Charity Maodza |Zimbabwe buried a true national hero in the mould of Dr Charles Utete. He is the first civil servant to be interred at the national shrine. President Mugabe could be visibly seen that he was shaken by the sudden death of a civil servant that he worked with for a very long time. He was a true aide to the president of this nation and as the chief secretary to the President; he is accountable to all that the achievements that the President has been credited for during his service.
Dr Utete left a legacy that all civil servants must pursue, emulate and uphold. He was an upright worker, one who knew no corruption. If there was any crime that you could nail against him, that would be industriousness. He is a book that today’s crop of civil servants must read. He brooked no corruption of any form. He was a real professional and this explains why many companies jostled for his signature for him to sit on their boards. This is the reason why Government continued to summon his service while he was on retirement.
I interfaced with him while he was the board chairman of the Zimpapers. He gave the Zimpapers an unparalled professional guidance that saw the Zimbabwe exchange listed group growing in leaps and bounce in the harsh macro-economic environment. It was during his leadership that Zimpapers launched a radio station called Star FM and many other publications such as H-Metro and B-Metro. He had to resign from Zimpapers after some political meddling in the operation of same. In a casual chat with Dr Utete, he confided in me that he could not stand the political pressure which was bent on firing “my winning team.” He hanged the boots soon after the former Zimpapers Chief Executive Officer, Mr Justin Mutasa was expelled.
Dr Utete’s conferment of a national hero’s status flies in the face of people who used to accuse Zanu PF of giving such status to politicians only. Zanu PF has proved that the national shrine is for everybody who contributes outstandingly to the social, political, economic and cultural growth of this country. Rest in peace Dr Utete.