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By Ross Moyo
NetOne says wellness must become a national conversation and not just a personal hobby, with its PR Officer Rudo Vicente standing in for PR Manager Ernest Magadzire telling guests at the Comrades Achievement Awards that a healthy nation is a productive nation.
Reading the NetOne Partnership Address on behalf of her boss and the company at Monomotapa Hotel, Vicente said the partnership with the Zimbabwe Comrades community speaks to an important national priority.
She said a healthy workforce strengthens organisations, healthy communities strengthen economies, and responsible businesses today must recognise that their contribution to society cannot be measured only by financial performance. It must also be seen in the lives they touch, the communities they strengthen and the future they help to build.
Vicente linked wellness to the wider Environmental, Social and Governance agenda, explaining that the S in ESG is about people, communities, inclusion, health, opportunity and social impact. For NetOne, supporting initiatives that encourage Zimbabweans to move, participate, connect and pursue healthier lifestyles is part of responsible corporate citizenship.
She said the 2026 Comrades Marathon Up Run covered 85.777 kilometres, which is more than two standard marathons, involving running, climbing, fatigue and mental battles. Yet, she said, the message from that extreme distance should be inclusive rather than intimidating.
She told the audience that NetOne would like the celebration to send a simple message beyond the room: You do not need to run 85 kilometres to begin your wellness journey. Walk one kilometre. Run five. Take on ten. Attempt a half marathon. Run a marathon. And perhaps one day, dare yourself to stand at the starting line of Comrades. What matters is taking that first step.
Vicente said that is why NetOne embraces the language of partnership, wanting its involvement to represent a meaningful relationship with athletes, the Comrades community and the broader wellness agenda. She said partnership asks how corporate Zimbabwe can work alongside athletes, sporting organisations and communities to build a healthier, more active nation.
The awards, were therefore positioned as both a sporting honour and a public health call to action.
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