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Vandudzi Zirebwa Buy Zimbabwe
A week ago, a prominent Zimbabwean scholar and nationalist, Thomas Deve, breathed his last.
As testimonies were shared during his funeral it was clear that here was a simple guy, who had chosen to dedicate his life to celebrating the ideals of Africanism.

While some chose to focus on his dreadlocks and related stereotypes, those who knew  him well, understood that Thomas represented the true African spirit of pride and a belief that someday our beloved continent would rise from her current levels of poverty and subjugation to claim her space among the league of nations.

On his funeral Zimbabweans came from far and wide to celebrate his life and mourn his untimely passing. Many also began to reflect on the legacy they would leave to Zimbabwe when death eventually beckons.

Befittingly discussions focused on understanding how Zimbabwe was faring with respect to recording her history as well as preserving her intellectual capital in business, arts and the academia.

The verdict was a sad one for our beloved country. Piracy was no longer just accepted but now endemic. Rather than celebrate the growth of the local publishing industry, instead Zimbabwe has seen a rise in groups who make money from stealing ideas, reproducing them and photocopying without due regard to the originator.

Ignatius Mabasa, an award winning writer who recently quit a high paying job to dedicate his life to writing children’s books, is now back job hunting. All his works have been pirated before he even took them to the market.

Steve Chigorimbo the creator of the famous television drama, Gringo, has now relocated to Botswana where he plans to launch his latest cartoon series. When he received his latest National Art Merit Award in Bulawayo in February of this year, he literally wept as he recounted the hours spent in studio sweating to create Gringo series only to learn hours before launch that his product was now on street corners being sold by unknown persons. For all his work, he received nothing.

Alick Macheso, has said he will now stop playing latest musical offerings on live shows after learning that some of such songs are already being pirated before the owner has even taken time to polish them and take them to market.

Eversharp, the iconic brand every Zimbabwean school going child has at some point used, is the latest victim. Some unscrupulous dealers, have chosen to duplicate the brand, albeit, only in appearance. The substandard fake product is now flooding the local market from companies from a range of Asian countries.

The poor buyer who is conned to take the product only realises upon using the pen that it is a poor imitation of the real thing.

The effects on the local industry are also devastating. Not only has Eversharp been cruelly robbed of a market, but many families have now found themselves unable to earn a living because of this form of theft.

Minister Chinamasa who is admired by many for his honesty and integrity will soon realize that his commendable efforts to turn around the economy are going nowhere because some among us have chosen to pay a blind eye to midday robbery of intellectual property.

Datlabs, one of the few remaining local manufacturers is under threat from a well known international rivalry who fears that the local company could use its expertise to begin forays in foreign markets.

So fearful is the competitor that they have chosen to exploit Zimbabwe’s little regard for protecting local intellectual property by dumping products with the hope of choking a rising Zimbabwean alternative before the world is made aware that all good things are coming from this house of stones.

The critical point though for policy makers is to recognise that we now exist in the knowledge economy. Gone are the days where value was resident in physical assets alone.

The likes of Coca Cola, Nike, Google, and Face Book are driven more by the equity that the market attaches to them rather than the intrinsic physical assets that they own.

For Zimbabwe which has invested so much to become the country with the highest literacy rates on the African continent, one would expect that this would be common sense.

One would also think that 34 years since we gained independence we should by now have realised the need to invest in fully understanding the benefits of leveraging and protecting our knowledge and intellectual capital.

Our failure to react to this growing menace of piracy is a cause for concern in a world where knowledge has surpassed capital as the most sought after resource.

Remember, in as much as we in Zimbabwe, are busy mourning of liquidity crunch, the world is presently experiencing an oversupply of capital. The question that most fund managers are battling with is where to direct such capital.

All analysts worth their salt understand clearly that it will be only a matter of time before global markets begin directing their gaze to Zimbabwe.

We have the largest resource per capita in the world.

Our workforce also outshines most of Africa in terms of knowledge and productivity.

The European Union has promised to let go of remaining economic sanctions in November. Even President Brack Obama has hinted on easing measures against the beloved nation of Zimbabwe.

The Chinese have gone a step further by choosing to be the first to break the banks in support of Zimbabwe.

The problems that are currently confronting us are just temporary. As such we need to preserve that which differentiates us.

Knowledgeable workers have become sought after the world over. Zimbabwe is known to produce these in abundance. Markets understand this, including our neighbours South Africa and even Botswana who are already exploiting the gaps. We have to take the best of our brains.

Surely we do not want a situation that ensures that, once the capital has begun to flood our country we fail to utilize it because we were not wise enough to understand the need to protect intellectual property rights.

The other lesson though is on unity between business and artists. As business began to see piracy breaking the backs of artists we tended to pay a blind eye because we did not see them as part of us.

Yet musicians in particular drive the conscience of a nation. Unity between artists and other sectors will assist in curbing this growing problem. Just as well Zimbabwe Music Awards are being held early October this year.

Let business use the opportunity to demonstrate that they are partners with the drivers of national sentiment.

In our next piece we focus on the commendable efforts by Minister Chinamsa to turn around the economy and ensure the success of the Buy Zimbabwe initiative.

Till we meet again, God Bless and remember, we are rich beyond measure. All we need is to prioritise Zimbabwe in all our buying behaviour. To Deve, you fought a good fight and we are indebted to you in ensuring that our continent leaps out of poverty.

Email, [email protected], Cell 263773751878. Website, www.buyzimbabwe.org.zw