harare24dmin Zimbabwe and the broader Southern African business community woke to solemn news on 15 January 2026: Mutumwa Dziva Mawere, one of the region’s most influential and controversial business figures, has died at age 66. Mawere’s life and legacy have long stirred strong emotions, and reactions to his passing have reflected the complexity of a man who was both admired and deeply criticised.
Mawere shot to prominence in the 1990s, building one of Zimbabwe’s largest home-grown corporate empires through Africa Resources Limited, with substantial interests spanning mining, manufacturing, financial services, telecommunications and international trade. At its peak, his business network included major assets such as Shabanie Mashaba Mines, a cornerstone of Zimbabwe’s industrial sector. His influence extended across borders, making him a household name in Southern African commerce.
Yet alongside admiration for his strategic brilliance, Mawere’s career was marred by controversy. Allegations of political entanglement, legal battles with the Zimbabwean government, and prolonged disputes over his business empire’s control have marked his public life for over two decades. Some saw him as a symbol of entrepreneurial tenacity; others pointed to actions and legal challenges that harmed stakeholders and communities.
Among those moved by his passing is media personality and businessman Mr Shephard Dube, whose poignant tribute captures both personal experience and candid assessment of Mawere’s impact.
“Nothing makes me more emotional than the death of Mr Mutumwa D. Mawere,” Dube wrote. “What makes me emotional is that people are saying he was a good man… He did not care what people thought about him… Mawere was not a good man, he was an intelligent, evil and manipulative human being who destroyed many talents, killed many dreams.”
Dube did not shrink from controversy in his reflections, describing a formidable leader whose treatment of colleagues could be harsh and purposeful. He referenced his own time working with Mawere, recalling that the business titan “enjoyed every moment of it, putting [people] through hard times just for fun,” and lamented the pain inflicted on those around him—a sentiment that dwells on the darker side of Mawere’s leadership.
“If Ginimbi was still alive he would tell you what he suffered at the hands of Mawere,” Dube added, drawing on shared stories within the business community.
Despite this, Dube also acknowledged the educational value of his experiences under Mawere’s tutelage—lessons that shaped his own trajectory—even as he lamented the absence of transformation toward compassion later in the tycoon’s life.
Mawere’s death thus occurs against a backdrop of mixed public memory: a business strategist whose ventures once employed thousands and shaped economic discourse in Zimbabwe, and a figure whose ascent and decisions provoked debate over ethics, power and responsibility.
As Zimbabwe mourns, conversations about Mawere’s legacy will no doubt continue—spanning admiration for his business acumen and criticism for his interpersonal impact. In the final reckoning, his life story remains a vivid chapter in the region’s commercial history, one that challenges observers to weigh tremendous influence alongside profound controversy.
