Zimbabwe needs trust

Morris Mpala, MoB Capital Limited
ZIMBABWE as a business entity has trust issues and it’s to the detriment of our political, financial, physical and spiritual destination.

In the business world it’s all about trust. The world over business is all about relationships. And good relationships are built on trust. Whichever way you look at it or define it, it’s about relationships between at least two parties. If we lived in a vacuum then we would not need to be trustworthy at all.

As I write the precarious Zimbabwean situation that we find ourselves in is not healthy for the economy at large.

Here is our current scenario: The Government doesn’t trust labour, private sector and NGOs and the feeling is mutual from those not trusted.

Private sector doesn’t trust Government, Zimra and banks. Banks don’t trust Government, borrowers and legislators. Labour doesn’t trust employers and employers don’t trust labour unions and vice versa.

Foreign investors don’t trust our rules, regulations and the business environment. Small to medium enterprises (SMEs) don’t trust Zimra, local authorities and financiers.

Zimra doesn’t trust anyone at all. It goes without saying that individuals do not trust anywhere where they will be asked to part with their hard earned cash. That creates a toxic situation because no one will listen no matter how much parties are talking and that is chaotic for an economy.

This road to economic emancipation is littered with trust issues and has deepened with time between all parties that make a nation. As a nation we need to be trusted by other nations, foreigners and financiers.

As a Government we need to be trusted by all stakeholders. As a private company we need to be trusted by our peers and customers. As a leader I need to be trusted by those that religiously follow me in the business I nurture. As an individual I need to be trusted by my peers and everyone I come in contact with.

With the little I am responsible and accountable for I need to be trusted so that I can be trusted with more in terms of responsibility and accountability. We cannot overemphasise the need to build bridges of trust as we start to build again. In our little strides let’s start to earn trust among all stakeholders without taking each other for granted. It’s a process that will need give and take as we build that much needed trust as we seek to financially emancipate ourselves.

We are as strong as our weakest link and as at present our weakest link is trust. All else is secondary. We still can salvage something from the above stated weakened relationships. We trust the environment will be conducive for businesses. We trust prices will be just and so will be wages. We trust there will be fair competition. We trust those we appoint will enact fair trading rules and laws. We trust our training institutions will remain relevant. We trust financial concerns will lend and give credit fairly and in a just manner to encourage growth.

We trust those that borrow will service their obligations. Above all adequate funding is essential. There is a need for trust from Government, private firms and individuals in general. It’s a mutual relationship for it to be beneficial to all stakeholders. We trust credit takers will honour their obligations for the good of everyone.

We trust international finance players will lend to Zimbabwe sincerely and in turn Zimbabwe gets the funding and use it in a trustworthy manner.

And we trust Zimbabwe to service its debts accordingly. One thing though if we can’t trust each other nothing else will work. It’s as simple as that.

We trust all stakeholders will listen just a little and less talking.

In Zimbabwe we still have trust as the country is not a failed State but suffers failed trust. Fellow Zimbabweans we put it to you that if we address this adequately we will be shocked at our potential and maximum utilisation of resources thereafter. Trust has become the cornerstone for economic revival. It’s a value that brings a comparative advantage to those that carry it as it brings an aura of great business acumen. Without trust we are nothing but individuals with a fallacy of trying to achieve the same elusive goal. Policy implementation needs trust no matter how painful they could be. And this trust principle has to begin as an individual value system.

We soldier on trusting that things will be alright. We go through tough times trusting after this ordeal it will be happy days. One aspiring entrepreneur asked me but “. . . but Mr Brown how do I trust them when they can’t even trust themselves?” We trust this has not reached such levels because they could be irreversible to salvage anything in such an entrenched system. In ourselves we trust. In each other we believe. Together we do it with faith.

IF YOU LIVE IN BYO PLEASE CONSERVE WATER

IF YOU LIVE IN ZIMBABWE PLEASE USE ELECTRICITY SPARINGLY: SOS (SWITCH OFF SWITCHES) IF YOU LIVE ON PLANET EARTH PLEASE PRESERVE THE ENVIRONMENT

Morris Mpala is the managing director of MoB Capital Limited, a Bulawayo headquartered micro-finance institution with footprint across the country.