The Sunday Mail
Kuda Chideme
IN 2019, as the then news editor of The Financial Gazette, I had the opportunity to interview the late Tongai Muzenda.
He had just been confirmed substantive general manager of the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ), after serving in an acting capacity.
Before this, my only other interaction with him was in Parliament, where he had served as MP for Gutu West and Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare.
As was expected, he played a cameo role in Parliament, save for a few occasions he had to stand in for the minister.
To us copy-hungry newsmongers in the press gallery, he was an unassuming bureaucrat.
Some even assumed that, as former Vice President Simon Muzenda’s son, his only claim to fame was his name.
So, when I finally got a chance to interview him, I did not hold back — much to the bemusement and disappointment of his office staff and the MMCZ public relations team that had helped me to convince him to agree to have the meeting.
Still smarting after being fired from Government by then President Robert Mugabe, one could understand why he was naturally hesitant to engage the media.
“There are concerns that your appointment was political, given your close links to the ruling party (you are the son of former VP Simon Muzenda and you also served as a ZANU PF legislator). Do you honestly think you were given this job because you were the deserving candidate?” I fired away.
“The post of general manager at MMCZ is technical and the job was granted to me based on my experience in the mining sector, as well as my professional and academic qualifications,” he retorted.
Here was a professional, who had earned his stripes in the mining industry, starting as a graduate trainee at Anglo American and rising through the ranks to become chief executive officer of ZimAlloys.
His mandate at MMCZ was clear: He was supposed to spruce up its image, which had for long been stained by continued allegations of corruption, nepotism, fraud and extravagant allowances to top management, among others.
The day the interview was published, he sent me a text message to thank me – a rare quality seldom exhibited by senior executives and politicians.
Over the years, as our relationship evolved, I would eventually become accustomed to handwritten notes on my birthday and MMCZ-branded merchandise.
He became my go-to person for insights into the psyche of the authorities insofar as reforms in the mining sector were concerned.
In our last interview in March — I often visited his office unannounced – he had just returned from one of his many international trips and was visibly tired.
I had two of my colleagues in tow.
He, however, effortlessly entertained us.
We spoke about ZANU PF’s primary elections; he made some bold predictions, which gave us an insight into the state of the party.
He also gave us his take on our news coverage.
On Thursday morning, the two colleagues who had accompanied me to his office are the ones who alerted me to news of his passing away.
They were devastated.
It was as if they had known the man for a lifetime.
That was the impact Muzenda had on people who had the privilege to meet him.
He exemplified a rare breed of public officials; exactly the kind this country needs.
Muzenda, who was 57, leaves behind his wife Constance and two children.
*Kuda Chideme is ZTN’s assignments editor
