THE son of the late property mogul, Edward Nyanyiwa – popularly known as Eddies Pfugari – Edward Nyanyiwa Jnr, says he is focused on steering his father’s legacy and working hard to ensure the businesses he left behind continue to flourish and is undeterred by a multiplicity of threats the business is facing.
By Staff Reporter
Pfugari, one of the pioneers of Zimbabwe’s black economic empowerment crusade, died on February 10 last year at his Milton Park home in Harare aged 82, leaving behind a massive business empire and assets worth an estimated US$30 million over which his children are rowing.
Nyanyiwa Jnr is battling to steady the ship amid tides which came up following the demise last year of his father, including an attempt by his siblings to oust him from the company in a nasty estate wrangle that has been raging since for almost two years.
The matter is yet to be decided by the High Court.
In addition, he has also been dragged to court by a section of residents of the low density suburb, Knowe, who wanted him jailed on behalf of his father for failing to implement the development of sewerage and water reticulation infrastructure as had been directed by the court.
The High Court dismissed the case. An appeal at the Supreme Court is yet to be heard.
He has also survived an attempt by his siblings to deport him to South Africa, where he was born to Pfugari and a South African woman.
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In an interview, Nyanyiwa Jnr said he is focused on keeping the business afloat.
“I am not worried about those issues, my concern now is to help keep the business, which employs hundreds of people around the country and has contributed significantly in infrastructure development and reduction of the housing backlog, and not the legal battles. This is a passing phase,” he said.
Speaking in reference to the Knowe saga, he said: “I wasn’t even listed as a respondent and there is no way I could have taken a sentence which is not mine.”
“I have engaged the Norton Town Council over the issue and we agreed to solve the issue together. The problem is that there is a stand-off between the company and the council. Council started collecting rates and therefore effectively accepting a handover of the project, on account of which they must proceed to put sewer and water pipes. We want the money paid by residents to go towards service delivery,” he said.
“Our obligations are with respect to pipes and roads and we have completed that in phases 1 to 3 and we are waiting for council engineers to come, inspect and approve the work. I’m not interested in the legal battles, I am only worried about development,” he added.
