One of the questions, I am often asked
by people who want to invest in Africa, is how do I deal with people demanding
bribes…. My answer is really quite simple: I have never had any difficulty
with saying, “NO”, say Strive Musiyiwa.
OK may be you have the political and economic clout to
say no; what about all those millions of ordinary people who do not have any
power. When you first started out and winning a project meant whether you
eat or starved, as it does for the millions of Zimbabweans living from hand to
mouth in Mugabe's corrupt and impoverished Zimbabwe, would you still say NO!?
"Those
whose palm-kernels were cracked for them by a benevolent spirit should not
forget to be humble," wrote Chinua Achebe.
8 comments:
@ Rafique702
Have you ever read Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer? Do you remember the bit when Tom got lost in the cave and the kids were recounting stories of the abuse each had suffered under Tom's hands as if these were moments to be proud of. Well Zimbabweans have been treating Mugabe much the same way.
Bona has spent seven years or so in Hong Kong and Singapore studying because no local University was good enough for her.
I bet you the nation was spending on her alone more than what it was spending on other less known institutions like Midlands State University with what, 1 000 students. That did not stop the nation talk of Bona with pride as if the substandard education their sons and daughters were getting was all for a good cause.
For Bona's wedding the whole nations will be called upon to make a big contributions in state material and human resources as if all the sacrifices we have made already count for nothing.
Yes, the nation can boast of how suburbs like Tafara and Mabvuku have had no water for years now but what of it; there was caviar served at Bona's wedding!
We just have such a low opinion of ourselves, our children and our very lives!
@ 5%er
I think he, of all people, should know just how difficult it is not to give in to corruption when that is the only game in town. Mugabe and his thugs control every facet of human activity in Zimbabwe you either play along with them or they will force you out of business. Musiyiwa has the business clout to give whoever it is the middle finger because it is the really big fish who dare attack him. For the little nobody they have to content with gang after gang of piranhas of all age groups from fry to red-bellied adults; have a scratch on you and they will devour you in seconds. They only have to accuse you of being an MDC sympathiser and, forget your business, you will be luck to get away with your life.
Yes Musiyiwa can give anyone including the Zanu PF chefs a tough time if they tried any funny games with him. Still, he should know that many people can not fight back. He should not just acknowledge this but condemn it and not make it appears as if those who give in are some how weak!
@ Mwando
Still, he has no right to talk to those who are small enough to be swallow whole by the Zanu PF piranhas as if they are weak and feeble to refuse to bow down to the thugs. Starting business is a challenge enough without the added dangers of having piranhas and one has to swim or be eaten alive! Strive should be campaigning for the end of corruption and not make it appear as if it is no challenge at all!
@ Rafique
It is bad enough for one or two wives to be suffering from abused wife syndrome but when it is the whole village then there is cause to worry. When it is the whole nation; all the wives as well as all the husbands then one has no choice but to leave that country because it must be a deadly and highly contagious disease with no known cure.
@ Informed
You must be aware, the whole world is, that Mugabe blatantly rigged the July 2013 elections confident that Zimbabweans were be too stupid to notice and/or too cowardly to do anything about it. Most people did notice and by gathering more than anecdotal evidence on the vote rig-ging we can put pressure on those governments who pretended not to see the vote rigging to stop dealing with Mugabe.
He rigged the elections and therefore he is illegitimate.
The Americans and most Western countries have already refused to accept Mugabe's election victory because they could not turn a blind eye to the blatant vote rigging. It is up to us to force all the other countries in the world to do the same.
There was an attempt to have the vote rigging discussed in parliament last week. Zanu PF MPs disrupted the debate by singing revolutionary songs. Of course they all know that the Mugabe rigged the elections and some of them played a pivotal role in the vote rigging operations.
Vote rigging will not be on parliament's agenda still there is nothing stopping it being on the nation's agenda. Indeed there should be vote rigging on the nation's agenda and nothing else until this illegitimate regime is forced out of power!
@ Submit
I me say it now; I salute Musiyiwa for up holding the high moral standards and will encourage all those who can to do the same. Having said that, I would like also to acknowledge just how difficult it is to upholding these standards in a country were corruption rules supreme.
I think we should focus on condemning those who are corrupt and have made it so difficult for millions to live an honest life. We must not make it appear as if the corrupt are fine it is their victims who are to blame for being weak! After all it is pretty obvious that no one who want to spend a single penny in bribes if they can help it!
@ The Black
The people leaving the country is droves will remind the world that Mugabe rigged the elections and has no authority to rule. Even Mugabe can not continue to ignore the protests of the people and their legitimate demands for free, fair and credible elections.
Mugabe is illegitimate and his rule is not going to last the full five years - watch this space!
@ Informer
Mugabe's weak point right now is that he rigged the elections and therefore he is illegitimate. Are you saying we should just accept that as water under the bridge.
As I said the US and the West have already said that Mugabe rigged the elections have refused to recognise his as the legitimately elected head of state. You are not going to take full advantage of this?
If you let the vote rigging go now, it will be a "dead" issue in six months.
What do you expect to happen in six months; that the economy would have collapsed? Just how much more do you expect it to collapse - there is no water and electricity, health and education are barely functioning, unemployment is seating at 85% plus - has been there for nearly a decade now - millions are living in abject poverty, etc. And you still expect things to get even worse before you start to "strategize".
If you have no strategy now, I do not believe you will have any in six months!
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