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Hannan Chitate Business Correspondent
ZIMBABWE will thrive once again if the climate, direction and leadership strategically demonstrate intention beyond the obvious planning and rhetoric. Relevant investors will consider consistency of enshrined property rights, ownership laws, taxation, justice, institutional accountability and other monitored essentials of human rights and a definitive explanation of freedoms as espoused by our constitution.

However, the relevance of our unique heritage cannot be taken lightly. Our history should be acknowledged as our economy forges ahead to claim our global right to free enterprise.

Raising Zimbabwe’s productivity and GDP cannot be surrendered to sporadic or isolated processes.
Inevitably, it is a product of the interaction of the political, social, economic and technical factors and the choices we will make; particularly given our past and current frailties. Prudent leadership is required to consider the prevailing negatives and adopt tailored strategies — but show awareness of the unique problems as we envision Zimbabwe in the next five years and beyond.

Human capital is definitely low or its concentration is in the wrong spheres. The political and economic downturns of the last 12 years resulted in the country haemorrhaging vital personnel to other countries.

Obviously keen replacements were always available. However, the level of experience, knowledge and skills sets hampered the country’s economic drive among many ills.

During the same period mentioned above (2001-2012), the world economy went through several severe downturns (Global financial crisis, Euro-zone debt crisis, etc).

The economy of our country cannot be discussed without taking note of the changes in international investors’ confidence or lack of it.
Compounded by economic sanctions led by the large western economies, Zimbabwe suffered.

It has to be mentioned also that this is the period of serious technological development in the information and computer based technologies.
Without direct trade and open interaction with some key economies pioneering technological trends our economy suffered receiving technology from third party players.

Education and training never really stopped in our country. However, as the economy suffered serious deficits, the support and direct sponsor of education and related systems by the Government and private institutions declined and or stopped.

Intellectuals and teachers left the country much more than were gained. Furthermore, professional development and particularly leadership and succession planning suffered when businesses’ scaled down, closed or relocated from Zimbabwe.

It has to be applauded that Zimbabwe chose to help the rightful indigenous people acquire ownership of the means of production.
However, more work is needed to make the model functional. Emergent strategies should comprise of activities to reduce or eliminate the negative effects of fragmentation of business into scattered players. SMEs are only successful when diversity is harnessed.

A system in this case led by the Government will not only help SMEs gain knowledge and experience to self-sustain operations, but understand the concept of strategy mapping, prototyping and iteration of business models.

Forging ahead is now a matter of institutionalising leaders with requisite knowledge, skills and with an ability to inspire, not through coercion but personal motivation (Bolden, 2204). Such leaders will be able to provide followers with a vision and sense of mission, and it is for this reason that followers would want to identify with them.

Critically, institutional leaders appointed at board or executive level should demonstrate the stamina and capacity to transform people and organisations.

In a literal sense — to change the mind, heart, insight and understanding of the workers who have endured for far too long due to other peoples’ iniquities.

It should never be overemphasised that direction without clarity and purpose will obviously result in incongruent beliefs, principles and values, thus retard growth.

The challenge now squarely rests with decision makers to enshrine permanent, self-perpetuating and momentum building changes that transforms this economy to its splendour.

Transformational leaders are strategically poised to stimulate followers’ efforts to be creative and innovative, whilst increasing motivation levels and morality.

Indeed, co-ordinated confidence building is pivotal to the configuration of the economy equally as society’s ability to challenge the belief system and values.

The brunt suffered by the workers should be categorically managed through provision of a supportive climate facilitated by leaders who act as coaches and advisers.

Thus this strategic framework that provides meaning and challenge and initiative and persistence will yield participation, cooperativeness and even popularity, as Zimbabwe forges forward economically.