Supplementary feature: Sifelani Jabangwe

SIFELANI Jabangwe is past president of the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries.

He also has 20 years of experience in the manufacturing industry, a sector that he is very passionate about. He has also previously served as a Zimtrade board member.

Currently, he is the chairperson of the local content implementation committee for the Industry and Commerce ministry. He holds a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering and an ACCA Diploma in Finance. He is currently finishing his dissertation for his MBA at Africa University.

He is the co-author of the self-development book “Dreams for Reality Pathway”

NEW BOARD FOR COTTCO

The seasoned industrialist and past president of the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) Mr Sifelani Jabangwe, was recently appointed as the board chairperson for the Cotton Company of Zimbabwe by the Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement minister Dr Anxious Masuka.

In his remarks, Masuka challenged the new board to turn the parastatal into a viable commercial entity within one year.

He added that improving the viability of farmers through capacitation programmes for climate-proofed cotton production and the adoption of best management practices, including new varieties is among other urgent issues the board should be seized with.

Jabangwe will be deputised by Dr Onai Muvingi and other board members includes. Cynthia Tapera, Dr Ezekia Svotwa, Dr Mildred Mushunje, Mavis Marongwe, Pious Manamike and Medlinah Magwenzi.

ABOUT COTTCO

Cottco Holdings Limited is the holding company for The Cotton Company of Zimbabwe, also known as Cottco. It is the only operating company under Cottco Holdings Company. It is the largest cotton producing company in the country, with an 80 percent market share.

The company was privatised in 1994 and was in competition with Cargill at the time. After the year 2000, various players came and in the year 2005, when the foreign currency challenges began, Chinese companies also joined the cotton industry. At the peak of hyperinflation 2007/8, there were 28 cotton companies in Zimbabwe although they were fly by night companies.

The company has revived its relationship with farmers so that they start to grow cotton again.

The response has been positive considering that the Presidential Input Scheme is now in place.

The Presidential Input Scheme was first announced by the then Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa during the 2015 National Budget with the aim to revive cotton production.

The inputs package is a direct subsidy to the farmer administered by Cottco.

During the 2015/6 season, 10 800 tonnes of seed cotton were delivered by farmers to Cottco, and for the 2016/7 season 54 000 tonnes of seed cotton were delivered by farmers. The jump represents a 400 percent growth in cotton production. For the 2018/19 season, output was 63 000 tonnes of seed cotton.

The company has 400 000 farmers countrywide in cotton growing areas namely Chiredzi, Chinhoyi, Gokwe, Kadoma, Mutoko, Mutare, MT Darwin, Muzarabani and Sanyati.

OUR VISION

To be Africa’s agri-business giant.

OUR MISSION STATEMENT

We are passionate about creating a winning world class Agribusiness

James North: The protective clothing giant

• JAMES North has made a name for itself as Zimbabwe’s ultimate manufacturer of protective clothing wear and professional work wear.

The company, which has been operational for the past 63 years, has developed a reputation for providing a wide range of head-to-toe protection solutions which include fire-resistant clothing, safety helmets, boots, and other personal protective equipment items and services.

One of the key lines manufactured by James North is rainwear, which comprises raincoats, shaft sinking suits, rain suits, rain capes, wader suits, children rain coats, cyclist cape, nato ponchos and meat carrying capes.

The company’s rainwear has an appealing look and excellent finish. It is also 100 percent water proof, highly durable, weather-resistant, easy to clean, easy to wear or use and easy to carry. Above all, it is value for money due to its competitive pricing.

The range on offer is available in various sizes and can be altered to client specifications. As the old saying goes, when it rains it pours one has to turn to James North’s apparel and stay covered.

When choosing the right personal protective equipment (PPE), it is important to bear in mind that there is no one-size fit-all.

To maximise the safety of workers, consider the following when selecting personal protective equipment (PPE):

1) Consider head-to-toe PPE solution needs. What environment do employees work in? Will the PPE need to stand up to harsh chemicals, extreme weather conditions or uneven terrain? What are the major issues and challenges that workers have to face each day?

It is important to enlist the services of a PPE that offers a wide breadth of PPE solutions. The ideal provider should be an experienced provider who offers head-to-toe safety solutions. Such a PPE solutions provider will save you the time, money and energy you would have spent searching for individual products.

2) Ensure the safety solutions meet evolving standards. Industry safety standards generally change every three to five years. If your company acquires PPEs using outdated standards, it could be penalised heavily.

As such it is important to ensure that the PPE provider you choose consistently updates the equipment they provide in line with current safety standards.

3) Consider workers’ comfort, too. In order to ensure that workers wear specialised PPEs in a consistent manner, comfort should be a big consideration. Some workers are supposed to wear PPEs for long and grueling hours but they can only do so if comfort is not guaranteed.

Due to new advances in materials science, it is now possible to meet the demand for lighter and more comfortable equipment for the workplace, including safety footwear, without sacrificing protective capabilities.