Herald Editor Ruzvidzo honoured

Yeukai Karengezeka

Herald Correspondent

THE Herald Editor Victoria Ruzvidzo clinched the prestigious Diamond Award for Outstanding Woman in Media and Communication of the Year at the Megafest National Women’s Business Awards held in Harare last Friday.

The event was a celebration of innovation, resilience and leadership as Zimbabwean women in business took centre stage to honour their achievements across various sectors.

Ruzvidzo, who holds the distinction of being The Herald’s first female editor, expressed heartfelt gratitude after receiving the award.

“I am humbled by such recognition. God is so gracious to me. I thank the organisers, Megafest and the hardworking team at Zimpapers,” she said.

“My family has been instrumental too. Journalism is not just a career for me, it’s a passion and the award inspires me to continue giving my best.”

With 32 years of journalism experience, Ruzvidzo also served as the first female editor of The Sunday Mail before assuming her current position.

Her dedication to mentoring hundreds of young journalists has been evident through her involvement in the Friedrich Naumann Foundation Journalism programme, Womentorship, the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe programme and the joint initiative between the US embassy and HIFIC, among others.

Zimpapers National Advertising  and Marketing manager, Mrs Phillipa Gomo, was also recognised in the same category, further highlighting the media organisation’s prominence in shaping the industry.

Mrs Gomo thanked the organisers for the award.

“I am very happy to be recognised in the media industry. I would like to thank God the Almighty for this recognition in marketing and sales, where I have served for 43 years,” she said.

“I would also like to thank my clients, the sales team that I work with, all my colleagues at Zimpapers, family and friends, without whom I could not have achieved this feat.”

Other remarkable women were celebrated for their contributions across various industries.

Dr Afra Nhanhanga, director of C.A.G Traveller’s Tours, spoke of the challenges of running a male-dominated transport business.

“It requires hard work, discipline, determination and prayers to succeed. I encourage other women to venture into this sector without fear,” she said.

Natasha Kasukuwere, a 30-year-old entrepreneur from Comoil Pvt Ltd, emphasised the importance of breaking barriers.  “Winning this award shows that women can achieve anything they set their minds to. The glass ceiling has been broken and hard work does pay off,” she remarked.

Other honourees included Rugare Dhobbie (Mutapa Investments) and Tsungi Manyeza (ZINARA) for Outstanding Public Relations and Corporate Affairs.

Joanna Sharpe scooped the Outstanding Humanitarian Worker of the Year award, while Tatiana Sharpe was the Outstanding Young Woman Leader Under 35.

Anorah Sibanda (Gainquip Pvt Ltd) was awarded with Outstanding Achievement in Engineering.

Health and wellness expert Jessie Mhaka also got an award as an outstanding woman in mental health and wellness.

Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Minister Monica Mutsvangwa who was represented by the chief director in her Ministry Mrs Lillian Matsika Takaendesa, commended the contributions of women to Zimbabwe’s economy and highlighted the Government’s commitment to empowering women as part of its Vision 2030 agenda to achieve upper-middle-income status.

“Women constitute more than half of our population. Their contribution to entrepreneurship, industry, and innovation is indispensable to national development. Empowering women economically is not just a moral imperative, but also an economic one,” she said.

She spoke of the importance of collaboration between the Government, private sector and civil society to ensure no woman is left behind, particularly in the SME and informal sectors.

Megafest Holdings’ public relations manager, Vuyolethu Moyo highlighted the growing success of the awards, which introduced new categories this year.

“For years, we have hosted the Megafest Women’s Awards with 20 categories. This year, we expanded to 40 categories to reflect women’s contributions across all industries and sectors,” Moyo said.

The awards, established 17 years ago, continue to celebrate and nurture leadership under the visionary leadership of co-founder and chief executive, Mrs Mercy Matsika.

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