Mutumwa Mawere

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Mutumwa Mawere

Born 11 January 1960 (1960-01-11) (age 48)
Bindura, ZimbabweFlag of Zimbabwe
Residence South Africa
Nationality Flag of South AfricaSouth African
Occupation Businessman
Religious beliefs Christian
Website
www.mmawere.com

Mutumwa Dziva Mawere (born January 11, 1960 in Bindura, Zimbabwe), is an African businessman with interests in mining, manufacturing and agro industries, financial services (banking and insurance), telecommunications, publishing, investment holdings, transport and logistics, and international trading, among others. He has created businesses and turned around enterprises that have become Pan African and global players, most notably Africa Resources Limited (“ARL”) which was one of the most powerful and influential corporations in Zimbabwe’s history.

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[edit] Background

Mawere was educated in Zimbabwe, Swaziland, the United Kingdom and the United States, obtaining a Master of Science (Management) and an MBA (Finance & Investments) degree. Among his first employers were the Industrial Development Corporation of Zimbabwe and the Merchant Bank of Central Africa.[1] In 1988, he joined the World Bank, where he rose to become a Senior Investment Officer with the International Finance Corporation. In 1995, he became a resident of South Africa, obtaining citizenship in 2002. [2]

[edit] Business Empire

In 1996, he acquired Zimbabwe's sole asbestos mining company Shabanie Mashaba Mines (SMM), branching out through all of Zimbabwe's economy. His rise was accompanied by allegations of improper support by politicians from the ruling ZANU-PF, especially in connection with government guarantees for a US$60 million loan used in the purchase of SMM.[3] Mawere denied these claims, saying that purchase payments were guaranteed for by a deposit of shares of the mining company instead.[2]

[edit] Demise of Business Empire

In 2004, Mawere's business empire came under government scrutiny, and allegations of prejudicing the state of more than Z$300 billion were raised by the authorities. In May, Zimbabwean authorities asked for Mawere's extradition from South Africa, but failed.[3] Since then, by presidential decree major parts of his businesses came under government control. According to Mawere, his businesses' funds were used to repay due IMF bonds.[4]

[edit] Columnist

Of late, Mawere has written a number of articles about the situation in Zimbabwe.[5][6] In the early articles he wrote starting in late 2006, he tried to persuade the skeptical public that he was a man wronged by the government.[2] Try as he did, the public remained unconvinced by his explanations, deeming his attempt to exonerate himself from ZANU-PF patronage system nugatory.[7] He claimed in these first articles that Gideon Gono's duels with businessmen in the country was a plot by Mugabe to expropriate and acquire companies through blatant underhand tactics.[4][8][9][10] His op-eds have appeared in several online news websites that cater to Zimbabweans scattered across the world.[11]

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Conversations with Mawere: Biography. Mawere's blog.
  2. ^ a b c Mawere column: How I acquired Shabanie Mine. New Zimbabwe.
  3. ^ a b The rise, escape, and fall of Mawere. The Financial Gazette.
  4. ^ a b A Zimbabwean Businessman, His Firms Seized, Takes On Mugabe. The Washington Post.
  5. ^ Mawere Column: On Mugabe. allafrica.com.
  6. ^ Mawere Column: On Independence. allafrica.com.
  7. ^ Who is Mawere?. zwnews.com.
  8. ^ The courts[1]
  9. ^ Mawere Column: Crimnial Intent. allafrica.com. Subscribers only.
  10. ^ Mawere: I'm no fugitive. allafrica.com.
  11. ^ Article by Mawere at SW Radio Africa