Cottco searches for new CEO

By Martin Kadzere, The Chronicle - THE Zimbabwe Cotton Company of Zimbabwe (Cottco), the country's largest cotton firm, has begun the process of recruiting a new chief executive, sources have confirmed.

This is during a period in which the company is experiencing changes in the leadership and introspection.

Acting chief executive Mr Roki Mutenha, who is a former Grain Marketing Board (GMB) general manager and chief executive officer of the Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA), is in charge on an acting basis.

He replaced the temporarily but bitterly departed Mr Munyaradzi Chikasha, who was put on forced leave for failing to declare business interests to the Cottco board.

The scandal spread from the office of the head of state to other top managers, such as business unit managers, who were also accused of corruption and abuse of power.

While some of the managers purportedly had been prosecuted, information available to us indicates that the majority of them, including Mr Chikasha, have since been reappointed to their posts after investigations found no case against them.

"The appointment of a substantive chief executive is a priority for Cottco as we want to establish our leadership and ensure the long-term prosperity of the organisation and the cotton industry," said a board member of Cottco, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of protocol issues.

Cotton supports around 85 percent of the country's cotton production under the Government Presidential Inputs Scheme.

The quest for a substantive chief executive began long ago.

The job has remained vacant since Mr Pious Manamike left in October 2022. Ms Priscilla Mutumbwa, who previously worked at Cargill, another cotton company, was given the job a year later.

Her stay was, however, short-lived after she allegedly flunked her probation period, leaving the number one position vacant again. The Chronicle