What exactly has gone wrong with some Zimbabweans?
Why are some Zimbabweans so angry and so bitter? Why do some Zimbabweans ooze so much negativity?
Why is there so much self-hate among some Zimbabweans? Why are some Zimbabweans always pressing the self-destruct button?
The obsession to speak bad about the country has reached alarming levels.
This is not in reference to opposition politicians – we all know they will be singing for their supper.
This is not in reference to mercenaries like Hopewell Chin’ono – we all know these mercenaries survive on dirty money.
This is in reference to some Zimbabweans who are supposed to be educated and who are supposed to have that critical eye when looking at issues.
One of my Nigerian friends always laughs at me saying: “You Zimbabweans claim to be very educated but it is the educated people in your country who are your biggest problem. They have become so educated that they no longer love their country.
What kind of education is that? In Nigeria, we differ a lot but we never tear each other apart and we never attack our country unnecessarily.”
For some time, I was in self-denial.
I thought this friend of mine was not sophisticated and even educated enough to lecture me about the educated lot in Zimbabwe.
Then a few days ago, I came across an article written in April 2021 by Coronation Global Frontiers investment analyst Floris Steenkamp titled: “Zimbabwe and the investment case for Zimplats.”
Before writing the introduction to the article, Steenkamp threw a quote by author and philosopher Aporva Kala, which says: “Your perception may not be my reality.”
In the article, Steenkamp wrote: “Over the past few months, we have spent a lot of time talking to businesses in Zimbabwe. These conversations highlighted the gap between perception and reality. Firstly, they emphasised how Zimbabwe has completely disappeared off the radar of international investors. Many companies mentioned that no other investors had spoken to them recently — some had not spoken to investors in almost two years.
“Secondly, there have been dramatic changes in the country over the past year. While we are not saying that the issues in Zimbabwe have been resolved, we think that people underestimate the significance of these developments and we suspect that the international investment community is completely unaware that management teams in Zimbabwe are the most upbeat they’ve been in years….
“For the first time in years, companies in Zimbabwe are telling us that they are confident enough to start investing and expand capacity. Our recent meeting with Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube highlighted that the country had become much more investor-friendly. It was also clear that the positive developments we are seeing today are the results of a plan that was started three years ago…
“The Government is showing a lot of discipline in resisting the temptation to print large amounts of money and in addressing the fuel and maize subsidies … What is particularly positive is that agriculture output is not only improving as a result of better rainfall, but also because of better planning.
Similarly, the increase in precious metal exports is not just because of higher prices, but also due to policy changes that encourage investment in the mining sector.
“We know that Zimbabwe has seen several false dawns. Many difficult hurdles still need to be overcome before funding from organisations like the IMF becomes a possibility … When we look at Zimplats, we believe that investors are blinded by their negative perceptions of Zimbabwe, and, as a result, the company trades on a valuation that offers a very compelling risk-reward profile to the long-term investor.”
Quite insightful, well-thought and spot on!
The positivity throughout the article tickled my curiosity.
Who is this Floris Steenkamp and what is this Coronation Global Frontiers all about?
Steenkamp is a veteran investment analyst with more than seven years of investment industry experience.
He joined Coronation Global Frontiers in 2014 and has quite an impressive curriculum vitae. On the other hand, Coronation Global Frontiers was founded in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1993 by a group of investment professionals. As at June 2022, the company says it was managing a whooping US$35,7 billion in client assets.
“We believe we are one of the largest and most successful managers of institutional and retail assets in Southern Africa …We have an integrated global investment team that is headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa. We have offices in London, Dublin, Johannesburg, Durban, Pretoria and Namibia,” the company proudly claims on its website.
Clearly, Steenkamp is a guru in analysing investment environments and Coronation Global Frontiers have a solid profile that makes them a reliable source of investment news.
Both Steenkamp and Coronation Global Frontiers had no reason to lie on behalf of Zimbabwe.
Their analysis was informed by a thorough research process and so they were spot on in highlighting that investors were blinded by negative perceptions on Zimbabwe.
It’s rare for people in South Africa, let alone a white person and a white-run company, to speak so positively on Zimbabwe, and so the article was really a breath of fresh air.
Just as I was about to move away from this article, my eyes were drawn to another article written in May 2021 by Justin Brown in CityWire titled: “Could Zimbabwe be the ultimate value play?”
There was a sub-headline saying: “Coronation counters the perception that Zimbabwe is ‘uninvestable.’”
In the article, Brown quoted the April 2021 article by Steenkamp and was also hammering the point that negative perceptions were affecting Zimbabwe in terms of attracting investment.
“Coronation Fund Managers is bullish about the Zimbabwean economy’s prospects and those of the country’s major platinum mining company, Zimplats. This is according to Coronation Global Frontiers investment analyst Floris Steenkamp,” wrote Brown.
And then, boom, came one Tinashe Nyamunda, University of Pretoria associate professor of economic history!
While foreigners were speaking so positively about the investment prospects in his country, Nyamunda did what some supposedly educated Zimbabweans have sadly done over the past few years.
He poured cold water on all the positive vibe, trashed his country and painted a bleak future about Zimbabwe.
“Investors would not want to invest in Zimbabwe, as the policies are uncertain,” said Nyamunda without any shame.
He warned that the cost of doing business in Zimbabwe was extremely high as the fundamentals were still wrong.
So sad and so unfortunate!
Nyamunda’s negativity reminded me of the wise words from my Nigerian friend. “…it is the educated people in your country who are your biggest problem.”
How did Nyamunda come to the conclusion that investors would not want to invest in Zimbabwe?
What research did he carry out to make such an observation?
Seated at his desk in South Africa, Nyamunda thinks he knows what is happening on the ground in Zimbabwe?
They call them “arm-chair critics”, don’t they?
These arm-chair critics believe what they read and see on social media.
The negativity is just too nauseating.
American author Dr Charles F. Glassman in his book titled “Brain Drain: The Breakthrough That Will Change Your Life” warns that: “Believing in negative thoughts is the single greatest obstruction to success.”
Inspirational writer Israelmore Ayivor observes that: “Your thoughts carry you wherever you want to go. Weak thoughts don’t have the energy to carry you far.”
There are many Zimbabweans like Nyamunda out there.
They believe in negative thoughts and they have weak thoughts.
They don’t see anything good coming out of Zimbabwe and they think it is cool being seen to be anti-Government, even for no apparent reason.
They don’t know that they are making themselves the laughing stock in foreign lands.
If you speak ill about your country, it means you hate your country.
And if you hate your country, it means you hate yourself.
It’s a tragedy.
There is too much negativity among some of the supposedly educated Zimbabweans.
Why?
There is no one who has said everything is perfect in Zimbabwe and there is no one who has said the Second Republic is made up of saints. No!
There is a lot that still needs to be done to fix Zimbabwe, but it’s a fact that Zimbabwe is on a visible re-building exercise.
Yes, the country is going through a difficult patch, but the economy is the on the mend and there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Since President Mnangagwa got into office, he has never shied away from telling Zimbabweans that the road to economic recovery will be bumpy, long and winding.
“The only way to a stronger economy is to restructure, rebuild and reform. Whatever some may claim, there are no silver bullets or quick-fixes. There is no need to panic …We are on a shared journey to a better and more secure future.
“The road is long, winding and at times bumpy, but there is no other way. This is the road to a middle-income economy, and if we travel it together, with patience and purpose, we will realise our vision,” said President Mnangagwa in 2018.
Indeed, the road has been bumpy and it will sometimes be very bumpy, but staying stuck in the past and staying in the mud of negativity won’t take our country anywhere.
Some may say Steenkamp rushed to make his assessment of the investment environment in Zimbabwe, but developments on the ground show that his assessment was on point.
Week in and week out, President Mnangagwa has been launching different mega projects that are changing the face of Zimbabwe.
A quick rundown of some of the projects will help to put things into perspective.
Bikita lithium project in Masvingo.
Muzarabani oil and gas project.
Zulu lithium project in Matabeleland South.
Expansion of Unit 7 and 8 at Hwange Thermal Power Station.
Goromonzi lithium project.
Makaha gold mine.
Mount Meru in Seke.
Manhize Disco steel project.
Harare-Beitbridge road construction.
These are some of the projects that the President has launched.
What exactly is it that these outsiders who are pouring millions into our country have seen about Zimbabwe that many Zimbabweans are not seeing?
As President Mnangagwa always puts it, “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo.”
So, “vene vayo” should stop trying to please outsiders by tearing their country apart.
It’s time to re-direct our energies towards rebuilding our country.
It’s time to show national pride.
The “Zimbabwe is open for business” and the engagement and re-engagement drive are fast gathering momentum.
The economic activities taking place in the country are a clear testimony that the Second Republic is walking the talk on development.
If only Zimbabweans could give their country a chance!
We only have one Zimbabwe!
What exactly has gone wrong with some Zimbabweans?
Why are some Zimbabweans so angry and so bitter? Why do some Zimbabweans ooze so much negativity?
Why is there so much self-hate among some Zimbabweans? Why are some Zimbabweans always pressing the self-destruct button?
The obsession to speak bad about the country has reached alarming levels.
This is not in reference to opposition politicians – we all know they will be singing for their supper.
This is not in reference to mercenaries like Hopewell Chin’ono – we all know these mercenaries survive on dirty money.
This is in reference to some Zimbabweans who are supposed to be educated and who are supposed to have that critical eye when looking at issues.
One of my Nigerian friends always laughs at me saying: “You Zimbabweans claim to be very educated but it is the educated people in your country who are your biggest problem. They have become so educated that they no longer love their country.
What kind of education is that? In Nigeria, we differ a lot but we never tear each other apart and we never attack our country unnecessarily.”
For some time, I was in self-denial.
I thought this friend of mine was not sophisticated and even educated enough to lecture me about the educated lot in Zimbabwe.
Then a few days ago, I came across an article written in April 2021 by Coronation Global Frontiers investment analyst Floris Steenkamp titled: “Zimbabwe and the investment case for Zimplats.”
Before writing the introduction to the article, Steenkamp threw a quote by author and philosopher Aporva Kala, which says: “Your perception may not be my reality.”
In the article, Steenkamp wrote: “Over the past few months, we have spent a lot of time talking to businesses in Zimbabwe. These conversations highlighted the gap between perception and reality. Firstly, they emphasised how Zimbabwe has completely disappeared off the radar of international investors. Many companies mentioned that no other investors had spoken to them recently — some had not spoken to investors in almost two years.
“Secondly, there have been dramatic changes in the country over the past year. While we are not saying that the issues in Zimbabwe have been resolved, we think that people underestimate the significance of these developments and we suspect that the international investment community is completely unaware that management teams in Zimbabwe are the most upbeat they’ve been in years….
“For the first time in years, companies in Zimbabwe are telling us that they are confident enough to start investing and expand capacity. Our recent meeting with Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube highlighted that the country had become much more investor-friendly. It was also clear that the positive developments we are seeing today are the results of a plan that was started three years ago…
“The Government is showing a lot of discipline in resisting the temptation to print large amounts of money and in addressing the fuel and maize subsidies … What is particularly positive is that agriculture output is not only improving as a result of better rainfall, but also because of better planning.
Similarly, the increase in precious metal exports is not just because of higher prices, but also due to policy changes that encourage investment in the mining sector.
“We know that Zimbabwe has seen several false dawns. Many difficult hurdles still need to be overcome before funding from organisations like the IMF becomes a possibility … When we look at Zimplats, we believe that investors are blinded by their negative perceptions of Zimbabwe, and, as a result, the company trades on a valuation that offers a very compelling risk-reward profile to the long-term investor.”
Quite insightful, well-thought and spot on!
The positivity throughout the article tickled my curiosity.
Who is this Floris Steenkamp and what is this Coronation Global Frontiers all about?
Steenkamp is a veteran investment analyst with more than seven years of investment industry experience.
He joined Coronation Global Frontiers in 2014 and has quite an impressive curriculum vitae. On the other hand, Coronation Global Frontiers was founded in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1993 by a group of investment professionals. As at June 2022, the company says it was managing a whooping US$35,7 billion in client assets.
“We believe we are one of the largest and most successful managers of institutional and retail assets in Southern Africa …We have an integrated global investment team that is headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa. We have offices in London, Dublin, Johannesburg, Durban, Pretoria and Namibia,” the company proudly claims on its website.
Clearly, Steenkamp is a guru in analysing investment environments and Coronation Global Frontiers have a solid profile that makes them a reliable source of investment news.
Both Steenkamp and Coronation Global Frontiers had no reason to lie on behalf of Zimbabwe.
Their analysis was informed by a thorough research process and so they were spot on in highlighting that investors were blinded by negative perceptions on Zimbabwe.
It’s rare for people in South Africa, let alone a white person and a white-run company, to speak so positively on Zimbabwe, and so the article was really a breath of fresh air.
Just as I was about to move away from this article, my eyes were drawn to another article written in May 2021 by Justin Brown in CityWire titled: “Could Zimbabwe be the ultimate value play?”
There was a sub-headline saying: “Coronation counters the perception that Zimbabwe is ‘uninvestable.’”
In the article, Brown quoted the April 2021 article by Steenkamp and was also hammering the point that negative perceptions were affecting Zimbabwe in terms of attracting investment.
“Coronation Fund Managers is bullish about the Zimbabwean economy’s prospects and those of the country’s major platinum mining company, Zimplats. This is according to Coronation Global Frontiers investment analyst Floris Steenkamp,” wrote Brown.
And then, boom, came one Tinashe Nyamunda, University of Pretoria associate professor of economic history!
While foreigners were speaking so positively about the investment prospects in his country, Nyamunda did what some supposedly educated Zimbabweans have sadly done over the past few years.
He poured cold water on all the positive vibe, trashed his country and painted a bleak future about Zimbabwe.
“Investors would not want to invest in Zimbabwe, as the policies are uncertain,” said Nyamunda without any shame.
He warned that the cost of doing business in Zimbabwe was extremely high as the fundamentals were still wrong.
So sad and so unfortunate!
Nyamunda’s negativity reminded me of the wise words from my Nigerian friend. “…it is the educated people in your country who are your biggest problem.”
How did Nyamunda come to the conclusion that investors would not want to invest in Zimbabwe?
What research did he carry out to make such an observation?
Seated at his desk in South Africa, Nyamunda thinks he knows what is happening on the ground in Zimbabwe?
They call them “arm-chair critics”, don’t they?
These arm-chair critics believe what they read and see on social media.
The negativity is just too nauseating.
American author Dr Charles F. Glassman in his book titled “Brain Drain: The Breakthrough That Will Change Your Life” warns that: “Believing in negative thoughts is the single greatest obstruction to success.”
Inspirational writer Israelmore Ayivor observes that: “Your thoughts carry you wherever you want to go. Weak thoughts don’t have the energy to carry you far.”
There are many Zimbabweans like Nyamunda out there.
They believe in negative thoughts and they have weak thoughts.
They don’t see anything good coming out of Zimbabwe and they think it is cool being seen to be anti-Government, even for no apparent reason.
They don’t know that they are making themselves the laughing stock in foreign lands.
If you speak ill about your country, it means you hate your country.
And if you hate your country, it means you hate yourself.
It’s a tragedy.
There is too much negativity among some of the supposedly educated Zimbabweans.
Why?
There is no one who has said everything is perfect in Zimbabwe and there is no one who has said the Second Republic is made up of saints. No!
There is a lot that still needs to be done to fix Zimbabwe, but it’s a fact that Zimbabwe is on a visible re-building exercise.
Yes, the country is going through a difficult patch, but the economy is the on the mend and there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Since President Mnangagwa got into office, he has never shied away from telling Zimbabweans that the road to economic recovery will be bumpy, long and winding.
“The only way to a stronger economy is to restructure, rebuild and reform. Whatever some may claim, there are no silver bullets or quick-fixes. There is no need to panic …We are on a shared journey to a better and more secure future.
“The road is long, winding and at times bumpy, but there is no other way. This is the road to a middle-income economy, and if we travel it together, with patience and purpose, we will realise our vision,” said President Mnangagwa in 2018.
Indeed, the road has been bumpy and it will sometimes be very bumpy, but staying stuck in the past and staying in the mud of negativity won’t take our country anywhere.
Some may say Steenkamp rushed to make his assessment of the investment environment in Zimbabwe, but developments on the ground show that his assessment was on point.
Week in and week out, President Mnangagwa has been launching different mega projects that are changing the face of Zimbabwe.
A quick rundown of some of the projects will help to put things into perspective.
Bikita lithium project in Masvingo.
Muzarabani oil and gas project.
Zulu lithium project in Matabeleland South.
Expansion of Unit 7 and 8 at Hwange Thermal Power Station.
Goromonzi lithium project.
Makaha gold mine.
Mount Meru in Seke.
Manhize Disco steel project.
Harare-Beitbridge road construction.
These are some of the projects that the President has launched.
What exactly is it that these outsiders who are pouring millions into our country have seen about Zimbabwe that many Zimbabweans are not seeing?
As President Mnangagwa always puts it, “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo.”
So, “vene vayo” should stop trying to please outsiders by tearing their country apart.
It’s time to re-direct our energies towards rebuilding our country.
It’s time to show national pride.
The “Zimbabwe is open for business” and the engagement and re-engagement drive are fast gathering momentum.
The economic activities taking place in the country are a clear testimony that the Second Republic is walking the talk on development.
If only Zimbabweans could give their country a chance!
We only have one Zimbabwe!
— Sunday Mail
