Tapuwa Mashangwa
IN the words of Socrates “True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing”.
The Zimbabwean economy is mainly split into sectors that include agriculture, mining, tourism, energy, information technology (ICTs) and education.
The efficiency and effectiveness by which these sectors are run greatly affects the levels of our poverty and unemployment.
When the affairs of a country, organisation, household, community or society are not managed well and when there is no governing body to constantly monitor the functions of any setup, an entity ceases to be successful.
In my view our economic problems are largely due to the lack of managerial skills and accountability.
So many companies are closing and workers are retrenched. The optimum performance of any organisation is achieved when every individual involved is appreciated and well taken care of.
So many employees are underpaid or ill treated at work with a lot of them working without contracts.
Many have no job security and they live in fear of losing employment anytime.
Not only that, so many employers at managerial levels are not fairly remunerating their workers and the salary gap between the lowest paid workers and the managers or CEO is huge.
No one, especially those in top management, wants to accept that they are wrong and in doing so the companies they lead suffer limited growth.
When we accept our wrongs, analyse them and correct them, we move forward and go to an even higher stage.
One pathetic error we make is employing people with no requisite skills for the job.
Zimbabwe has now become a country where employment is done on the basis of who you know and how deep your pockets are.
Corruption is dragging us down.
In the end many companies are run by inexperienced people that do not possess qualities for their job description.
This jack of all trades mentality has left a dent on our country. Without underrating the critical entrepreneurial spirit I believe if one is going to partake in projects or businesses, at least they should have basic knowledge and interest to learn about what that business does and how to manage it efficiently.
This includes paying workers what is due to them and offering them medical aid benefits, signing contracts for them, empowering and capacitating them with relevant skills and training so they can also grow within the organisation.
Some have occupied the same positions for 20 or more years but have no grasp of establishing and monitoring the vision of the company.
The decline in agricultural production and exports for instance, is not good for Zimbabwe, a country once viewed as the bread basket of southern Africa.
While land redistribution was a noble empowerment idea, more is needed in equipping beneficiaries with some agricultural knowledge and provision of loans to finance their projects.
This will ensure that the land is utilised fully instead of waiting for it be redistributed again after beneficiaries would have failed to fully exploit it.
Banks and insurance companies should participate in this move and credit facilities should be made available at reasonable rates to assist the Zimbabwean farmer.
The average Zimbabwean farmer does not possess money and being a farmer is just but a dream in their hearts similar to budding entrepreneurs.
Zimbabwe is one of the countries with the highest literacy rates in the world and yet we have one of the highest unemployment levels.
On that note we must acknowledge that money flows when people have money.
Just because workers are poorly paid, they cannot afford a lot of luxuries and some basic necessities.
How can they have money when they are badly paid or unemployed?
Often executives take home the largest portion than their subordinates. Some businesses have closed because they overcharged their goods and services and repelled customers.
Others have succumbed to lack of proper market research before running their businesses.
People need knowledge on simple things like budgeting and managing their monetary affairs.
They need a place where they can discuss projects and investments that can be done to generate income and employment.
We also need to cultivate a spirit of helping each other through sharing ideas.
That is how business empires are built and how people succeed.
We also need to avoid being lazy and be willing and committed to working hard to achieve our goals.
God has given us a mind, passion and ambition and all we need to do is find it and nurture it.
Our education system needs review so that it teaches entrepreneurship at primary schools.
In some higher learning institutions this is still a problem.
That explains why many high school leavers and graduates wait for jobs instead of creating employment for themselves and others after completing their studies.
Churches, NGOs, companies and educational institutions should also contribute to offering scholarships for more students.
Those in leadership and managers should also manage available resources wisely to ensure their exploitation for a good cause.
Tapuwa Justice Mashangwa is a young entrepreneur, Founder and CEO of Emerald Agribusiness Consultancy based in Bulawayo. He can be contacted on 0739096418 or email: tmashangwa87@gmail.com