The Tawengwas are a notable family of Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...

 engaged in business, farming and politics. The original family business was Mushandira Pamwe Buses, established in 1942. In 1960, George Tawengwa

George Tawengwa

George Tawengwa was a prominent Zimbabwean businessman. He was the owner of Mushandirapamwe Hotel at Machipisa shopping centre in Highfield, Harare and others. He was the first black person to buy a farm in 1960, in then Rhodesia...

 became the first black person in Southern Rhodesia

Rhodesia

Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...

 to purchase a commercial farm, the Rhodesdale Farm (renamed Zimdale Farm after independence, in 1980). He made news headlines in 1977 when he purchased five farms for cash in one transaction. He also became owner of the Mushandira Pamwe Hotel in Highfield, Harare

Highfield, Harare

Highfield is a high density suburb in Harare, Zimbabwe. It is one of the oldest townships in Zimbabwe.- Geography :Highfield is a high density suburb to the south west of Harare the capital of Zimbabwe. Popularly known as Fio in local slang...

(1972). At the time, it was unheard off for a black person to be so prosperous under the Smith

Ian Smith

Ian Douglas Smith GCLM ID was a politician active in the government of Southern Rhodesia, the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Rhodesia, Zimbabwe Rhodesia and Zimbabwe from 1948 to 1987, most notably serving as Prime Minister of Rhodesia from 13 April 1964 to 1 June 1979...

 regime. George Tawengwa's sons, Solomon and Charles also became prominent businessmen and farmers. They both served as Harare

Harare

Harare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its...

 mayors

Mayor of Harare

This is a list of mayors of Harare since the city was renamed from its former designation as Salisbury under British and Rhodesian rule.-Mayors of Salisbury:* John Pascoe* William Ernest Fairbridge * William Harvey Brown * William Smith...

. The family has had close links with the Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe

Robert Mugabe

Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...

 since before Zimbabwe's independence in 1980. It is rumoured that the first seed money for Zanu-PF, came from their father, George Tawengwa. Charles served as Senator until 2008. His aunt Edna Madzongwe

Edna Madzongwe

Edna Madzongwe is the President of the Senate of Zimbabwe. She was previously Deputy-Secretary for Production and Labor.She was elected to the presidency of the Senate on November 30, 2005...

, is the current President of Senate and a member of the Politburo. The President of Zimbabwe is a cousin of Mrs Edna Madzongwe.