Chidawu a man of many talents
THE Minister of State for Harare Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Cde Oliver Chidawu, who died at his Harare home on Tuesday and was declared a national hero, was a man of many talents and one of a kind.
He will be buried at the National Heroes Acre tomorrow.
Cde Chidawu’s name will forever be written in the annals of history as the youngest ever mayor of Harare, a position which he assumed at the tender age of 29 when the country was still in its infancy after gaining Independence from Britain in 1980.
He was among the pioneers of black empowerment in the early 1980s when the word was little known, nay little understood.
Relatives said Cde Chidawu was a man of many talents, with a huge heart that embraced all, and an eye for business that propelled him to the top, not only in business but also in politics.
At the time of his death, he was the Minister of State for Harare Metropolitan Province and Devolution and was the owner of several companies.
His sister Winnie described him as a “unifier and courageous man whose life revolved around uplifting the lives of all family members”.
This was backed by their younger sibling, Irene, who said the family has been robbed of a pillar of strength, and well of wisdom.
“We have lost a father, employer, and unifier in the family. He was successful in business as is known by all and sundry.
“He employed many people and they survived through his generosity. He was a loving man, he had resources and love, and this made him a darling to many.
“Oliver Chidawu didn’t choose who to help, he helped every family member depending on your needs in life, he was a generous man.
“He took care of many people in the family and we have lost our pillar of strength,” she said.
As testimony to his generosity, Cde Chidawu took many people under his wing, including his beloved nephew Mr Louis Huni, whom he adopted.
“I was adopted by the late national hero when I was still at school. Maybe it was because I was intelligent. He adopted me and started to pay my tuition fees up to Upper Six. We used to stay at his homestead in Highlands.
At that time, he had so many companies, approximately 30”.
But he didn’t take his business acumen to the grave. Cde Chidawu saw to it that his relatives and associates take a leaf from his works.
“He would train you from scratch until you are in the right lane. When it came to business, he would not tolerate any nonsense.
He used to make a follow-up on whatever task he would have given us. In short, I can say he was industrious and I think one of the reasons he was doing well in his companies is that he used to read financial statements from newspapers to see how other companies were performing,” said Mr Huni.
Apart from being a successful businessman, Cde Chidawu was also a Pastor at the Assembly of God Church in Mabvuku.
Mrs Enert Chigweshe, a cousin to the late national hero, said Cde Chidawu was a brave man who used to sneak into Mozambique with medical supplies during the liberation struggle for the freedom fighters.
“My mother and his mother were siblings. When Oliver’s mother got married, she adopted me so since the birth of Oliver, I was staying with his mother. I never faced any challenge with Oliver but sometimes I would struggle to carry him because of his big body. Oliver was very bright and intelligent in school. He was very obedient and intelligent and at some point, he won a bursary”.
Cde Chidawu did his primary education at St Faith Mudoti in Chivhu up to Standard four. He later relocated to Harare in Kambuzuma. He advanced his education through City and Guilds up to tertiary education. Cde Chidawu succumbed to a heart attack on Tuesday and is survived by his wife Sphiwe, two children, and six grandchildren.