ONE of Zimbabwe’s trailblazing indigenous corporate business leaders, Enos Dzengedza Chiura, also known as EDC, has died.
He was 89.
His son, Allen, who is an American board-certified consultant urological surgeon in private practice in Harare, confirmed the sad news yesterday.
EDC’s accomplishments included becoming Delta Corporation Limited executive chairperson and inaugural chairperson of Zimbabwe Sun Limited (now African Sun Limited).
The late business icon did all the heavy lifting ably assisted by five other board members who included Patrick Rooney, Ron Stringfellow (CEO), Eric Bloch, Robbie Mupawose and Muchadeyi Ashton Masunda and got Zimbabwe Sun listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange in April 1990.
He also became chairperson of Central Africa Building Society; Merchant Bank of Central Africa Limited; and National Social Security Authority.
The late Chiura served with distinction on the council of the revered Institute of Directors Zimbabwe.
He was an alumnus of Georgetown University in Washington DC and was once described by a fellow alumnus as a natty dresser who “dressed like someone straight out of the ‘gentlemen’s quarterly’”.
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He was very passionate about the development of his beloved Zimbabwe on a sustainable basis.
He will be fondly remembered as a great mentor who nurtured the likes of Joe Mutizwa who went on to become the CEO of Delta Corporation Limited; chairperson of African Distillers Limited and chairperson of starafricacorporation limited.
He also mentored Vimbai Willard Zireva who went on to become the CEO of OK Zimbabwe Limited; chairperson of MBCA (now Nedbank Zimbabwe Limited) and chairperson of Old Mutual Life Assurance Company Zimbabwe Limited.
Mourners are gathered at 49 Orange Grove Drive, Highlands, Harare.
The burial is likely to be at Greendale Cemetery today.
Born on February 12, 1933 in Harare, Chiura is survived by his wife Faith Mary, a retired nursing sister, and two children, Allen and Munyaradzi.
In a statement yesterday Much Masunda said:
“I was saddened to learn that one of the iconic indigenous corporate business leaders, Enos Dzengedza Chiura (EDC), passed away last night in Harare at the age of 89 years. I have very fond and enduring memories of the pivotal role which he played as the inaugural chairperson of Zimbabwe Sun Limited (ZimSun) (now African Sun Limited) which was hived off from the Leisure and Hospitality Division of Delta Corporation Limited in April 1990 and listed separately on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange,” Masunda said.
“The other five board members who assisted EDC with “the necessary heavy lifting” that had to be done to get ZimSun off the ground were Patrick Rooney, Ron Stringfellow (the CEO), Eric Bloch, Robbie Mupawose and myself.
“It was a huge learning curve for me to serve under EDC in 1990 as I was the youngest board member at the age of 38 years and still very wet behind the ears then.”
Mutizwa said: “He was my mentor. He is the one who brought me into Delta in 1983. He mentored me until his retirement. We have lost a rare breed of leader. Humble to the end.”
