Mr Swaim was appointed last year after his predecessor, Rwandese and Canadian citizen Mr Aimable Mpore failed to renew his two-year work permit.

Telecel claims Mr Mpore has been deployed to oversee operations elsewhere within the group as a way of sharing experience.

While the newly-appointed managing director claimed his stay would be brief, he is unlikely to leave in less than two years.

Mr Swaim, who has been involved in the firm's operations since 2004 as a Telecel International financial consultant, is a United States citizen with right of residence in Switzerland.

"I have come in as managing director (of Telecel Zimbabwe) in an interim position, while looking for a Zimbabwean to take over.

"Orascom Telecom adheres to a philosophy of management mobility which entails managers in Telecel Zimbabwe taking up positions in other operations within the group (Telecel International) and vice versa as a way of sharing experience and skills," said Mr Swaim.

There was no indication yet among the local Telecel executives as to who is likely to be groomed to take over as Telecel boss.

The US-born managing director is an experienced Orascom Telecom executive and sits on both the Telecel Zimbabwe and Telecel International boards of directors.

Orascom Telecom, which owns Telecel International, the present majority shareholder in Telecel Zimbabwe, became recently part of global telecommunications group, Vimpelcom.

Mr Swaim said Vimpelcom, with headquarters in Amsterdam and listed in New York, had additional internal controls and corporate governance rules applicable to its associated companies.

He said the control and governance rule for listed firms would have to be implemented, hence the need for the deployment in Zimbabwe of specialist skills from other operations to Zimbabwe.

He added that the integration of the group would benefit Telecel Zimbabwe and should open up new opportunities for it, continues on its growth path in the current year.

"We are extremely interested in the African market and we view Telecel Zimbabwe as our potential crown jewel on the continent," he said.

This comes after the firm saw its mobile subscriber base increase from under 500 000 to over 1,2 million at present.

Mr Swaim contends the accomplishment of the integration puts Telecel Zimbabwe within a first- class worldwide recognised telecommunications group.

By The Herald