difference and using my managerial skills and determination to succeed, I can adapt to the situation, I have considerable top managerial experience too.
• I have transformed millions of lives but still have a need to change more millions.
• Of course I am older and wiser now, but my work has not yet finished in AFRICA.


Psalm 37.
Do not fret because of evil doers.

From those earlier days, Zimbabwe has succumbed into a country of
of Fraud and unbelievable corruption.