Harare (New Ziana) – President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Monday said the death of the inaugural Zimbabwe Investment Development Authority (ZIDA) chief executive Douglas Munatsi in an inferno has robbed the country of a ‘creative business leader’.

Munatsi died in a fire in his ninth floor apartment in the early hours of Monday.

Police said investigations were underway to establish the cause of the fatal fire incident.

In a condolence message, President Mnangagwa said Munatsi’s death had shocked him.

“The death this morning of our inaugural Chief Executive Officer of the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Authority, ZIDA, in unclear circumstances came to me as a great shock.

“A leading banker, visionary business leader and an outstanding farmer, the late Douglas Munatsi had become our point man in operationalising our nation’s one-stop investment for improving the investment climate and ease-of doing business for our country.

“Through his knowledge and under his versatile direction, Zimbabwe was able to make an impression globally in a short space of time, registering positive ratings in the eyes of the global investor community,” said the President.

President Mnangagwa said before, and only last week, the late Munatsi led efforts to showcase Zimbabwe in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and at the African Continental Free Trade Area fair in Durban, South Africa.

“We have lost a creative business leader and a great patriot, making our nation all poorer for it.

“On behalf of Government and on my own behalf, I wish to console the Munatsi family, especially Amai Munatsi and the children who now have to face the world without a husband and loving father respectively.

“As we await completion of police investigations into this fatal fire incident, may they continue to find comfort and solace in the visible footprints the late departed made in serving this country,” said President Mnangagwa.

Munansi was one of the founding shareholders and first chief executive officer of Bancabc.

He was appointed the first ZIDA chief executive officer in 2020.

New Ziana