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NewsDay

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Why target Telecel and spare Marange firms?

Opinion & Analysis
I have been keenly following the above cases to see whether there is a strategic fit between government actions and ZimAsset.

I have been keenly following the above cases to see whether there is a strategic fit between government actions and ZimAsset.

Denis Shoko

It appears government actions are not in sync with ZimAsset which in some way may affect its successful implementation.

Suffice to say, the key implementation of ZimAsset relies on the following key success factors such as political commitment and leadership from the highest level and strong collaborative partnerships among government agencies, the private sector, citizens and other stakeholders to increase foreign direct investment.

Investors out there are not moved by our promises, but by what we do. When we use strongarm tactics against a foreign investor already in the country it scares away those who are outside who intend to come into the country.

ZimAsset is very clear that our approach should be collaborative and this implies engagement, trading positions, trading ideas and not instructions.

It implies agreeing to do what is best for Zimbabwe and its people.

It implies winning someone over to your side if need be, but not dragging them over to your side. It implies all parties giving up something for the best of all.

It has to be noted that what makes an economy is the size and number of economic players in it. These are our partners. They are not enemies of State. The relationship is a tripartite one.

We should always engage our corporate citizens in a friendly, helpful and win-win manner. It has to be appreciated that every company in Zimbabwe that employs a single Zimbabwean is a fervent supporter of the government even if individuals in the company, directors included, may have different political inclination.

My question to ICT minister Supa Mandiwanzira is: Assuming your son commits an offence, would you kill him? If not, why would you act differently to one of your good, but struggling sons –Telecel? Here is a company that is employing over 1 000 Zimbabweans and paying them monthly.

Here is a company providing a service to millions of our people including our own supporters as Zanu PF. It is not debatable that they have not complied with indigenisation laws and that they are still to fully pay for the licence. But are we not able to privately engage them and seek a win-win solution because what we say and how we act as government sends a wrong message to the corporate citizenry in general and to outsiders in particular?

Are we not able to arrange a monthly payment system where they can spread the fees over the lifespan of the licence?

The lives of millions of people are in government’s hands. Why didn’t Mandiwanzira speak to management of the individual companies with a view to helping them and safeguarding the interests of the State, workers and investors?

Capital is extremely sensitive to threats of whatever nature. Even local capital is sensitive to threats.

The behaviour of government is inconsistent, dictatorial and not engagement. Can government not operate without ultimatums? Do we really need to use force always to get something done? We may have won the independence through force, but we cannot manage a country, let alone business, through force.

They pay all their royalties, taxes and salaries to employees (our people) to the satisfaction of all parties. They have honoured their community share ownership obligations or they are not hostile to them. Why then is government forcing them into a marriage with strangers? Strangers who cannot pay royalties, taxes, salaries to their employees nor meet community share ownership obligations as they have done?

Yet, the government has been complaining about lack of transparency in Marange. Up until his death, ex-chairman of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mining Edward Chindori-Chininga was battling without success to get access to the mineral-rich Chiadzwa diamond fields.

The committee was unhappy with transparency issues at Marange diamond fields, but they got no support from the same executive arm of government that is complaining today.

No government official, Mines minister Walter Chidhakwa included, is surprised that diamonds have run out and the country has not benefited. Those that talk about them just do so casually. I have a few questions for Chidhakwa.

Has anybody been disciplined for a shoddy job in the Mines ministry for not ensuring diamond revenues come to the State? Would it be wrong to suggest that you could be venting your anger onto the wrong people? Why is it that we never heard of any ultimatums to the seven Marange miners to account for diamonds? All we hear now are ultimatums to ensure the seven are given a new lease of life when their bellies are almost bursting with diamond money.

Denis Shoko is a consultant on issues of corporate strategy, marketing and marketing research. He can be reached on [email protected]