Award-winning executive assistant urges women to aim higher

Online Reporter

Top executive assistant and boardroom leader, Ms Edith Mugarisanwa, has dedicated her recent Top Leadership and Strategic Support Executive Assistant of the Year Award 2026 to fellow women.

She said the honour she got from the Global Business Achievers Network at an event officiated by Vice President Kembo Mohadi in Harare recently, should inspire women to believe in their abilities, pursue excellence and create opportunities for others to succeed.

With more than 20 years of experience at Zesa Holdings, Ms Mugarisanwa has built a reputation for professionalism, discipline and meticulous attention to detail, while encouraging other women to support, mentor and lift one another as they pursue their ambitions.

Her message to young girls is particularly clear: believe in yourself, work hard and never allow your circumstances to determine your future.

“Do not be afraid to dream big because you are a girl. Equip yourself with knowledge, remain disciplined, respect yourself and be willing to start small.

“Success does not come overnight; it is built through consistency, integrity and hard work,” she said, urging young women to have the confidence to aspire to leadership positions and to recognise that they have a place in boardrooms and other spaces where important decisions are made.

From boardroom leadership to large-scale national engagements and programmes, Ms Mugarisanwa is contributing meaningfully to national development through consistent excellence, professionalism and disciplined execution.

Her work demonstrates a rare capacity to coordinate stakeholders, support high-impact programmes and strengthen institutional performance, reflecting an unwavering commitment to doing things properly and delivering results.

Ms Mugarisanwa has consistently proven herself in high-pressure environments where success depends on precision, confidentiality and impeccable coordination.

In her role as Personal Assistant to the Managing Director at Zesa Enterprises, she said she supports high-stakes operations that span corporate and state-related events, board-level engagements, international travel arrangements and critical meetings, responsibilities that require excellence at every step.

“From Presidential visits to parliamentary portfolio meetings and investor engagements, I strive to handle it all with calm authority and unmatched professionalism,” she said.

Ms Mugarisanwa’s impact goes beyond execution; she is also a mentor and role model who has trained and guided numerous secretaries over the years.

Through initiatives such as annual secretaries’ conventions, she has helped raise administrative standards and strengthened institutional support systems, ensuring that excellence is not only achieved, but sustained.

“For me, service starts with discipline, being prepared, keeping details accurate and supporting people to do their best work,” she said.

“When everything is properly coordinated, the entire programme becomes stronger.”

Ms Mugarisanwa said the Top Leadership and Strategic Support Executive Assistant of the Year Award 2026 she received was a proud acknowledgement of her strategic value, leadership support role and exemplary service in enabling effective decision-making and national programme delivery.

“The award is a big honour for me and I thank the organisers for recognising my contribution to national development through effective execution of duty at corporate level,” she said.

“I am inspired by this recognition and I pledge to continue serving my nation and my employers better. Excellence is the gateway to economic growth and we can only scale higher with commitment and passion.”

Beyond her day-to-day executive assistant responsibilities, Ms Mugarisanwa’s major national event coordination highlight includes the 2024 Independence Celebrations in Mutare, where she organised the Miss Uhuru programme in collaboration with the Office of the President and Cabinet, delivering with impressive results that further confirm her passion for excellence, service and duty.

“National programmes carry responsibility,” she said. “You have to plan early, communicate clearly and ensure every detail supports the bigger purpose.

“I experienced exactly that with the Miss Uhuru coordination in 2024 and I thank the organisers and my superiors for the opportunity.

“I am honoured to have served my country by making sure that I face every challenge I am given with great humility, commitment and professionalism.”

Ms Mugarisanwa recently held the STEM Mentorship and Educational Tour with St Hughes Ushwokunze Secondary School in Dema, supported by Zesa Enterprises under its Corporate Social Responsibility programme.

The engagement brought together government officials and key stakeholders, including Government Ministers, the junior parliamentarians and businesswoman Ms Zodwa Mkandla, who generously supported the event and contributed towards the construction of a laboratory at the school.