SHE just loves reading and her success hinges on that hobby.

Rising from being a bank teller to head the human resources and administration department of a renowned regulatory authority has been a journey of hobbies for Avilla Goba.

It is a journey of three decades that began with an unplanned romance with the banking sector, yet everything seems simple and smooth-flowing for her.

She has every reason to smile as she basks in the glory of her recent appointment to the presidium of the Chartered Institute of Secretaries (CIS) with a strong conviction that her success spring will never run dry.

“I wanted to be a teacher after school because I enjoy reading and sharing information.
“I thought teaching would keep me close to my books but my father had another idea.

“He persuaded me to join the banking sector after school and that is how my professional life began,” said Goba.
Guided by the principle of a girl who values parents’ advice, she joined the People’s Own Savings Bank (POSB) as a teller just after school in 1979.
Since then, it has been a story of studying and rising until she joined the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) as head of human resources and administration in 2002.

She still holds that position.
But do not be deceived, she is not the “bookish” type that spends most of her time in the library or study room.
Goba values her precious social time and makes sure that she makes use of every second that she gets for socialisation.

Studying comes naturally and she does not need to strictly budget time for it unless a special desk examination is beckoning.
“I love  music and travel. Fortunately, my job involves a lot of travelling and I enjoy it so much.
“I love going around the world, seeing and discovering places.”
Hobbies seem to be positively encroaching into her profession.

She has talked of music and her favourite artist locally is Oliver Mtukudzi.
She does not hide the fact that she used to follow his shows.
“Most people of our age group grew up in Highfield like Mtukudzi.

“He is a great musician and I remember that the song Perekedza Mwana was a hit at my wedding back in December 1981.”
Well, she clarified her Highfield connection.

She was born in that high-density suburb and attended Chipembere Primary School before going to Presbyterian Mission School in Mhondoro.
And about the wedding, she is married to Wellington Goba; her maiden name is Mharapara.

They are blessed with three daughters and a son.
She proudly declares that Wellington is “my one and only husband.”
He is an accountant by profession.
Back to her love for music, Goba is also into international music and listens to the late Michael Jackson a lot.
Besides being a fan she is a musician in her own right.

“I am the choir conductor at church and I enjoy every moment of my music presentations at any gathering.”
Talking about church, she is a catholic and makes sure not to miss a service when she is well and around.
She believes that God has been behind all the success she has recorded.

“I just find things flowing smoothly, even when I face challenges it is easy to sail through because God is always on my side. He has also given me a beautiful family.”

So, when she comes from church every Sunday what does she do? She cooks for her family and they have meals together. It is her best way to nurture a strong family bond.

She is not worried much about what to cook because the family enjoys a variety of dishes, from traditional to contemporary recipes — from mutakura to lasagna.

When it comes to dressing choices, Goba is one liberal character who tells you that she does not like the “too long” skirts but something that touches just below the knees.

Of course she maintains it's black and dark blue to look executive.
She had that executive look from her days as a bank manager through to her two-year stint at the Privatisation Agency of Zimbabwe until she joined Potraz.

She is proud of her important role in the regulation of postal and telecommunications services.

Potraz falls under the ministry of Transport, Communication and Infrastructural Development and is mandated by law to issue licences in the postal and telecommunications sector in addition to setting terms and conditions for licences issued.

Goba seems so obsessed with this sector that she even did a dissertation on telecommunications for her Masters in Business Administration degree.
And her love for books has seen her enrolling for a degree on community development studies with the University of South Africa over and above her ongoing CIS fellowship.

BY GODWIN MUZARI

Comments (1)

Show/Hide comments

Show/Hide comment form