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Dr Utete

Correspondent

We find solace knowing that during the course of his life he fought a victorious fight and our heavenly father was ready to receive his son.

NO one can prepare for such a sudden and shocking loss. It comes like a swift wind. Prayers and fond memories are all that is left to remember our dearly departed, Dr Charles Utete.

The conferment of national hero status indeed affirms Dr Charles Utete’s special achievements and personal qualities both in Government service and in the private sector. It attests to his great work ethic and true visionary leadership as the Chairman of Seed Co Zimbabwe. In his role as the board chairman, Dr Utete ensured that obligations to stakeholders were understood and met.

He effectively led the board, setting its agenda and ensuring it is an effective working group for over 10 years. He created a culture of openness and frankness during board meetings, which cascaded down to all Seed Co employees, thus allowing room for effective communication.

His effective leadership of Seed Co is evidenced by the growth of the business and the profit margins registered by the company in spite of the prevailing challenging economic conditions.

Having worked passionately for his country as a respectable civil servant for 22 years, Dr Utete is befittingly credited with the onerous task of setting up the structures of the current civil service.

Some people are just born great leaders and so it was for Dr Utete that shortly after retiring from the civil service, he was invited to join the board of Seed Co Zimbabwe as chairman.

He brought the same passion and enthusiasm to lead Seed Co Zimbabwe over some periods characterised by challenges. He also made significant contributions as a board member of the Seed Co group.

It is during his tenure as Seed Co Zimbabwe chairman and a board member of the Seed Co Group, that the company grew to become the leading seed house on the African continent and consolidated its leadership position in the country.

A very unassuming, astute and incisive character, Dr Utete’s unexpected departure from this world has created a void in the Seed Co family which cannot be easily filled. We have no doubt that the Utete family has been robbed of a fatherly figure as much as we have within the Seed Co family.

It is our human nature to want to understand everything now, but we can only look to a higher power when situations are beyond our human comprehension. So we look to the Creator whom we trust to be the giver and taker of life.

We find solace knowing that during the course of his life he fought a victorious fight and our heavenly father was ready to receive his son. This is a route we will all take. He invested in hard work, generosity and truth, which we should cherish.

The country will truly miss a champion of fighting hunger and poverty. The greatest compliment we can give him is to keep their memory alive. Dr Utete was committed to ensuring that our farmers produced to their maximum best and may we carry on with what he truly loved.

To the family, we wish to express our deepest sympathy for your loss. We share in your sorrow with love, friendship and support.