adminContinued from last week
BEFORE you ask me where the money is ask yourself what you have done for Bulawayo for there to be money in this economy.
The only people carrying the Bulawayo economy are the services sector police, Zimra, teachers and churches. Without these Bulawayo will be a graveyard really, a ghost city with photogenic buildings and nothing else. Unfortunately this sector cannot on its own carry the city to perpetual prosperity.
Bulawayo’s major challenges on its industries are its people. If Bulawayo continues to think South Africa is the way to go, local is not lekker (even language wise) then don’t ask about lack of growth. Surely we are sinking that we have ourselves to blame. Bulawayo has potential, all you need are real man (amadoda labomama sibili) to tackle these challenges head on. Potential on its own without being realised remains that potential even in a million years.
At times people get defensive or get hurt when told the truth because the truth hurts but only the truth can set you free. Bulawayo needs to free itself from RSA bondage; the sooner the better. South Africa is now campaigning for “Buy RSA” because they now understand the concept. Experience is the worst teacher. Let’s be wise and learn from the South Africans.
Let’s change the way we think, the way we talk, shopping tendencies, have aggression, don’t be apologetic, partake in developmental issues, forget RSA, find alternative funding models for businesses, change business models, protect your industries, fellowship more, comradeship to be encouraged, lobby as businesses not individuals, be selfless, buy local products, copy some Harare tendencies and be proactive.
There is nothing wrong in buying inferior local products when we know it’s just a matter of time kuzolunga. Rather than buying “sexy” imports to our economical detriment in the middle to long term but still blame it on invisible forces. Give our industries a chance they will shape up with time. We need to pull together. Wake up and smell the coffee. Bulawayo is yours; only you can make a difference. Don’t just think outside the box but act outside the box as well; these are not ordinary times and ordinary measures would not cut it.
Maybe it’s about time we encouraged Bulawayo population growth (more babies) to those that it makes financial sense to do so but only and only if the infrastructural development supports that. It could create demand for our local products/services and in turn aid businesses growth.
The need to introduce Bulawayo statistics in our Bulawayo economy is long overdue. There is a need to know who Bulawayo is, where it is and where it wants to go in all aspects of growth from population to business ratios for proper planning purposes. Figures never lie. All aspects of the Bulawayo economy need to be known to guide Bulawayo economy on the trajectory it is supposed to take and business can make informed decisions as well.
Bulawayo is a $25 billion economy but do we know where we are at the moment? We are saying Bulawayo is dying but at what rate as compared to the peak at year 2005/6? Where there is growth is it real growth compared to our peak at year 2005/6 or the comparison is from the zero production in 2008, therefore any growth is growth by any measuring standard? So then what are we really talking about without all these statistics? How many people are active, deceased, young, old, about to retire, degreed, high school drop outs etc etc? What competitive edge do we have as a Bulawayo economy, uBulawayo udume ngani? The Bulawayo SWOT analyses, what will it show? What skills do we have that can support our policies, business models relevant to Bulawayo? Is information readily available in Bulawayo? Are we innovators, techno savvy and can we modernise? If we don’t work 24 hours a day how do we cover all those losses in production for the past 10 years? China hasn’t slept in the past 20 years but fruits are only showing now. Do we have the right business culture to revive, compete and grow our businesses? Do we have thinkers, focus groups, strategists, dreamers that will take us to the Promised Land? Can we change globalisation or we embrace and adapt accordingly to remain competitive otherwise all industries die a natural death from being suffocated by globalisation? Where can we add value on our products? Or where do we practise beneficiation.
So without statistics any road we take right now will lead us to the promised land (everywhere) because we are radarless.
In addition how do we attract investment when we don’t know what Bulawayo is all about figures wise? Potential investors need to be dazzled with the bull from Bulawayo statistics for them to invest. Bulawayo’s got to be “sexy” and “sexy” is vital statistics to the suitor; remember these suitors are looking at so many “sexy” destinations. Competition is stiff out there I tell you. Let no one tell you otherwise especially given the perceived political country risk which has discounted our ability to attract FDI as a country let alone Bulawayo where dinosaur infrastructure exists.
Too much pride will not make our kids proud of us when they eventually inherit this economy from us as at this rate we will leave only shells and folk stories of yester year economic heroes/heroines of what was. Why should we validate the old adage that says the current generation always blames the one before it?
Too much unprecedented moronic and unscholarly tendencies imbedded in the way we do business, consume products, utilise resources, enjoy utility on products/services, treat each other as businesses, inferiority complex, lack of decisive leadership in business, generally the lack of strategic thinking will leave us poor even with abundant resources at our disposal and yet we point fingers in the wrong direction. The problem is without a shadow of doubt you, you, you, you and me (of course).
PS The look at Bulawayo is just but an arbitrary reference point otherwise the concept can be extended to a province, Zimbabwe as a country and Africa as a continent as a singular economy with its own profit and loss, income statement, balance sheet , FDIs, cash flow projections and strategic plans for self sustenance by cultivating intra trade.
Aspire to Inspire Before You Expire. Robert Nesta Marley of a British white sailor father and a black mother overcame prejudices from his days growing up in shanty places of Kingston, Jamaica, to become a world musical genius ever to popularise reggae music. He demystified the Rastafarian religion and made it accepted world over. The musical icon which would not be repeated in our lifetime. In Redemption Song Bob Marley sang “… emancipate yourself from mental slavery coz none but ourselves can free our minds…”
IF YOU LIVE IN BULAWAYO PLEASE CONSERVE WATER
IF YOU LIVE IN ZIMBABWE PLEASE SAVE ELECTRICITY
IF YOU LIVE ON PLANET EARTH PLEASE PRESERVE THE ENVIRONMENT
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