Savious Madanhire
Thousands of mourners gathered to pay their last respects to the late Lazarus Chikadaya, a renowned entrepreneur and philanthropist, who passed away last week after a short illness.
He was buried at Destiny Memorial Park in Gweru on Sunday afternoon.
The attendees included the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution responsible for the Midlands, Cde Owen “Mudha” Ncube, government officials, business leaders, residents, and individuals from all walks of life.
Family spokesperson, Ms Conceptor Mpofu expressed grief and loss, highlighting Chikadaya’s importance to the family.
“He was everything in this family. He would take everyone on board without segregation.
The void he has left will be difficult to fill. We have just been robbed, and it took us by surprise.”
Furthermore, workers from his establishments described Chikadaya as a mentor, father and life changer, pledging to keep his legacy alive. “To me, Mr Chikadaya was more than my boss.
He took me from the streets and offered me a life. He was more like a father figure to me,” one said.
The Minister Owen Ncube paid his respects, describing Chikadaya as a “versatile entrepreneur, champion of development, and compassionate philanthropist.”
He expressed his deepest condolences to the Chikadaya family, noting that his sudden passing had left a huge gap that would be difficult to fill.
He highlighted Chikadaya’s contributions to the country’s development, citing his involvement in major infrastructure projects such as the Harare-Mutare Road dualization and dam construction.
“He made transformational investments that promoted skills development and technology transfer by employing state-of-the-art equipment along the infrastructure development value chain,” Hon Ncube said.
Chikadaya’s business journey began as a tax officer before expanding into spare parts, commodity broking, infrastructure development, cattle ranching, crop production, and fresh farm products markets.
As the mourners bid farewell, Hon Ncube implored them to take a leaf from Chikadaya’s exemplary life. “Oswell Lazarus Tichaona Chikadaya, you fought a good fight and finished your race,” Hon Ncube said, quoting 2 Timothy 4:7. “Go well, son of the soil.
Zororai Murugare.”
Oswell Lazarus Tichaona Chikadaya passed away on April 23, 2025, in Harare after a short illness, leaving behind two wives, several children and grandchildren.
