ELLEN MLAMBO
MIRROR REPORTER
MASVINGO – SECURICO Security Services, a leading security company camped in Masvingo for two days this week and celebrated its 25th anniversary by planting trees at various schools.
The tree planting activities which are taking place a month before the National Tree Planting Day on December 1, are done in partnership with the Forestry Commission.
Securico which is now a household name was born on December 1, 1998. It grew in lips and bounds starting with just four employees and now boasts a workforce of 4 000.
The company serves top market clientele including the banking sector, manufacturing, mining, Diplomatic Missions and NGOs.
The theme of the Silver Jubilee is Our Journey, Our People, Delivering Excellence since 1998.
The celebrations are taking place in style as the company is visiting various towns in the country where trees will be planted at 25 schools. Planting trees in schools is to impart a culture of conservation and catch them young, said a company official. It is also part of the company’s corporate social responsibility.
In Masvingo a luncheon was hosted at Flamboyant, a Regency Group Hotel after tree-planting.
Securico managing director and founder, Dr Divine Simbi- Ndhlukula is taking part in the celebrations which began early in the week in Mutare.
After Mutare, the celebrations were at Ndarama High on Thursday morning and in the afternoon at Junior High. On Friday the company planted trees at Helen McGhie Primary. Next week the same celebrations will take place in Bindura before moving to Gweru.
The celebrations will proceed to Bulawayo and end in Harare.
Dr Ndlukula, an award winning businesswoman with international recognition was last month inducted into the Excellence Hall of Fame in Dublin, Ireland.
She said the exercise was part of their primary focus on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
“Our Corporate Social Responsibility focuses on three primary things. Today, the focus is on two areas, Corporate engagement through the education sector. The other pillar is environment, tree planting exercise is important in mitigating climate change induced hazards. We want to continue partnering with schools in this exercise,” she said.
Dr Ndhlukula said the organisation started with four people has and now has over 4 000 workers.
“We started with four people and now we are over 4 000. We have grown and managed to get to our Silver Jubilee celebration. As our Silver Jubilee theme says, Our Journey, Our People, Delivering Excellence since 1998, we believe we have a very motivated and highly engaged team from the operative (guard) to the board of directors,” she added.
Forestry Commission Acting Provincial Manager Edwin Machokoto said the exercise which saw planting of both exotic and indigenous trees serves various purposes including provision of sheds, fruits, beautification of the town, improved natural scenic views and oxygen generation.
Ndarama head Oddy Matongo and Junior High head Munyaradzi Mataruse applauded SECURICO for the tree planting initiatives.
