The Sunday Mail
Fradreck Gorwe
“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” goes the common adage, literally to confirm that sweet sip can come out of bitter ingredients if brewed with determination. The belief is ingrained in Mr Antony Mandiwanza who believes in making it against all odds.
Mr Mandiwanza, the chief executive officer of Dairiboard Zimbabwe, made headway into glossy business books when the company gave him due skills as he got exposed to various functions of production, marketing and as the CEO.
In an interview on Capitalk FM, the principled businessman acknowledged an empowering relationship he enjoyed with the business community as the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) President, Employers Confederation of Zimbabwe (EMCOZ) President and through links with a number of establishments.
Challenges currently bedevilling Zimbabwean economic progress are no stop signals in Mr Mandiwanza’s business books.
Economic challenges facing Zimbabwe are seldom peculiar to the country as many economies at one time or the other go through the same, but approach matters according to Mr Mandiwanza;
“The difference is the commitment and tenacity to deal with and overcome challenges. But more importantly, I think is the relationship between the Government and the business to find common solutions to drive economic and sustainable growth going forward. That really, is a fundamental issue,” he said.
Commitment and sound Government-business ties are instrumental in neutralising the blow of economic sanctions on business. Mr Mandiwanza drew lessons from the spirit exhibited by pioneering entrepreneurs in the very midst of the colonial scourge.
“From 1966 to 1980 Rhodesia was under total sanctions, but the period saw the emergence and proliferation of new entrepreneurs who were able to identify opportunities in an environment that had been imposed upon them.
“That spurred massive industrialisation programme for Rhodesia, underpinned by two strategic key drivers of export and import substitution. For import substitution to work, they had to make with the little that was available to them because there was the spirit of entrepreneurship,” he said.
Even the former Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith admitted the new breed of entrepreneurs who mushroomed in response to the isolation caused by the UN backed sanctions saw the proliferation of many local substitute products, of course whose quality was not up to the mark. But the critical issue is there were local products on shop shelves and with time they improved.
The dedicated Chief Executive Officer believes in sticking to values and principles with a thrust on consistence.
He welcomes the Government’ progressive rant of “walking the talk” more particularly on full implementation of policies. Mr Mandiwanza blames the old government’s Economic Structural Adjustment Programme that was half-baked and inadequate, whose implementation also caused challenges.
“It speaks to the need for consistence to embrace a reform programme and walk it through to its fullness,” he said.
The Government has put in place the short-term Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP) (October 2018 to December 2020), which is to be inherited by two National Development Agendas 2021-2024 and 2025-2030. These are set to drive the achievement of the country’s vision of an Upper-Middle Income Status by 2030 with a per capita income of over US$3500.
Parallel to these strategies is the fiscal and monetary policy to be implemented satisfactorily.
Mr Mandiwanza nods to the call for fiscal discipline as a step in the right direction, maintaining that “we should learn to eat what we kill.” He denounces the command model of economy that is characterised by revenue-expenditure mismatch (fiscal deficits).
The old government, according to the businessman, wrongfully adopted this. The businessman concurs with the TSP’s proposition of the need to balance books as a departure from previous revenue bleeding. Balancing current accounts and capital accounts releases resources to the industry, which in turn invests in productive capacity, thereby facilitating business growth. A rather aggressive approach to business for long-term gains is also accommodated by the CEO who strongly approves the Government’s “austerity for prosperity” as a suitable adoption. He welcomes the rationalisation of Government’s expenditure articulated in the TSP policy adding that cutting down the employment bill is crucial to productivity.
“Absolute number itself is not a challenge but the key challenge is productivity,” he said.
Mr Mandiwanza is of the opinion that making crucial sacrifices for sustainable development even though some strategies might be painful is critical.
