Zimbabwean government-owned network operator TelOne has appointed Chipo Mtasa as its new Managing Director, to establish the company as the country’s leading network operator.
“Mtasa is coming from a service industry and joining another service industry. She brings a wealth of leadership experience in the corporate sector. The TelOne vision is to become the leading and biggest telecommunications company in Zimbabwe,” said Nicholas Goche, Transport, Communications and Infrastructural Development Minister.
This newly appointed role is a step of restructuring in upgrading the debt-ridden telecommunications operator.
Recapitalisation, financing and funding are top priorities in reforming the company, according to Goche.
“Mrs Mtasa’s experience will greatly assist in this process,” Munesu Munodawafa, Permanent Secretary of Goches, said. Munodawafa was reading Goches’ speech on behalf of the minister himself.
Mtasa is taking over the company from Hampton Mhlanga, TelOne’s Technical Director. Since 2007, the company has not had an official Managing Director.
She will face the challenge of leading a company that is in a great deal of debt. TelOne is burdened by US$300 million debt because of outstanding customer bills.
Although TelOne has accomplished optic fibre transmission links and faster Internet services introduction in the districts of Harare-Mutare and Harare-Buluwayo, it has lacked strategic
management over the past five years.
Mtasa is a qualified chartered accountant as well as the former Group Chief Executive of Zimbabwe’s Rainbow Tourism Group.
The development plans were confirmed by Rosemary Sande, spokesperson of TelOne, without supplying any further commentary on specifics.
