Zimpapers Logo

Minister Patrick Zhuwao

Margaret Matibiri, Harare Bureau
Personal assistant to the Minister of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, Mr Rangu Nyamurundira, has been appointed the acting chief executive officer of the National Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Board (NIEEB) following the resignation of Mr Wilson Gwatiringa.

Mr Nyamurundira was recently appointed vice-chairperson of the NIEEB board led by Mrs Thandiwe Nkomo-Ebrahim.

Minister Patrick Zhuwao tasked Mr Nyamurundira to ensure indigenisation compliance across all sectors of the economy.

“The task that lies ahead as Mr Gwatiringa hands over the baton is that of localising economic empowerment, while working with line ministries to ensure indigenisation compliance across all sectors of the economy,” he said.

“I am confident that you (Mr Nyamurundira) will live up to that task, a national task, which you must now take over as acting CEO, more so at a time that NIEEB realigns its ever important mandate with the line ministry approach and presidential clarifications on indigenisation and economic empowerment.”

Mr Gwatiringa, who was the first CEO since 2010 when NIEEB was established, expressed enthusiasm and confidence for the future.

“Looking into the future, I believe the programme will continue to grow in importance. Resource nationalism and economic empowerment of disadvantaged people continues to be topical issues globally, and I see the programme gaining traction.

“I have been with the ministry for almost seven years, but now I have to move on. There is a time for someone to start and end some opportunities, and it is now time for me to pursue prospects in the mining industry,” he said.

Mr Nyamurundira said he was greatly honoured to be considered for the position of CEO.

“Being someone who worked with Mr Gwatiringa for three years here at NIEEB first as a compliance manager and as a corporate secretary, I understand the work that the CEO was doing as far as driving the national agenda as far as indigenisation is concerned, to achieve broad-based empowerment,” he said.

NIEEB was established through an Act of Parliament to spearhead the process of transforming the peripheral role of the indigenous majority in the economy to a leading role in the mainstream economy together with the attendant benefits of improving their standards of living.