Businessman Ben Mucheche dies

Harare- Businessman and former president of the Indigenous Business Development Centre (IBDC) Ben Mucheche has died.

He was 96.

Express Mail Zim could not immediately ascertain circumstances and cause of death but a family member confirmed the development.

“Well, it is true but let me give you contacts of my uncle ,I can’t speak on behalf of the family,” he said preffering not to be named.

The provided mobile phone numbers were not getting through at the time of writing.

Mucheche was in the inner circle of the late president Robert Mugabe and a proponent of black economic empowerment who distinguished himself in transport and farming industry.

Being one of the pioneering black businessman in the transport industry, he also played a pivotal role in the liberation struggle as his taxis (Easy Way Taxis) transported freedom fighters in Highfield leading to his arrest in 1978 charged with transporting “terrorists”
and providing them with subsistence money .

In his memoir, he said that at one point he donated one of his taxis to the late former Vice president Joshua Nkomo and delivered it to him in Bulawayo- to show his input in the fight for freedom.

After independence, he diversified into a full fledged bus operator (Mucheche buses) during the time pioneering businessmen like the late Tobias Musariri, Roger Boka, Chidziva, John Mapondera the Machipisa brothers were also coming up .

At IBDC he succeeded Chemist Siziba who was the founding president with Strive Masiyiwa been the founding secretary general.

This is a developing story …..