President mourns career civil servant Chitsiko

by | Aug 12, 2021 | Local News | 0 comments

Munyaradzi Chiondengwa

President Emerson Mnangagwa has extended his condolences to the Chitsiko family following the passing on of former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlements Engineer Ringson Chitsiko.

The former career civil servant who retired a few years ago succumbed to Covid-19 related complications on Monday.

“I learnt with deep sadness of the death yesterday of Engineer Ringson Chitsiko from Covid-19 related complications. A long time Civil Servant, many will remember the late Cde Chitsiko as our Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries. Water and Rural Resettlements who until his retirement a couple of years ago, was the face of our efforts towards national agricultural transformation for greater food security for our Nation. Alongside the many colleagues he led in that Ministry, Cde Chitsiko conceived and operationalized several agricultural policies and programmes respectively thus putting our nation on an even agricultural keel after many years of repeated food insecurity,” read part of President Mnangagwa’s condolence message.

Engineer Chitsiko is credited with the drive for the construction of dams and expansion of irrigation schemes thus climate proofing our Agriculture.

That together with the mechanisation sector is testimony to where we are as a nation.

The President who worked closely with Engineer Chitsiko in the First Dispensation when he was Vice President and Chairperson of the Food Security Cluster, said that he will be missed by his colleagues in government and the farming community who drew a lot from his technical leadership and inexhaustible knowledge as a farming expert.

“Above all, he provided invaluable advice to Government during delicate negotiations that yielded the Global Compensation Agreement with former commercial farmers, which Agreement is set to put closure to the protracted Land Question,” said President Mnangagwa

Engineer Chitsiko was awarded a State-assisted funeral for his distinguished career and dedication.