It’s our pleasure as My Gokwe Media House to find and locate people from Gokwe who are doing wonders in the country and abroad and document their history for the benefit of the one and other Gokwerians.
Socio-economic linkages is one of our core mission and value. This enables our contemporary Gokwerians and others to see the good work others are doing and contributing to the nation building and economic recovery. It can also help market our fellow Gokwerians’ work.
In our adventures we met Mr Edmore Chimbudzana co-founder of the Alfagri Construction Company at the Gokwe Centre, with whom we had a greatest talk. We also managed to reach to Paul J. Mudege, a core-founder of the Alfagri Construction.
Though ALFAGRI CONSTRUCTION is on “its infancy stages, papers for the company are still being processed” it has done much wonders on the ground of construction throughout the country.
Mr Chimbudzana originates from Gokwe Masoro Area towards Empresss, was born on the 11th of July 1981 in Gokwe and schooled at Ndavambi Primary and Mapfungautsi Secondary in Chisina ward 24.
“I just did my O level in 1998 and ended there with four subjects that is commerce B, shona A history B and integrated science B”, Chimbudzan narrated his education background.
What is fascinating about Mr Chimbudzana’s construction carrier is that it is a product of both inheritance and experience.
“Now on the issue of work experience. Yaaa allow me to tell you this: construction is an In-born talent which I inherited from my father who was a great artisan in construction. Then I had also a chance of working for big companies like Costain Zimbabwe”.
Mr Chimbudzana joined the Construction Industry in 1997.
In 2016 he took part in the Seventh Day Adventist Construction Programme in Kadoma. This gave him an opportunity to meet Mr Paul J. Mudege and they agreed to work together in partnership.
“Takasangana ku Kadoma 2016 pa program ye church tichivaka Church, ndobva tatotaurirana kuti tishande tese ,since then up to now” (we met 2016 in the Church Building Programme and we agreed to work together to date), said Mr Mudege.
Last year, in September 2019 they decided to morph into an established and registered company, but due to lockdown restrictions registration have been delayed but decided on operating as a mobile company.
“Now we operate from our homes. We are two and my partner is from Jaravaza area near Ganye. So
iye anenge ane vamwe kunenge kwamuka basa iniwo nevamwe kunenge kwaita basa,” said Mr Chimbudzana.
They operate in two teams each leading a team of constructors and builders. According to Chimbudzana as a new company, “We don’t have an office yet.”
Despite all the above they have been able to operate countrywide.
“So far we have built houses in Gokwe, Gweru kadoma Harare and also Domboshava,” Chimbudzana.
Their biggest Construction was in Gweru where they got a tender from the Seventh Day Adventist Church to build a college.
“This one is an Adventist College of Education in Gweru near Tree Top along Bulawayo road,” said Chimbudzana.
Through fame and hard work, big businessman, politicians and other elites give them tender to build beautiful homes in the Gokwe rural.
“This one is for Christopher Mutangadura at his rural area,” said Chimbudzana.
Alfagri Construction also provides employment to the Gokwe community.
They employ “Around 16 on average depending on the number of Projects. But on that college project we had almost 27 workers,” said Chimbudzana
Given adequately enough resources completing a structure is a matter of seconds.
“It depends on the size of the house and the adequacy of the supply of material. If material is adequately supplied it won’t take long to complete a house,” said Chimbudzana.
Again, it is the same size of the house and location that determines the charges.
“But sometimes on charging we also consider how complicated is the plan,” said Chimbudzana.
As a Zimbabwean company they are not immune from the socio-economic challenges bedeviling the society at large.
“Now my greatest challenge is most of my clients want to see me doing their work personally. Vanoti toda iwe ndiwe uneruoko rwatinoda so zvoita kuti ndiwandirwe ndoita pressure. Then hatisati tave ne equipment yakawanda inotarisirwa mawheelbarrows, scarfolds and compacting machines,” said Chimbudzana.
Currently they are working on two projects. “This is the project I’m doing now at Empress with a team of 3 other builders and 4 assistant builders. Then we have that other project at Mt pleasant in Harare and that’s where my partner is with a team of 7 people and as you saw they are now doing Roofing,” said Chimbudzana