Thompson Dondo
| Thompson Dondo | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Kanganwirai Dondo February 1972 Zimbabwe |
| Died | 2 January 2021 Harare |
| Cause of death | Kidney failure and diabetes |
| Burial place | Hokonya Village, Chivhu |
| Residence | Zimbabwe |
| Nationality | Zimbabwean |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Organization | Impala Car Rental |
| Known for | Founding Impala Car Rentals |
| Spouse(s) | Francesca Dondo |
| Children | King 98 |
| Relatives | Sam Dondo, Alfred Dondo, Clara Dondo |
Thompson Dondo was a Zimbabwean entrepreneur and the CEO of Impala Car Rental which he founded in 2007. He was also a former chairman of the now defunct Chitungwiza based Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League team Kiglon Football Club
Background
Kanganwirai Thompson Dondo was born in February 1972 in Zimbabwean and has a son named Ngoni. He was known for being the CEO of Impala Car Rental. His business (Impala Car Rental) was linked with Zimbabwe's Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) by online publication The Hews Hawks after the company failed to produce footage and details of the people who had hired its vehicle which was used in the abduction of Tawanda Muchehiwa in July 2020.
He had a brother named Sam Dondo who is a musician.
Wife
He was married to Francesca Dondo.[1]
Children
He survived by three children, Ruvarashe, Mudiwa and Ngonidzashe popularly known as King 98.
Career
Dondo was one of the directors at the now-dissolved UK company Synergy Harrogate Limited from 14 Jan 2005–14 Jan 2007. He was also former chief executive officer of the now defunct Chitungwiza based Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League team Kiglon Football Club. He sponsored 100 fans to go and watch a CAF Champions league match between CAPS United Football club against Algerian giants USM Alger at the giant National Sports Stadium in 2017.[2]
Business
Dondo ran a small group of companies that also included the now defunct Kiglon Football Club. He once worked as a laundry man at a nursing home in the United Kingdom before going back home to start his business. He admitted getting arrested several times for violating UK immigration rules before the homecoming trip in 2006.
Hiring Casper Nyovest
He had a deal to bring Casper Nyovest in 2017 to perform at the Impala at 10 Music Concert which set for September 2017 at the Glamis Arena in Harare.[3]
Criminal Record
Police in the United Kingdom hunted four fugitives including Kanganwirai Dondo in 2009 for dodging the law by failing to turn up at court. The three men and a woman were on bail from Teesside courts when they failed to keep their appointment in front of the bench. Kanganwirai Dondo who was 36 years old then in 2009, failed to attend Teesside Crown Court on November 19, 2007. His last known address was in the Ingleby Barwick area.[4] Inspector Tony Rock, from Cleveland Police, said: “If persons are bailed to court and fail to attend, a warrant will be issued for their arrest.
Nude Pictures
Former Kiglon FC chairman Thompson Dondo sent nude picture of himself to a woman he had never met despite being married in 2014. The woman whose name was withheld told Nehanda Radio that Dondo used social networking site Facebook when he saw her profile picture after she had commented on a video on the popular Zvirikufaya na Keda Facebook page.[5]
Controversy on his business
One of the vehicles used by state security agents in the abduction of Tawanda Muchehiwa, the nephew of ZimLive editor Mduduzi Mathuthu, was hired from a Harare car rental company, ZimLive can reveal. The white Ford Ranger was returned to Impala Car Rental in Harare on August 6 with a damaged suspension and tyres, the vehicle’s owner confirmed.
Ford Ranger Used in abduction
Impala owner Thompson Dodo confirmed they hired out the vehicle in late July for six days. “Unfortunately, your enquiry involves personal information. What I can tell you is that the vehicle was hired out to a regular client. We would be much more comfortable sharing that information with the police,” Dodo said.
Both Dondo and the vehicle’s registered owner confirmed that police were yet to contact them – two days after we released the video of the abduction clearly showing the vehicle’s number plate.[6]
Impala confirms ownership of abduction car, see the statement from the car rental company below:
Following a social media video clip which implicates one of our rental vehicles (Registration No. AES 2433) in an alleged abduction for Tawanda Muchehiwa in Bulawayo, Impala Car Rental would like to advise all our valued stakeholders that we are really concerned with this matter.
As a service provider, we are limited in controlling where and how our vehicles will be used because clients are not obliged to disclose their vehicle hiring purposes. It is very possible that some clients may use our vehicles for criminal activities without our knowledge & it is not our intention to cover up for such criminals.
As Impala Car Rental we stand obligated to cooperate with any investigations by the Law Enforcement Agents into this matter so that Tawanda Muchehiwa gets justice.
We would like to assure all our stakeholders that Impala Car Rental remains committed to providing the best service possible at all times!
Thompson Dondo Chief Executive Officer
29 August 2020
Press Statement by Impala Car Rental
Death
For details surrounding Dondo's death and burial see this article: Thompson Dondo Death
References
- ↑ Bruce Chahwanda The birth and growth of Impala: An insider’s viewpoint, ZBC, Published: December 9, 2020, Accessed: December 9, 2020
- ↑ [1], The Herald, Published: 24 May, 2017, Accessed: 3 December, 2020
- ↑ Thompson Dondo, [2], The Sunday Mail, Published: 10 September, 2017, Accessed: 3 December, 2020
- ↑ [3], Teesside Live, Published: 21 January, 2009, Accessed: 3 December, 2020
- ↑ [4], Nehanda Radio, Published: 30 October, 2014, Accessed: 3 December, 2020
- ↑ [5], ZW News, Published: 30 August, 2020, Accessed: 31 August, 2020
