Econet does not employ Ndebeles - Open Letter to Strive Masiyiw

Dear Editor,

Re: Econet does not employ Ndebeles - Open Letter to Strive Masiyiwa

I write this open letter to Strive Masiyiwa out of patriotism and in loving memory of umdala wethu. Those who were old enough in the late 90s will remember the headlines ("Give that boy a licence / akelinike umfana lowo i licence"). This was in reference to those that were hard hearted and didn't want to see Econet seeing the light of the day.

Please note that as I write this letter, I pray that Strive Masiyiwa continues to prosper. I acknowledge the great opportunities that he has opened for many in Zimbabwe and Africa at large. I ask that those with close links to Strive Masiyiwa forward this letter to him to ensure that we continue to guide him and not leave him being blinded by the political hatred pervading our society.

Today, I write to you Mr Masiyiwa with a heavy heart. I am typing this letter from Bulawayo and sitting across Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo statue. I remember vividly in the 90s when Father Zimbabwe said words to the effect, "give this boy a licence". Some leaders who claim they supported you, called him all sorts of names for standing by your corner but we won't go there today, however, there are three things that I would like to bring to your attention today, just three, nothing much.

The first is a question, why is it that Econet Zimbabwe does not employ Ndebele people? I understand in your Board there is no Ndebele, in your Executive team, there is no Ndebele, in your management team there is no Ndebele either! Is it true Mr Masiyiwa? Of all Ndebele people in Zimbabwe none is good enough to be a member of your Board, Executive and Management? Seriously? I understand there are a couple of Ndebele managers that you have employed in the past, but only God knows why you are currently sidelining a region that has been a great supporter of your business.

I am also told that even most of your front line shops in Matebeleland are manned by people from Mashonaland. Your Ndebele customers who cannot converse in English and Shona have to come and be taught Shona in a Econet shop in Bulawayo because some of the Customer Service Officers that you export directly from Mashonaland do not want to learn Ndebele. In various social gatherings people talk about some of your employees who gloat that they have been working in Bulawayo for years and can not speak Ndebele and it's ok. Please get a mystery shopper to verify this! The people of Matebeleland do not understand why you find this justifiable and would love to hear your reasoning. I understand Netone is gaining market share in Matebeleland partly because of this. The point is, at what point will it start bothering you that your organization behaves the same way that organizations you despise behave?

Some have said "Econet is ZANU PF", I think it's too harsh but they seem to have their reasons. Surely you cannot tell me that there are no Ndebele people qualified to do these jobs, its certainly not rocket science.

If you have employed Ndebele Managers/Executives before has it ever bothered you why they left and where exit interviews done by an independent party. If I were you I would look for them and get more information, still waters run deep. I ask out of love, the love that Umdala Wethu displayed when he supported you, it is the same love we have for you in Matebeleland but it breaks our hearts to hear that you do not employ our kind.

Secondly, we understand that the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo scholarship that was once highly marketed to lure Matebeleland people to your network is no longer taking more than 50% of Ndebele kids and instead deceives the market by taking "Ndebele speaking " students from the Bulawayo and Matebeleland provinces. We know what that means and we feel used. Is there a Ndebele on that Board or selecting committee anyway, yes, the Higherlife Foundation as well? We want to believe that your company does record substantial revenues from these provinces and though it's your company, Christian values and principles that you preach demand respect and embracing all communities equally.

Thirdly and last for today, please stop inflating your prices. Econet is just too expensive. Most people understand that you paid premium prices for the network but at some point you have to consider your environment. You are losing loyal customers. The hard economic environment drives out loyalty and some of the competitors that do not pay tax or interconnection fees will wipe out your competitive edge. One of your key success factors has always been public sympathy. It's being eroded by what Econet is doing on the ground, slowly but surely. Slow poison is very dangerous. We are very much aware of the market dynamics in Africa and thus know that you probably make more money in Matebeleland than from Lesotho and Burundi subscribers and thus we believe you owe your customers in the Matebeleland provinces an explanation.

It is no longer a secret that over next three to four years the Government is likely to have authorized a bigger brand to join the fray in the Telecom space in Zimbabwe. You need to protect your turf. With the diversification and integration of various technologies spurred by OTTs your company will find itself with a very tiny market share before it repays all its loans. Love the ones who supported you when you where down there. Umdala Wethu pushed that you get a license. Nkosana Moyo helped you shape your brand name, but today their relatives are not good enough to work for you. EcoCash a great brand is struggling in South Africa because the key Zimbabwean migrants there from Matebeleland do not have anyone from Econet talking to them about it! The good figures you see are but a small part of that iceberg. Embrace Zimbabwe without favor and insulting other tribes. We, as people from Matebeleland have now decided to go door to door asking all the listed companies and Government departments why they import cleaners, clerks, Tellers etc. We are starting today with a company that we love, Econet
By John Ncube.