Property owner scoops businesswoman award Smelly Dube
Smelly Dube

Smelly Dube

Midlands Correspondent
PROMINENT Gweru businesswoman and reigning Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) national businesswoman of the year Mrs Smelly Dube has scooped the Midlands most outstanding businesswoman for 2015 for a record sixth successive time.

Mrs Dube, the owner of River Valley Properties, has developed 10, 000 stands and is constructing houses across the country.

She also scooped the philanthropy accolade in the women’s category after she constructed a house for a blind elderly woman in Woodlands suburb.
River Valley has also serviced thousands of stands in Bulawayo and the Midlands provinces for civil servants and other low income earners on favourable payment terms.

Receiving the award, Mrs Dube said she felt highly honoured and appreciated for the work that she has done in uplifting the face of the sleepy city of Gweru.

“I’m humbled by this award. I would like to express my gratitude to my husband, family and colleagues from River Valley Properties for the support and loyalty that they have shown.

“This is not my award but it is the accolade that has been won by the River Valley Properties family.

“I, therefore, call upon all women in the province to come forth and take up the challenge.

“I feel that in any empowerment drive, women should take a leading role and should also be granted equal opportunities to men.

“This award is also for every woman in business,” she said.

Mr Anthony Clever Pote of the Zvishavane based Pote Holdings scooped the young entrepreneur award.

Pote Holdings General Manager Mr Tamson Mtombeni commended ZNCC for the awards, which he said assisted the business community to forge ahead in working towards the growth of the economy.

Mr Mtombeni, who was the second runner up in the manager of the year category, said while other companies were folding, greater recognition should be placed on those that have remained on their feet.

“We’re honoured with the award as Pote Holdings.

We thank our customers and staff for this award,” said Mr Mtombeni.

Mr Killer Zivhu was the second runner up in the Businessman of the Year category.

He also won the Midlands Philanthropist of the year award. Mr Zivhu said it was high time Zimbabweans adopted a spirit of giving to the needy as a way of uplifting them.

“We must move away from enriching ourselves as a way to amass power and trample down on those who don’t have.

Wealth, money or power should be used to assist others. In that way we will have a developing Zimbabwe,” he said. Under tourism, Antelope Park were the winners while the manufacturing award went to Erdogal Enterprises.

Econet scooped the ICT award while Kwekwe Polytechnic walked away with the tertiary institution award. POSB snatched the bank supporting SMEs award while the Most Outstanding Entrepreneur was Mr Tatenda Karimazondo.

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