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Herald Reporter

The Airports Company of Zimbabwe (ACZ) has appointed Mr Tawanda Gusha as its inaugural chief executive officer with effective from July 1 this year.

ACZ came into being after Government unbundled the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) into two entities last year to avoid conflict of interest.

Mr Gusha brings to ACZ over 21 years of experience in the aviation sector, having worked in different capacities at CAAZ, where he held positions such as air traffic controller and duty manager.

He also worked as a regional airports manager and as director of airports and business development.

ACZ board chair Mr Devnada Popatlal said in a statement that Mr Gusha was mandated to implement the company’s strategic plan.

“We are confident that his strategic and operational knowledge of the aviation industry will bring very valuable and much-needed experience to the company as it seeks to fully operationalise and grow in line with the key national priorities as enshrined in the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1),” he said.

“Part of his mandate will be to drive the implementation of the company’s 2021-23 strategic plan and with it the completion of its separation from CAAZ, the finalisation of our staff recruitment process and the operationalisation of the company’s financial plans.

“Tawanda has demonstrated throughout the years his astuteness and capability as a business leader who can bring about impressive value creation. We look forward to working with him as the ACZ takes flight into the future.

“As the board, we are confident and enthused that in line with our inclusive stakeholder engagement thrust, there will be sustained collaboration along the entire value chain in rendering the CEO and his team the necessary support that they will require in fulfilling the company’s mandate.”

Mr Popatlal is deputised by Dr George Manyaya at ACZ, with other board members being Ms Tinotenda Ndewende, Mrs Rumbidzai Dihwa, Dr Tendai Mabvure and Ms Snikiwe Gwatidzo.

Mr Gusha is a holder of a Masters Degree in Business Administration from the Midlands State University and a Bachelor of Science General Degree (Biological Sciences & Geography) from the University of Zimbabwe.

He also possesses various qualifications in aviation including a Post-Graduate Diploma in Aviation Management from the National University of Singapore.

Mr Gusha has attended several capacity building programmes in the aviation sector both locally and globally.

After the unbundling, CAAZ maintains its name and identity, but its mandate will be limited to regulatory functions, while ACZ’s key mandate will be to acquire, establish and manage airports in the country.
The separation of responsibilities is in accordance with international best practices.

Under its previous structure, CAAZ was both the player and the referee in that it had regulatory oversight, but also operated airports, now it will regulate the operations of the aviation industry, including those of the newly-established ACZ.

ACZ will also be responsible for roads and infrastructure connected to airports while in its new brief, CAAZ will regulate aircraft operation and provide air traffic control.

Both ACZ and CAAZ are under the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development headed by Minister Felix Mhona