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Nicholas Bhero
In a world with thousands of religions, I always find it necessary to ask myself, “Why am I a Christian?” Grace is the obvious response for any Christian but sometimes it is important to take a step back and reflect on how the grace unfolded. I was born in Zimbabwe, a Christian nation by majority. Until late in my Christianity, I never really got a chance to look through the documentation of each and every religion and to decide which one convinced me most.
This is true of my race, nation, tribe, family and person. I did not chose these, they just happened to be what I am and I have embraced them as fate, these are my absolutes.
Like me, every nation has its absolutes. Zimbabwe is on the African continent, landlocked by 6 countries. It has a unique natural profile touting it as an agriculture, mining and tourism based economy. These absolutes inform the foundation of the Zimbabwean economy. In our politicking it is important to make sure we are not found misinterpreting the relationship between Zimbabweans and the sectors I just mentioned. This relationship should not be understated nor overstated, it is a soul tie carried in the blood of every Zimbabwean. Back in the day urban migrants were so connected to the absolute economy especially agriculture, they would find time to visit the villages during productive and market season without fail. December and April travel to the village was a logistical nightmare, as either the passenger or luggage compartments would be overload.
Passenger space would have standing passengers beyond limit and luggage compartments would be field with inputs in December and produce in April.
A nation’s absolutes are not just buried in its physical geography, even the human and social geography is equally important. Zimbabweans are globally famous for their love for education and an enduring work ethic.
Our language disposition, biological mechanism and culture in its evolution are also important pieces of our absolute. History as a build up of the past that keeps growing as the future unfolds is also unique from one country to another. What identifies a Zimbabwean is what identifies Zimbabwe and what identifies Zimbabwe is what identifies Zimbabwe’s economy and the reverse is equally true.
A distortion of identity, whether deliberate or structural is a serious dent to a country’s economy.
Our young professionals and entrepreneurs ought to master this message with no pinch of salt. All innovation, which draws energy from our absolutes, will have a strong foundation. Any training that does not reconnect to the absolute factors of an economy are incomplete.
Take Saudi Arabia for example, the kingdom boasts investments as far as football clubs in Europe, but has never lost sight of the importance of championing innovation in the oil industry. Saudi Aramco scientists have pushed oil drilling technology to new heights, bringing forth absolute technologies such as Resbots and Geosteering, these technologies bring game shifting changes to their operations, like nano access to oil reserves and multi directional drilling respectively. If a country can not have some of its best technocrats and professionals dedicated to innovation within its absolute resources then it has lost it’s absolute and comparative position on the global market.
Lawyers should innovate legal service products for the neglected ‘makorokoza’, insurers must innovate smart covers for the small-scale farmers to leverage on in their operations, and social scientists should innovate social development and protection services that cater for all social classes in a constructive approach without fostering a dysfunctional dependency syndrome. Important cultural and social traits should be incubated and protected by responsible professionals to sustain the human social absolutes of our country.
In this article, I therefore implore all training institutions, economic planners, social institutions and voices of influence to always remember the secret to our economic success is in our ability to harness our absolutes.
Our organisation has also developed an affordable National Gold Exploration Project in partnership with some short term financier that will start in Southern Region, which arguably holds bulk of the country’s USD560 trillion gold reserves. At STIR Zimbabwe Trust, we have developed a comprehensive innovation program in partnership with the Women’s University in Africa (WUA) that calculatedly links strategic innovation to the country’s natural absolute industries i.e. Tourism, Mining and Agriculture.
Here is some basis for a mind bite; it starts with the very history of money. How did we move from barter, to notes and now crypto? Barter was an exchange of goods and services; however, it was flawed in that it needed one, to want what you are offering for them to give you what you want. Then, silver and gold came in as precious mediums of exchange. However, these are heavy metals, hence they were not easy to transport from one transaction to another. Gold and Silver receipts were introduced by whom we can recognise as the first bankers of the time, who stored silver and gold on behalf of the receipt holders.
These receipts were later formally printed by central banks on behalf of the government as bank notes under what is known as gold backing. Gold backing means that the value of the note is drawn from the gold in reserves.
This was followed by fiat money, which is currency of confidence backed by what are deemed as sustainable government systems. These then informed the coming in of block chain programmers who have created crypto currencies on the back of depletive digital mines.
Therefore the mind bite goes like, if Gold is the source of value for Gold backed currencies isn’t it prudent to consider Gold as the absolute currency? In that case what would be the logical difference between two people in need of money? If one goes to borrow from a bank and one sinks a gold mining shaft into the ground to withdraw from the national reserves. I therefore pose a question to all Zimbabweans, if we have USD560 trillion in Gold reserves, where should most of our national effort be in search for a better life for all Zimbabweans?
Our national economic development educational and entrepreneurial strategy should and must embrace that which is our national absolutes to ensure sustainability. Innovation within Zimbabwe’s strategic sectors should be a priority at research institutions, banks, insurers, training institutions, financiers, and regulatory boards.
We are Zimbabweans, we are farmers, we are farmers, we are tour guides, we are educationists, we are hard workers, we are innovators, and we are transformational entrepreneurs.
Nicholas Bhero – Chairman of STIR Zimbabwe Trust, Author of the Sky is just the beginning and other bestsellers, Public Speaker and Business Coach at STIR Mentoring Class, Lecturer for the Personal and Business Development Course on the STIR-WUA Executive Certificate in Innovation and Transformational Entrepreneurship. Contacts: WhatsApp:0783184726, +263773001294, +263784314300, [email protected], www.strimentorship.com
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