The owner of RioZim, Harpal Randhawa, a varied mining company that produces gold and coal as well as refines nickel and copper. The plane that crashed was also owned by RioZim and was heading towards the Murowa diamond from Harare- the capital of Zimbabwe.
The plane had a technical fault, that caused a mid-air explosion, prior to plunging into Peter Farm in the Zvamahande region. Confirming the news of crash, a statement from RioZim said, “The Murowa Diamond Company (RioZim)-owned white and red Zcam aircraft had left Harare for the mine at 6 am and crashed about 6km from Mashava.”
Who is Harpal Randhawa?
Founder of private equity firm GEM Holdings, the 60 year old Randhawa was worth $4 billion. He had huge gold, diamond and coal mining operations running in Zimbabwe and was an important figure in the country.
As per his profile on LinkdIn, Randhawa had served as the chairman of the GEM group for past 30 years post its establishment in July 1993. Apart from that, he was a partner at Sabre Capital Worldwide for 12 years and a senior adviser at the real estate firm Safanad for three years.
He finished his education at the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and the University of London. If reports are to be believed, he was planning his next business venture. His wife’s name has not been disclosed yet.
The tycoon’s son, 22-year-old Amer Kabir Singh Randhawa, is a pilot, who also died in the tragic accident on Friday. The names of the other deceased passengers have not been revealed by police yet.
Reactions to Randhawa’s death
Even though the names of the dead passengers are not still known, journalist and filmmaker Hopewell Chinono, who was a friend of Randhawa, confirmed the deaths of Randhawa and his son.
“I am deeply saddened by the passing of Harpal Randhawa, the owner of RioZim who died today in a plane crash in Zvishavane. Five other people including his son, who was also a pilot but a passenger on this flight, also died in the crash,” wrote Chinono on X.
“My thoughts are with his wife, family, friends and the RioZim community.” The RioZim company secretary said a full statement will be issued. “I am not in a position to address the media right now. We will however be issuing a statement as soon as possible,” he said.
Many people expressed grief and condolences over Randhawa’s death on social media. Meanwhile, the local community and law enforcement agencies are working together to manage the aftermath of the plane crash.
All passengers and crew onboard lost their lives
The Herald, a state-owned daily newspaper, quoted police as saying four of the victims were foreigners and the other two Zimbabweans. “The Zimbabwe Republic Police reports a plane crash which occurred on September 29 between 7.30 am and 8 am, where six people are confirmed dead,” police said.
“The Murowa Diamond Company (RioZim)-owned white and red Zcam aircraft had left Harare for the mine at 6 am and crashed about 6km from Mashava.” RioZim confirmed the crash and said it was working with relevant authorities to gather more information.
Names of the deceased are yet to be disclosed by police but journalist and filmmaker Hopewell Chinono, who was a friend of Randhawa, and he confirmed his death.
“I am deeply saddened by the passing of Harpal Randhawa, the owner of RioZim who died today in a plane crash in Zvishavane. Five other people including his son, who was also a pilot but a passenger on this flight, also died in the crash,” wrote Chinono on X.
