I remember soon after graduating from journalism school in 1998, I was so eager to be my own boss, such that I implored my parents to help establish a newspaper for me. I had always been passionate about writing – having started contributing articles to Kwekwe newspapers when I was still a 16-year-old form three student. By the time I was doing my Lower Sixth form, in 1991, I was already an established writer – with my own regular column entitled, ‘The Un-Oppressed Mind’ – which, just as today, focused on matters of social justice and equality in our country. In so doing, in 1999 we set up ‘The Midlands Monitor’ – which was based in the city of Kwekwe, and whose news coverage included most parts of the northern parts of the Midlands province.I ran the newspaper with a dear friend Kudakwashe Zvarayi – whom we had ‘stolen’ from one of the other more well-known publications in the city – whilst my dear father, who had recently retired from teaching, kept a close eye.We also employed a modest staff of both permanent and part-time reporters, as well as advertising agents.All went well – even covering the formation of what was to become the largest opposition party since Zimbabwe’s independence, the MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) in September 1999.We genuinely appeared as serious competition to the more established regional newspapers – not only in Kwekwe, but also other towns in the province.We harbored lofty dreams of becoming media magnates in the not too distant future.However, come the year 2000 – when the country’s economy was beginning to show signs of faltering, with businesses not being spared – our media company was faced with a crippling lack of advertisers. As most people would know, private media organizations derive their profits from advertisements – and, without enough of them, the company is doomed. In the absence of any other funding, the inevitable eventually happened – and, we were forced to admit facts, although we tried to soldier on, and painfully closed shop.After some years of maturing, through life and business experiences – we later realized that our major undoing was actually not the poor performing economy per se – but our lack of adequate skills, knowledge and experience on how to run a business, especially of that nature. It was clear that passion alone was not sufficient in driving a successful business operation.I found myself unemployed – in spite of my previous determination to operate my own business and become an employer, rather than an employee. This forced me to humble myself by joining the employment line – where I worked as an editor at a few local newspapers.As more and more media houses began to also be afflicted by the increasingly deteriorating economy – I subsequently moving on to public relations and corporate communications.Over the years, as I worked in various companies and NGOs (non-governmental organizations) I learnt a great deal on how businesses are supposed to be operated.I quickly realized these were the skills, knowledge and experiment which we terribly lacked when we established ‘The Midlands Monitor’ in 1999.The lesson was undeniable.Rushing into establishing a business without the requisite skills, knowledge and experience is foolhardy.In addition, these skills, knowledge and experiment are not something one can be taught at some school, college or workshop – but hands-on, through not only working in the preferred sector, but also under the right able mentorship. Without this – save for a select few, who may possess exceptional gifts – there is no way one can seriously expect to succeed as an entrepreneur. That is where the problem arises with the incessant calls by the President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa regime for new graduates not to expect employment – but seek to start their own businesses.As far as I am concerned, such calls are nothing short of reckless and irresponsible.Indeed, there is no country that can prosper without its citizens striving to establish their own companies.However, throwing uninitiated raw young men and women into the deep-end of the business world is counter-productive – and can actually work against the envisioned objectives of creating employers rather than employees. It is akin to allowing a recent graduate in medicine to conduct complex surgical procedures!As happened to me (which is a common trend amongst many others) these businesses may appear to be going in the right direction, at first – but most will eventually collapse before long, or at best remain stagnant and stale.Any serious entrepreneur dreams of growing into a thriving conglomerate – and certainly not to spend the rest of his or her life running a ‘tuck shop’ or flea market stall, or some backyard enterprise. In fact, after encountering these challenges, which can be overwhelming for a novice, one’s passion for business can easily be extinguished – as the young entrepreneur becomes discouraged and perceives this avenue as not his or her calling. That can explain why, even after gaining some vital insights into running a business, later in my life – I never dared venture again in their field. The most advisable route for anyone seeking to venture into business is to begin with gaining the relevant skills, knowledge and experience over a course of years. This can only be attained through employment in the preferred sector, with the guidance of a gifted mentor.As such, being a job-seeker is an integral component of eventually becoming a successful entrepreneur. Why, then, is the Mnangagwa administration insisting that fresh graduates rush into establishing their own businesses – without sufficient skills, knowledge and experience? Why all this absolutely misguided advice, which will obviously lead our youth in the wrong direction?The answer is all too clear for all who want to see. This is a shameful and disingenuous attempt at hiding the government’s own failures in running the country’s economy – having reduced a once prosperous nation into a laughable basket case. Over the past two decades – via outrageous mismanagement and shocking corruption – many major companies (most of them multinational) closed their operations in Zimbabwe, due to viability challenges. Some, particularly those owned by the state, were looted into oblivion – with incompetent managers being employed through nepotism. As such, millions of Zimbabweans found themselves unable to secure gainful employment – resulting with many leaving the country for foreign lands. Those who remained behind, particularly school leavers, have been forced into prostitution, criminality, artisanal mining, street vending, and other so-called projects. In order to ward off the disgruntlement and outrage, more so of the youth – whose future the Mnangagwa regime has callously destroyed – the plan is to shift blame onto the victims themselves.The government seeks to achieve this by making the youth feel guilty for their own joblessness and subsequent suffering – by faulting them for expecting employment, instead of striving to be employers. This way, the fault ceases being that of the Mnangagwa administration – but is transferred to the youth themselves.Yet, in all this, the government is only setting up our young men and women for failure, disappointment and discouragement.There is nothing as cruel as this!It can not be denied that Zimbabwe has plenty youth who dream of running their own businesses.Nevertheless, this has to be approached with the proper planning – which demands the attainment of the right skills, knowledge and experience – before jumping into the world of entrepreneurship. The Zimbabwe government has to take responsibility and own up to its failures in governing the country. Electing to further ruin our young men and women’s lives (through reckless and irresponsible calls for entrepreneurship) – in order to cover up the Mnangagwa administration’s own failures – can not be accepted.*_
● Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. Please feel free to WhatsApp or Call: +263715667700 | +263782283975, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com, or visit website: http://mbofanatendair
