“I would like to challenge each one of us today to go through life with an expectant and open mind. Instead of complaining and asking why me, may we instead ask ourselves what life is trying to teach us. May we never despise humble beginnings. May we not look down on anyone for we do not know who will help us tomorrow,” read part of the Birthday message post by Hon Machakaire on his Facebook page.

Ngoni Dapira

THERE is a biblical verse that says ‘The stone which the builder’s rejected has become the cornerstone,” (Psalm 118:22), which speaks about how sometimes people tend to underestimate other people when they are downtrodden but ironically those same people someday may grow to become the pillars of their support system.

Birthdays always bring out nostalgic moments in people, and this was the case with the youthful and wealthy deputy Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Minister Tinotenda Machakaire who celebrated his 40th birthday on Tuesday. Honourable Machakaire poured his heart out on his official facebook page @HonMachakaire as he went down memory lane and felt the need to advise the nation to never ‘look down on anyone’ citing that people should never ‘despise humble beginnings.’

The childhood pictures that Hon Machakaire posted as his birthday message on his Facebook page.

“I would like to challenge each one of us today to go through life with an expectant and open mind. Instead of complaining and asking why me, may we instead ask ourselves what life is trying to teach us. May we never despise humble beginnings. May we not look down on anyone for we do not know who will help us tomorrow,” read part of the post by Hon Machakaire.

Part of the Facebook Birthday message post by Hon Machakaire on his birthday.

This might have been prompted by his Covid19 experience in August last year. He tested positive for Covid-19 and was one of the first and few senior government officials to come out public on social media about his condition during the height of the global covid-19 pandemic.

Hon Machakaire who is a member of the Johane Marange Apostolic Church did his primary and secondary education in Wedza in Mashonaland East Province where he is now the legislator for Wedza South. He ventured into carpentry in Harare in 1998 and in 1999, he was employed by the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) as a contract worker in Rusape. That is how fate led him to the eastern region where he eventually grew his business tentacles to become the wealthy transport mogul he has become and now a politician under the ruling Zanu-PF party.

However, the rural boy had to hustle hard to get where he is. He started off with a single vehicle when he ventured into the transport business but went on to acquire several commuter omnibuses that plied the Marange route in 2003.

Hon Machakaire

Under the company trademark Cunrode Investments, he would import goods for people from South Africa during the hyperinflation Zimbabwe dollar era just to stay afloat. It was however in 2007 when he registered his company TinMac Investments and he acquired his first haulage truck. By 2014, he had acquired over 30 state-of-art haulage trucks that delivered goods in and around Southern Africa. He was the head of logistics for Command Agriculture, which also gave him a lot of business for his trucks. His business acumen and hard-work  saw him being accorded the 2014 Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) Manicaland Province Businessperson of the Year.

After being elected into Parliament in the 2018 elections as the  Wedza South Member of Parliament. In November 2019, Machakaire was appointed to deputise in the Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Ministry, which is his current position.

Hon Tino Machakaire (second from left) in Parliament.

Obviously a man of his financial stature is bound to have controversies, of which in 2019 Machakaire was accused of prejudicing the State of thousands of dollars by using letters from the President’s Office to facilitate the importation of vehicles for his personal projects duty-free. However, up-to-date Machakaire remains a popular social figure who none the less tries to keep his private life private.

Living the top billing life now Hon Machakaire as they say life begins at 40.

The rural boy, Machakaire who now owns various state-of-the-art vehicles and properties has become the epitome of youths that the sky is the limit. His message of hope to everyone from humble beginnings was applauded by many who liked and commented on his Facebook page.