MIDWEEK BUSINESS REPORTER
MUTARE-One of the post Independence transport business pioneers, Esau Fungai Mupfumi has won the coveted Outstanding Business Personality of the Year Platinum Award 2022 at the Eastern Region Megafest Business ceremony.
Mupfumi who runs a fleet of of hundreds of busses that service the entire country won the award for his outstanding contribution to the nation as a transporter and inspiration to many upcoming businesspeople in the Eastern Region and the country at large.
On the same night, last week on Friday Tinashe Chimbira of AFC Holdings was adjudged the Silver Award winner and Chalton Chimbira of Holiday Inn came second on Gold behind Mupfumi.
The awards were held at Golden Peacock Hotel where international motivational speaker, Advocate Arthur Marara was the guest of honour.
The journey that Mupfumi travelled to become one of the biggest commuter operators in the country speaks volumes of his determination to see the nation prosper through a reliable and efficient transport system for the ordinary person and commercial entities.
From the humble beginnings as a mere constabulary in post Independence Zimbabwe Republic Police, Mupfumi’s leadership qualities were quickly noticed and he was attested into the crack Criminal Investigations Department to serve.
As a detective he was responsible for apprehending hard core criminals and handling difficult investigative cases with most of them ending in convictions as they were well handled, living no stone unturned in his quest for justice.
The multi award winning business mogul who was born some 60 years ago went on to resign in the nineties as he felt his talent lies elsewhere and established the now flourishing Chinjekure Enterprises Pvt Ltd.
Mupfumi started servicing the urban routes only but the company has grown to be one of the biggest in the country now servicing major cities like Bulawayo, Harare, Masvingo, Mutare, premier resort city of Mosi oa Tunya aka Victoria Falls.
Through his astute leadership skills Mupfumi has led Chinjekure Enterprises through turbulent times including the unprecedented era of hyperinflation between 2005 and 2009 when most companies threw in the towel.
In 2010, Mupfumi incorporated into his fold Senatar Transport Services, a competitor who arguably had bigger operations than him. The move gave Chinjekure a stronghold in major areas of the industry, as Senatar Transport Services had operations in both public (bus and coach) and specialized cargo mainly used in the construction and maintenance of roads in Zimbabwe and the region.
This marked his entry into the international market which he mastered with ease as the company grew its tentacles and this was witnessed by the number of business awards that he has won from thereon.
Mupfumi went on to bag the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce “BEST TRANSPORT OF THE YEAR, 2010” the “BEST TRANSPORTER OF THE YEAR” Mega Festival Bulawayo, 2010, 2019, 2020 and 2021 he won the Megafest Businessman of the Year Award and this time he landed the big one, the Platinum Award for Business Personality of the Year.
The big framed entrepreneur does not only have an eye for money but is a big philanthropist and is heavily involved in community work from the time he was serving the Government as a committed Cop in his home area of Chivhu and Mutare City.
He also learnt some few lessons on international diplomacy and this is witnessed by the way he handled the relations between Britain and Zimbabwe when the two countries could not see eye to eye.
The Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams visited the country in October 2011 and Mupfumi being a devout Christian and an Anglican, he put aside these differences and personally welcomed the Archbishop. He volunteered his personal vehicles and resources to escort the Archbishop on his tour of several Anglican churches in Manicaland Province.
Further to that, he also provided transport to facilitate a meeting between the late President Mugabe and the Archbishop in a bid to strengthen ties between the two countries.
