The Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) has honoured employees who have served the organisation for between five and 40 years at a staff wellness and long service awards ceremony held in Harare on Friday, as the authority seeks to promote employee well-being and recognise institutional commitment.
The event brought together CAAZ management, employees, their families, service providers and other stakeholders for a day dedicated to health, wellness and recognition of staff contributions.
Activities included an eight-kilometre fitness walkathon, health checks, aerobics and Zumba sessions before the programme culminated in an awards ceremony celebrating employees who have served the authority over several years.
In a speech read on her behalf by Honest Murindagomo, guest of honour and CAAZ Board Chairperson, Retired Deputy Commissioner General Nonkosi Makhosana Ncube, said employee wellness was central to the authority’s ability to fulfil its mandate.
She said the occasion brought together two important priorities: building a sustainable institution while ensuring that the people driving its operations remained healthy and supported.
“Our staff wellness and long service awards day connects two aspirations: an authority that endures and people who thrive within it,” Ncube said.
She said employee wellness should not be treated merely as a personal responsibility or a human resources function, but as a leadership responsibility and organisational priority.
“A resilient authority needs people with the support, confidence and capacity to meet its responsibilities. Being well means more than reporting for duty; it means nurturing our well-being, both physically and mentally, while maintaining good relationships and managing life’s pressures with good support,” she said.
Ncube also called for workplaces that encourage open communication, dignity and support, warning against organisational cultures that confuse excessive workloads with commitment.
“Let us never confuse exertion with dedication, or silence with strength. As leaders and colleagues, let us listen, communicate expectations thoughtfully and make it easier to raise concerns early to avoid unnecessary burnout,” she said.
She also acknowledged the contribution of employees’ families, saying their support, encouragement and understanding were important to sustaining long careers.
The awards recognised employees across eight service milestones, covering the combined 2025 and 2026 financial years.
A total of 59 employees were recognised, including six in the five-year category, 12 for 10 years of service, 13 for 15 years, 10 for 20 years, six for 25 years, two for 30 years, six for 35 years and four employees who had completed 40 years with the authority.
Ncube said recognising long service should also involve creating opportunities for experienced employees to share their knowledge with younger colleagues.
“Honouring the past must also prepare us for the future. Let us make space for experience and fresh thinking to meet, for questions to be asked and knowledge to be shared. A living legacy is not simply what we keep; it is what we pass forward,” she said.
Acting Human Resources and Administration Director Rogers Zizi said the ceremony reflected the authority’s commitment to creating a workplace where employees felt respected, supported and able to thrive.
He said wellness extended beyond physical health to include financial, mental and emotional well-being, relationships and the balance between professional responsibilities and life outside work.
“For us in CAAZ, our work is about people, not just policies and procedures. We want a conducive workplace environment where everyone feels respected, supported and able to thrive,” Zizi said.
He encouraged employees to make use of the wellness services provided during the event, adding that health checks would continue beyond the formal programme.
“Today is a reminder that taking care of ourselves matters and that asking for support is a sign of strength and not a sign of weakness,” he said.
Zizi emphasised that wellness should remain an ongoing organisational priority rather than an activity confined to an annual event.
“Remember, wellness is a continuous process; it is not an event,” he said.
He also congratulated the long-serving employees, acknowledging the role played by their families in supporting them throughout their careers.
Bringing wellness and long service recognition together, Zizi said, was a reminder that the authority’s success depended not only on the years employees spent at work but also on how they cared for themselves and one another.
