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Leroy Dzenga

Senior Reporter

The First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa has called on women to rise and play more visible roles in activities that inform national development.

She made the clarion call at the Chartered Institute of Projects Managers Zimbabwe Awards Women in Project Management Leadership Summit and Awards on Friday.

The awards were celebrating women who are managing large scale infrastructure projects across the country.

In a speech read on her behalf by the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution in Mashonaland East Aplonia Munzverengwi, Dr Mnangagwa said women are naturally inclined to become better project managers.

“The inherent abilities that women possess include patience, loyalty, hard work, empathy, multi-skilling, and paying attention to detail. These unique capabilities are critical for Zimbabwe’s re-imagination and rebranding efforts, and for the realisation of our national vision of becoming an upper middle income economy by the year 2030.

“With more women playing a pivotal role in Zimbabwe’s development initiatives at workplaces, built environment, and in the community, the sky is the limit,” she said.

Dr Mnangagwa said the development trajectory Zimbabwe is taking, through various infrastructure projects, can create opportunities for women with skills.

“I, therefore, challenge all women to play an active role in sustainably driving global, national, corporate, community and family projects to success through knowledge sharing, opportunities sharing, and the sharing of challenges and experiences, women in leadership can break the glass ceiling and tap into a blue ocean of growth opportunities like never before,” the First Lady said.

Dr Mnangagwa said women are project managers at various levels of their lives.

“Project Management is the process of leading the work of a team to achieve all project goals, within the given parameters. This definition makes every one of us a project manager, be it at work, at home, in the community or at national level, whenever we lead a team to achieve certain goals within a certain resource or time limitations,” the First Lady said.

She called on entities recognising women, to also include those manning projects in rural areas.

The First Lady said women should always be ready to assist those in need within the community.

“I founded the Angel of Hope on February 17, 2018 with a mission to uplift lives of disadvantaged children and other vulnerable members of society.

“This philanthropic project is about standing up and taking responsibility for Zimbabwe’s future as the core of its activities is the commitment to create a better future for our children irrespective of gender, race, religion, tribe or economic status.

“Without deviating from today’s theme, the Angel of Hope Foundation is a living testimony of the philanthropic projects that women can partake in to make Zimbabwe a better place for all,” said Dr Mnangagwa.

Dr Mnangagwa said ongoing developments in the economy are set to open more opportunities for women in project management.

“On a national scale, in line with Vision 2030 Zimbabwe’s infrastructure is developing at a fast pace. Today, we have a state-of-the-art city that is rising in Mt Hampden, with project investments worth billions of dollars coming in from China, the United Arab Emirates, and local investors to mention a few.

“We have also witnessed the emergence of new manufacturing plants in Zimbabwe, as the country moves to beneficiate its raw materials and reduce its import dependencies,” the First Lady said.

“Construction of the billion-dollar giant iron ore and carbon steel plant is taking shape in Mvuma, courtesy of Chinese owned Tsingshan Holding Group.

In 2019, Chinese company Sunny Yi Feng Tiles opened a multi-million dollar wall and floor tile manufacturing factory in Norton – a move that created thousands of jobs in the country’s growing Real Estate sector,” she added.

The First Lady said the widening, rehabilitation, and upgrading of the Harare-Beitbridge Highway, construction of the state-of-the-art US$88 million dollar Mbudzi Interchange and the key milestones made under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP2) signify how serious the Second Republic is towards infrastructure development.

Interestingly, the Harare-Beitbridge Highway is being executed by five locally-owned construction companies,” said Dr Mnangagwa.

She said the ongoing Zambezi water project will solve the century-old chronic water woes of Bulawayo and the Matabeleland region and spur socio-economic growth by creating a greenbelt of Agricultural Projects in the region.

“On completion, a cumulative 452 kilometre water pipeline will run from the Zambezi River to Gwayi-Shangani Dam and from the Dam to Bulawayo, respectively,” the First Lady said.

The First Lady said most national projects are focusing on agriculture, manufacturing, energy, housing, water and sanitation, health, ICTs, education, transport and infrastructure development sectors of our economy.

“This sectoral focus presents an opportunity for the private sector to partner with the Government in providing bankable solutions to Zimbabwe’s challenges and opportunities,” said Dr Mnangagwa.

She urged financial institutions, local investors and foreign investors to utilise the investment openings that are emerging as a result of the development work being undertaken in the country.

“The question that arises is what role can women in leadership play in the realisation of Zimbabwe’s national, corporate and community project goals?” the First Lady said.

Ms Gladys Mtetwa-Nyemba, the director training and development for the Chartered Institute of Project Managers Zimbabwe, said the inaugural women in project management summit and awards were a huge success.

“It was very inspiring to note the many big achievements that women are making in projects that are of national magnitude,” she said.

“And bringing all those women together, the veterans and the upcoming, was truly wonderful for us. We are grateful for those who turned up for the two-day summit and we celebrate with all those who were honoured at the awards ceremony.

“Most importantly, having First Lady, Amai Mnangagwa as our guest of honour for the awards ceremony was a very humbling experience for us. It made the women feel special to be honoured at the highest level.

“Amai Mnangagwa’s humility, even in her speech, resonated very well with every woman who attended the conference and awards, because it was about women being authentic and being themselves, making a difference in their natural element.”

The award winners described the First Lady as an inspiration and role model because of the many life-changing projects she is undertaking throughout the country through her Angel of Hope Foundation.

Among the winners were TelOne managing director Mrs Chipo Mtasa,  CEO of the Zimbabwe Women’s Microfinance Bank Dr Mandas Marikanda, Ms Loreto Chimuka of Fossil Contracting, Ms Svodesai Sithole and Ms Lorna Moffat of NetOne.

Ms Chimuka, the Fossil Group executive director business management system, described her award as an Influential Woman in Construction and Road Rehabilitation as an honour.

She said the implementation of ISO 9001:2015 gave her an opportunity to bring to the table the quality of paying attention to detail, “which is a quality unique to women”.

Ms Chimuka said the recognition she got added to the gratification she is deriving from doing their work.

“It is such an honour to be contributing to the development of our country as Zimbabweans by Zimbabweans. And as a woman contributing through the smooth running of the projects because of the systems that we implemented, elevates the role that we are playing as women,” said Ms Chimuka.

“To be honest I felt I didn’t deserve to be part of such distinguished women. I felt happy as well to be a woman in construction among other women who have broken barriers within the industry by doing exceptionally well in their roles.”

Ms Svodesai Sithole, one of the winners on the night who led the development of the Travel Pass for the Africa Union’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, said the event showed her the number of projects led by women countrywide.

“I feel like I have a responsibility to do even more in the work that I do to raise my organisation’s name, as well as the country’s name in all that I do,” she said.

A project manager, Ms Sithole, said: “Project managers are usually behind the scenes, you get used to it but having someone who is saying they need to recognise project managers is important. “For it to be particularly for women in projects in a field where there are a few women, it is a good way of making the future brighter for the younger girls.

“We are making them see that there is project management and we can do so much.”

Commercial project manager for NetOne and vice president Projects Management Institute (Zimbabwe Chapter) Ms Lorna Moffat who was among the 30 winners, said: “We were honoured that they recognised the ladies, which is very difficult to work in that industry because you are balancing home and working in an industry that has been long dominated by men.

“Most of us were very excited, remember we have the conventional project manager and the unconventional project manager, we were taking from all aspects. We had economists, doctors, marketers, lawyers, IT specialists being recognised for project management work.”

She dedicated the award for a billing project she did for NetOne, to the team she worked with.