The ManicaPost
Editor
Contrary to the popular belief that funeral assurance company Nyaradzo Group is only seized with burying the dead, the organisation is on a mission to preserve human life through various initiatives, the group’s chief executive officer Mr Phillip Mataranyika has said.
In a wide ranging interview with The Manica Post as the company celebrates its 20 years of service, Mr Mataranyika revealed that after emerging from January’s third wave of Covid-19, which saw the company handling thrice the number of funerals they ordinarily handle, the company has been on a drive to encourage people to mask up and protect themselves from the highly contagious virus.
To date, several media houses, including Zimpapers, have benefited from Nyaradzo’s donations of personal protective equipment.
Nyaradzo Group Head of Strategy and Coorporate Affairs Mr Batsirai Simango hands over a PPE donation to The Manica Post Editor Mrs Wendy Nyakurerwa-Matinde. — Pictures by Tinai Nyadzayo
“If exposed to the virus, some our customers might die. We think that prevention is better than cure.
“We have been told and now we know that PPE is our best foot forward in terms of prevention so we want to ensure that our partners, our friends and those on the frontlines like us — journalists included — have access to protective equipment,” said Mr Mataranyika.
In addition to the mask up campaign, Nyaradzo has been also encouraging its 1 500 workforce to get vaccinated, with the bulk of them already vaccinated.
Zanu PF national secretary for finance, Cde Patrick Chinamasa (centre), hands over to Deputy Officer Commanding Police in Manicaland, Assistant Commissioner Joahannes Govo, the bicycles donated by Nyaradzo to Nyazura Police Station while Member of Parliament for Makoni South, Cde Misheck Mataranyika (extreme right) and other officials look on.
“We have been encouraging everybody to get vaccinated because it is the only way out. Funeral service industry players were classified as front liners and were given the opportunity to get vaccinated in Phase One of the national roll-out plan. We are very grateful to the Government for that.
“Most of our staff have since been vaccinated and we are due to get the second jab. I was vaccinated at Wilkins Hospital in Harare and I am due for my second jab on the 31st of March,” said Mr Mataranyika.
Under Friends of the Environment (Fote), the organisation is also promoting environmental conservation through awareness-building, establishing tree seedling nurseries across the country and planting trees.
To date, Fote has established 31 nurseries across Zimbabwe and is producing various types of tree seedlings among them gums, shade, ornamental, and both indigenous and exotic fruit trees.
The organization is chasing a target of planting 500 million trees by 2026 with the support of various corporate partners.
“Due to our desperation for energy, we have been cutting down more trees than we have been planting. Yet trees need to be preserved as they help us a lot in terms of purifying the air that we breathe and fighting soil erosion.
“As it is, we no longer have clean air due to air pollution — we are driving cars, running computers, and all those things contribute to global warming and environment contamination. So the good source of protection that can help mitigate environmental challenges are the trees.
“So we must educate our people to understand the implications of their actions. Fortunately, the tree planning project has been well received by both the public and our partners,” said the trailblazing CEO.
Globally, deforestation is estimated at 10 million hectares per year, down from 16 million hectares per year in the 1990s due to recent afforestation efforts.
Locally, deforestation gutted 37 percent of forested land between 1990 and 2015, hence Zimbabwe is losing 330 000 hectares (more than 815 000 acres) of forest annually.
