Mnangagwa mourns businessman Mucheche

THE late businessman, Ben Mucheche, was an innovative black entrepreneur, who broke barriers set by the colonial regime to emerge as a leading transporter, who used his hard-earned resources to support the nationalist movement during its formative days, President Mnangagwa has said.

In a condolence message to the Mucheche family, President Mnangagwa described the late businessman as a tried and tested nationalist and civic leader.

Mucheche died on Wednesday after a long illness at his Beatrice Farm. He was 96.

"The late Ben Mucheche is synonymous with an inspiring generation of self-made indigenous businessmen and women who rose to fame against all odds in colonial Rhodesia," said the President.

"From very humble beginnings, the late Mucheche beat all bottlenecks placed in the way of enterprising blacks, to break into the racially structured transport and farming business. Beginning with a single vehicle, Mucheche persevered until he built a large fleet of taxis before venturing into the large passenger transport business for which he became known right through to our Independence.

"A civic leader and a tried and tested nationalist, the late Mucheche used his position and his hard-earned resources to support the nationalist movement right from its early, formative days in the late 1950s."

President Mnangagwa said the nation benefitted immensely from Mucheche's contributions in business and the liberation struggle.

"When African resistance escalated and morphed into its armed phase, he was among black businessmen and women we counted on, who did not hesitate to take risks by supporting the national liberation struggle. Indeed, alongside leading black entrepreneurs like the late Machipisa, Makomva, Mwayera and many others, our war effort benefitted immensely from his support, which came in various forms and at great personal risk."

Mucheche's interest in indigenous commercial agriculture before independence, said the President, which was marked by his purchase of a farm in the then Enkledoorn district of Rhodesia in 1959, "showed a clear nexus between African aspirations, our nationalist politics and our land."

President Mnangagwa said the late businessman will be remembered for his desire to push for black empowerment and regaining control of land.

"As we mourn Mucheche's painful demise, we remember especially the salutary role he played in sowing seeds for black economic empowerment by co-founding the Indigenous Business Development Centre (IBDC) alongside leading businessmen and women like the late Paul Mukondo, John Mapondera, Strive Masiyiwa, late Roger Boka, Enock Kamushinda and Mrs Jane Mutasa," said the President.

"That seminal notion of indigenous empowerment as a form of restitution and affirmative action against ills and limitations of settler colonialism, became the policy centre-piece of the First Republic, and remains at the heart of the Second Republic.

"In that regard, milestone policy decisions shall be adopted soon after our impending August elections."

President Mnangagwa said the nation should not fail the late Mucheche's generation of practical visionaries "who blazed this new trail under very challenging political and socio-economic circumstances".

The late businessman was born on March 31, 1927 at Chishawasha Mission in Goromonzi. He later moved to Salisbury (now Harare) in search of employment and worked as a schoolteacher. In 1956, he started Easy Way Taxis, a taxi business, with only £300 in savings. By 1962, he had a fleet of six taxis, which he sold to buy two buses.

In 1979, Mucheche was running a fleet of 75 buses, making him a highly respected figure in the country's transport industry.

In 1973, he was elected the president of the Rhodesian African Chamber of Commerce that represented the interests of black people.

He was also elected as the leader of the Zimbabwe Rural Transport Organisation between 1976 and 2002. In 1975, he was appointed the director of the Reserve Bank, a position he held up to 1988. He left behind six wives and 28 children.

Mourners are gathered at the family's farm in Beatrice.