Rangarirai Tatenda Gunda
Rangarirai Tatenda Gunda is an award-winning Zimbabwean entrepreneur with interests in the tourism sector. She is the widow of the late national hero, Brigadier General Paul Armstrong Gunda.
Background
Husband
Rangarirai Tatenda Gunda was married to 1 Brigade commander Paul Armstrong Gunda who died in a mysterious accident after his vehicle was hit by a goods train in Marondera in 2007. Before his death, regarded as suspicious by a section of Zimbabweans, there were persistent allegations that he was among the military officers involved in a failed plot to topple Robert Mugabe.
Rangarirai Tatenda Gunda published advertisements insinuating that her husband had died in suspicious circumstances. In an interview in June 2013, she said the damage to the car was not serious enough to have been caused by a train and Gunda had had a mysterious back injury.
A board of inquiry set up under the defence force's disciplinary regulations found no foul play.[1]
After her husband's death, she engaged in a five year legal battle with the Zimbabwe National Army over ownership of a posh government house they had been living in. Gunda lost the battle and was evicted from the house.
She is quoted by NewsDay in a 2014 news article saying that she believed her husband was killed. Rangarirai Gunda is quoted as having said:
"Definitely, he was killed. Why was his accident not covered by the State media like other accidents of prominent people? He was seen sleeping on the passenger seat with the vehicle showing no damages of crashing against a train. Could we say Gunda drove all the way from Harare to sleep at a railway crossing in Marondera? His killers we see them walking freely and looting the fruits of their positions in government. There is nothing we can do, but wait for God’s justice. I will never forgive his murderers until I die. They deprived my children of a father and me of a husband while their families are happy. Gunda is not a hero (because) according to them, they took everything from him and as his family, we are surviving from our own sweat. However, God is blessing us. We are the living heroes."
Children
She has two sons named Tafadzwa and Tawanda Gunda.[3]
Second Chimurenga Contribution
Gunda joined the liberation struggle in 1977.[4]
Education
Rangarirai Tatenda Gunda attained a diploma in Business Administration in Germany in 1980 and also holds a diploma in secretarial studies from Nairobi, Kenya.[4]
Career
Her work experience includes a stint with the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation as well as working for the United Touring Company (UTC) as a German-speaking guide from 1983 to 1991.[4]
Businesses
Gunda and her late husband co-founded a tourism company in Victoria Falls known as Tatenda Safaris in 1993.[4] By April 2021, Tatenda Safaris had expanded with its head office is in Victoria Falls. Tatenda Safaris has a Bulawayo branch which is headed by Gunda's elder son Tafadzwa and the Harare branch headed by her younger son Tawanda.[3]
Fire
In 2014, a fire burnt down Tatenda Safaris. Nothing was salvaged as office furniture, two deep freezers, laptops, business licences, groceries, utensils and some clothes were burnt.
The fire started at 8PM and was suspected to have been caused by an electrical fault.
Rangarirai Gunda sustained minor burns on her shoulder as she tried to save the property. She told The Chronicle that more than $10,000 was burnt in the inferno.[5]
The two hundred primary schoolchildren that were booked for a chooltrip at the lodge escaped unhurt.[6]
Awards
In June 2018 she won her sixth consecutive Megafest award. She was awarded the Megafest Outstanding Businessperson for 2017 (Southern Region awards) becoming her sixth consecutive award since 2013.
Rangarirai Tatenda Gunda was also awarded an honorary doctorate by the International Institute of Philanthropy (IIP) (Doctor of humane letters, DHL, Honoris, Causa, with all rights and privileges).
References
- ↑ Mystery Zim car-crash deaths haunt Zanu-PF, Mail&Guardian, Published: June 27, 2013, Retrieved: December 1, 2021
- ↑ Gunda’s widow still bitter, NewsDay, Published: June 22, 2012, Retrieved: December 21, 2021
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Peter Matika, Safari operator gets platinum award, Sunday News, Published: April 18, 2021, Retrieved: December 21, 2021
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Richard Muponde, Dr Gunda a widow who picked up the pieces and moved on, The Chronicle, Published: June 2, 2018, Retrieved: December 1, 2021
- ↑ Leonard Ncube, Late hero Brigadier Gunda’s property gutted by fire, Nehanda Radio, Published: October 3, 2014, Retrieved: December 21, 2021
- ↑ NOKUTHABA DLAMINI, 200 kids escape death, Southern Eye, Published: October 3, 2014, Retrieved: December 21, 2021
