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In a rare one-on-one stage interview with US President Barack Obama, Zimbabwean technology entrepreneur Takunda Chingonzo told Obama that the supposedly targeted sanctions against some political leaders in Zimbabwe were actually hurting ordinary people. Chingonzo said technology entrepreneurs looking to get technology or funding from US-based companies often hit a brick wall because of the sanctions.
“In our work we got to a point where we needed to import a bit of technology from the United States. And so we were engaging in conversation with these US-based businesses, and the response we got time and time again was that unfortunately we cannot do business with you because you are from Zimbabwe. I was shocked. This doesn’t make sense,” explained Chingonzo to Obama.
In response, Obama said that the US is facing the challenge of balancing helping the people of Zimbabwe with what he termed ‘‘repeated violation of basic democratic practices and human rights’’ in the country.
Obama agreed with Chingonzo that what was needed were initiatives that enhance as opposed to retard the progress of the Zimbabwean people. The US president then suggested that projects be explored by Zimbabwean entrepreneurs together with the US to ensure Zimbabweans are not affected. He was adamant, however, that the US is set on sending the strong message about good governance in Zimbabwe.
Chingonzo is in the US on the Young African Leaders programme.
He is the founder of wireless internet start-up, Saisai and had the one on one with Obama on stage at the recent US-Africa Leaders’ Summit in the US.
Whether anything comes out of his promise or not is of course something else. He is after all a politician and he had to have a response. It is, however, great that Chingonzo was able to articulate something that many people believe not to be true — that in supposedly targeting a couple of politicians with sanctions, the US actually doesn’t hurt politicians but ordinary people that just want to do business.
In the interview Chingonzo and Obama also discussed issues of net neutrality as well as access to funding for small business in Africa especially as at the summit investment pledges by US companies seemed to target large established companies and governments.-TechZim
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