As Zimbabwe navigates this transitory period in its political history, a lot of hope has been reposed in the Church to play a leading role in national healing and cohesion. Historically, the Church has stood as the voice of justice. A fortnight ago, a local Church, His Presence Ministries International (HPMI) held its annual conference in Harare which was graced by various local and regional Men of God. The theme of the four-day spiritual event was ‘Restoring Lives, Raising Champions conference’ through a divine shift. The event also coincided with the graduation of over 79 leaders representing 25 denominations who graduated with a diploma in ministry and leadership through HPMI’s School of Ministry. Throughout the crusade, speaker after speaker had a prophetic message about the imminent and irreversible restoration of Zimbabwe to its rightful place in the global community of nations after a decade of economic, social and political challenges. Quoting relevant scriptures the speakers, who included the Founder and spiritual father of HPMI Apostle Charles Chiriseri, prophesised a restorative agenda for the Church. They challenged the Church to play a transformational leadership role in rebuilding Zimbabwe going forward. But for the Church to effectively execute this clear mandate, it has to be united. Shereni (SJ) had the opportunity to interview Apostle Chiriseri (AC) on the sidelines of the crusade to get to understand better how the Church can champion its stated agenda during these times and the following are excerpts from the interview.
SJ: Good Afternoon Apostle. I really appreciate you taking the time to share with us. Why don’t you start off by giving us some background about your life?
AC: Good afternoon and thank you for having me. Looking back, I have had a truly cosmopolitan upbringing. Our family is originally from Mt Darwin but my grandparents are now settled in Chiweshe. I was largely educated in Bulawayo, at Columbus Primary and Mzilikazi Secondary Schools and also attended the University of Zimbabwe where I graduated with a degree in agricultural production shortly after Independence. Prior to founding HPMI in 2006, I had an enriching work, business and spiritual experience. I worked in the private sector as a senior manager and had a hand at business where I ran a chain of butcheries in Harare together with a friend. From a spiritual perspective, I was born again in 1974 and have had the opportunity to serve in various capacities which include being president of the Christian Union at the university and pastor and senior pastor respectively at Faith Ministries. I also pioneered various churches in Zimbabwe and internationally. Significantly, I have also had the opportunity to play my small role as part of the Church towards national peace and healing while serving as acting General Secretary of the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe (EFZ) and as Peace building Chairperson in the Crisis Coalition of Zimbabwe. I am married to Petunia, who is herself a remarkable servant of God, accomplished businesswoman and mother to our four beautiful daughters and son, Yasha, Lisa, Zoe, and Nissi
SJ: I must admit Apostle that I was particularly impressed by the number of graduates that have come out through your School of Ministry. Tell us more about this ministry.
AC: The main thrust of the School is on leadership and disciple training. The school is intentional and purposeful with a clear mandate to produce people who are agents of transformation. Since 2007, we have produced over 300 such agents under our various curriculum programmes. This year’s graduation was remarkable in that it witnessed our first cohort of graduates under our truly international diploma in ministry and leadership. This particular programme is accredited by both the John Maxwell Equip leadership Institute in the US as well as the Bible Training Centre for pastors also based in the USA. The School of Ministry is our contribution to empowering the Church through the provision of transformational leaders that will make a difference in their spheres of influence
SJ: During the conference, the man of God from South Africa was very clear on the need for the Church in Zimbabwe to be at the coalface of the rebuilding process? Why is that so Apostle?
AC: You refer to the prophetic message from Pastor Xola Nzo. You see Shereni, the Church has always been the conscience of the nation. If we look at the scriptures you will notice that transformational leaders like Moses, Ezra and Zerubabel were all inspired by God. The foundation of any transformation in society must therefore be predicated on the spiritual realm. In Zimbabwe, we need to put God at the centre of all our efforts and be guided by Him. Education alone has not brought answers for Africa but God through the power of the Holy Spirit has the capability to restore the values that have been ravaged over the years. The word of God has been consistent and its values enduring so we need to bank on that in this rebuilding process.
SJ: What role do you see your Church playing in rebuilding Zimbabwe?
AC: Our approach is that we have a Vision “to restore lives and raise Champions to transform families, communities, cities and nations” and our purpose is to raise men and women of integrity who are willing to dream and think outside the box in search of solutions to problems bedevilling our generation. Our School of Ministry is very integral to the realisation of this goal through leadership training and development. For us to be able to achieve our mission we have identified seven key pillars of society that we need to partner with different organisations to shape our society and these are: the church, family, education, politics, business, and media. In all these key pillars, leadership development is critical. To that extent, we continue to identify and implement a number of initiatives aimed at strengthening our capacity to influence in the various pillars. HPMI strongly believes that the Church is well-placed to nurture transformational leaders who are not only influential, but also have a pioneering anointing ability. We believe from scripture that God is a God of all nations and speaks and influences nations from the Church. The Church is the place where the national agenda e.g constitution-making process is discussed because God has given it a mandate to restore nations (Matthew 28:18) Going forward, the Church in Zimbabwe is well-united and ready for healing, restoration and rebuilding of the nation.
Shereni is Principal Consultant at Global Workforce Solutions (Pvt) Ltd. He can be contacted via sms on 073 3 306 193/0913 002 275 or by e-mail: consultgws@gmail.com
Friday, February 12, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Interview with Prof Carter of Leeds Business School
Last week Thursday, the British Council held a reception for visiting Leeds Business School Chair of African Business, Professor Steve Carter in Harare. Leeds Business School has partnered with Mananga Centre of Regional Integration and Management Development of Swaziland and Mandel Training Centre to offer a one year master’s degree in leadership and change management. An induction programme for the degree programme was also held at the weekend at Mandel and it is hoped that the first group of students under the degree programme will begin lessons early February. I had the opportunity to chat with Professor Carter on the sidelines of the reception and the following are excerpts from that discussion
Shereni Jongwe (SJ): Welcome to Zimbabwe Steve. I understand that this is not your first visit to the country. What are your impressions of Zimbabwe from your previous visit and this one?
Prof Steve Carter (SC): Thank you Shereni. I haven’t been in Zimbabwe since 2005. Prior to that, I was resident here working with the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the Zimbabwe Institute of Management. I have a number of impressions of this beautiful country. One thing that has always struck me is the indomitable spirit of Zimbabweans which continues to drive them notwithstanding the evident challenges that they have to contend with. The people of this country are naturally friendly and it is something that struck me on my recent visit last X-mas. I was met by friendly staff at the Airport and this seems true everywhere else that I have been to during this visit. My interactions with various local partners have also shown me a genuine desire for co-operation across the board. Looking at what needs to be done within the short and medium term, there is no denying the fact that the country is need of significant infrastructural development. Also, over the past decade, Zimbabwe has suffered significant ‘brain drain’ and there is need to address this issue urgently. All in all, it is quite evident that Zimbabwe is on the up and it will hold an attraction to those who have left but this will have serious implications for the host neighbouring countries.
SJ: What is the exact purpose of your visit to Zimbabwe?
SC: I am here to work with our partners, Mananga and Mandel, to bring the Leeds Metropolitan University’s MSc degree in Leadership and Change Management to Zimbabwe. In the fullness of time, it is our intention to bring other programmes in conjunction with different local partners. I must hasten to add that we view these initiatives as long-term in nature underpinning our commitment to their success.
SJ: Could you please shed some light on the degree programme.
SC: Firstly, the master’s degree in leadership and change management was not born in the UK context but is a product of contextual research into the leadership needs of Africa’s businesses. The degree is vocationally oriented in the sense that students will learn the latest concepts and techniques but these will have to be applied to the real work situation. The programme appeals to both middle and senior managers in the non-governmental, public and private sectors and is delivered in Assisted Distance Learning format. It is based on progressive problem solving and this is reflected in each module. A major attraction of this one-year programme is that it is truly international with students being able to transfer any credits obtained in the programme to any university globally offering a similar programme.
SJ: In what ways do you see your programme assisting Zimbabwe to deal with the deleterious effects of the ‘brain drain’ and contribute to national workforce development?
SC: There are three ways in which an economy can grow. Economies can grow on the basis of the stages of the development cycle or through strengthening primary and secondary education. Another way, which essentially informs our approach, is to develop masters’ degree programmes where you develop key skills in people with first degrees who will then deploy these skills to national development. Our programme develops the analytical, synthesis and problem-solving skills which are all vital in entrepreneurial development. There is potential for entrepreneurship in Zimbabwe as a route to achieving economic and social development
SJ: In May last year, I had the opportunity to interview your colleague Professor Lonnie Strickland on his views on the quality of strategic management in Zimbabwe and he had positive things to say about local managers. What are your perceptions on the quality of Zimbabwean managers?
SC: To answer this evidence-based question, I would like to draw your attention to the first law of management which states that effective managers are those that are able to steer their organizations during turbulent times. A lot of Zimbabwean companies have survived the tumultuous times of the past decade. That alone is sufficient evidence of the high pedigree of local managers. There are other sources of such evidence. A lot of Zimbabwean managers are serving and flourishing as top-notch managers in the Diasporas, including the UK. I have also noticed in interactions with local managers that they always tend to ask the right questions. This shows that they have a solid strategic orientation to management which is very critical in these highly fluid times of globalisation.
SJ: What are the key issues facing African managers in the new decade?
SC: Let me point out that the dominant African business leadership approach is one of collectivism and this tends to work extremely well across the continent. Now with specific reference to your question, I think the first challenge for African managers is on how to live in a global society. Africa needs to play its role in that society beyond being a source of cheap raw materials. A second challenge is how to create an enabling environment for investors, both foreign and local. There is need to create a stable environment underpinned by sound infrastructure, good governance, strong and stable supporting institutions and property rights. At organizational level, managers need to create the right conditions which nurture high levels of employee engagement. This will entail providing training opportunities to staff and generally showing a caring attitude to workforce needs by management.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shereni is Principal Consultant at Global Workforce Solutions (Pvt) Ltd- a human resources and training company. For feedback, sms 0913 002 275 or e-mail: consultgws@gmail.com
Shereni Jongwe (SJ): Welcome to Zimbabwe Steve. I understand that this is not your first visit to the country. What are your impressions of Zimbabwe from your previous visit and this one?
Prof Steve Carter (SC): Thank you Shereni. I haven’t been in Zimbabwe since 2005. Prior to that, I was resident here working with the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the Zimbabwe Institute of Management. I have a number of impressions of this beautiful country. One thing that has always struck me is the indomitable spirit of Zimbabweans which continues to drive them notwithstanding the evident challenges that they have to contend with. The people of this country are naturally friendly and it is something that struck me on my recent visit last X-mas. I was met by friendly staff at the Airport and this seems true everywhere else that I have been to during this visit. My interactions with various local partners have also shown me a genuine desire for co-operation across the board. Looking at what needs to be done within the short and medium term, there is no denying the fact that the country is need of significant infrastructural development. Also, over the past decade, Zimbabwe has suffered significant ‘brain drain’ and there is need to address this issue urgently. All in all, it is quite evident that Zimbabwe is on the up and it will hold an attraction to those who have left but this will have serious implications for the host neighbouring countries.
SJ: What is the exact purpose of your visit to Zimbabwe?
SC: I am here to work with our partners, Mananga and Mandel, to bring the Leeds Metropolitan University’s MSc degree in Leadership and Change Management to Zimbabwe. In the fullness of time, it is our intention to bring other programmes in conjunction with different local partners. I must hasten to add that we view these initiatives as long-term in nature underpinning our commitment to their success.
SJ: Could you please shed some light on the degree programme.
SC: Firstly, the master’s degree in leadership and change management was not born in the UK context but is a product of contextual research into the leadership needs of Africa’s businesses. The degree is vocationally oriented in the sense that students will learn the latest concepts and techniques but these will have to be applied to the real work situation. The programme appeals to both middle and senior managers in the non-governmental, public and private sectors and is delivered in Assisted Distance Learning format. It is based on progressive problem solving and this is reflected in each module. A major attraction of this one-year programme is that it is truly international with students being able to transfer any credits obtained in the programme to any university globally offering a similar programme.
SJ: In what ways do you see your programme assisting Zimbabwe to deal with the deleterious effects of the ‘brain drain’ and contribute to national workforce development?
SC: There are three ways in which an economy can grow. Economies can grow on the basis of the stages of the development cycle or through strengthening primary and secondary education. Another way, which essentially informs our approach, is to develop masters’ degree programmes where you develop key skills in people with first degrees who will then deploy these skills to national development. Our programme develops the analytical, synthesis and problem-solving skills which are all vital in entrepreneurial development. There is potential for entrepreneurship in Zimbabwe as a route to achieving economic and social development
SJ: In May last year, I had the opportunity to interview your colleague Professor Lonnie Strickland on his views on the quality of strategic management in Zimbabwe and he had positive things to say about local managers. What are your perceptions on the quality of Zimbabwean managers?
SC: To answer this evidence-based question, I would like to draw your attention to the first law of management which states that effective managers are those that are able to steer their organizations during turbulent times. A lot of Zimbabwean companies have survived the tumultuous times of the past decade. That alone is sufficient evidence of the high pedigree of local managers. There are other sources of such evidence. A lot of Zimbabwean managers are serving and flourishing as top-notch managers in the Diasporas, including the UK. I have also noticed in interactions with local managers that they always tend to ask the right questions. This shows that they have a solid strategic orientation to management which is very critical in these highly fluid times of globalisation.
SJ: What are the key issues facing African managers in the new decade?
SC: Let me point out that the dominant African business leadership approach is one of collectivism and this tends to work extremely well across the continent. Now with specific reference to your question, I think the first challenge for African managers is on how to live in a global society. Africa needs to play its role in that society beyond being a source of cheap raw materials. A second challenge is how to create an enabling environment for investors, both foreign and local. There is need to create a stable environment underpinned by sound infrastructure, good governance, strong and stable supporting institutions and property rights. At organizational level, managers need to create the right conditions which nurture high levels of employee engagement. This will entail providing training opportunities to staff and generally showing a caring attitude to workforce needs by management.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shereni is Principal Consultant at Global Workforce Solutions (Pvt) Ltd- a human resources and training company. For feedback, sms 0913 002 275 or e-mail: consultgws@gmail.com
Prof Chetsanga speaks on 'brain drain'
Zimbabwe has lost significant skills over the last decade. A number of studies have come up with different figures on the scale of the ‘brain drain’. One such study, the Zimbabwe Brain Drain Study Report (2003) which was directed by Professor Christopher Chetsanga, estimates that the country lost over 400, 000 professionals between 1990 and 2002. A recent study estimates that 25 per cent Zimbabweans are living outside the country. According to Wikipedia, ‘brain drain’ or human capital flight is a large emigration of individuals with technical skills or knowledge, normally due to conflict, lack of opportunity, political instability, or health risks. Brain drain is usually regarded as an economic cost, since emigrants usually take with them the fraction of value of their training sponsored by the government. Brain drain has largely been associated with developing countries where marketable skills are not financially rewarded. The inclusive government has since recognised the need to tap into the country’s immense human capital skills resident in the Diaspora for national development. A number of strategic policy options are being proffered along these lines. Earlier this week, Shereni Jongwe (SJ) interviewed Professor Chetsanga (CC) on his views on what needs to be done to deal with the issue of brain drain.
SJ: Good morning Chris. I would have wanted to interview you on the subject matter of nanotechnology as a follow-up to your presentation last Thursday at the British Council Management Express Forum, but that will have to wait for some other time! Now, Chris, you have been directly involved with the Zimbabwe Brain Drain Study Report which examined the issue of brain drain. Could you tell us the key findings of that study?
CC: Good morning Shereni. That study made a number of findings. The study concluded that brain drain in Zimbabwe was based on the global phenomenon associated with man’s quest for better opportunities in life. An examination of the professions of those who were leaving the country showed that a sizable share was made up of teachers and nurses. Indeed, according to the survey, the health care sector was the most affected. Many were leaving because health care and education spending cuts denied them reasonable salary levels in Zimbabwe. Proportionately, some professions then appeared to have small numbers of people who had emigrated, but these emigrants were highly skilled and therefore critical to Zimbabwe’s development agenda. The experience of Zimbabwean companies has been that most of the people they were losing to job offers elsewhere were the highest paid in the company. Their departure was therefore a major loss not only to Zimbabwean companies, but also as tax payers to the Zimbabwe government. Most Zimbabweans in the Diaspora informed the study team that they were not happy to leave Zimbabwe, but were forced to do so by economic factors.
SJ: It is now nearly a decade since the results of that study and the country remains blighted by the challenge of brain drain. What has worked and what has not worked in terms of the study’s recommendations?
CC: Our study was concluded around the time when economic decline was becoming manifest and it actually worsened thereafter. One recent study indicates that at least 25 per cent Zimbabweans are outside the country confirming the role of economic factors as a key push factor in the country’s emigration. There have been other push factors. For instance, 7 per cent of the respondents in our study had left for political reasons while others cited issues pertaining to media laws and property rights. Others, like scientists, left to work in countries where research and development (R&D) is actively done with the latest generation of equipment and support is guaranteed. Overall, we need to focus on improving the economic factors if we are to stem the brain drain or brain drain from other countries.
SJ: Globally, a number of policy initiatives have been proffered in response to the brain drain. In your own view, what needs to be done to deal with the brain drain?
CC: For Zimbabwe to counter the strong impact of the globalisation economic forces, the country needs to undertake a number of important measures. First, there is need to set up knowledge networks whereby our Diasporans can contribute solutions to the expertise needs of the country. Knowledge networks jointly deploy advanced information and distributed computing technologies. Already, the Ministry of Higher & Tertiary Education, in partnership with the International Organization for Migration has since launched a Zimbabwe Human Capital Website which will provide a platform for us to communicate with our Diasporan Zimbabweans. Second, there is need to enrich the work environment for employee development and career growth. At the core of this approach is the need to nurture high levels of employee engagement through regular training and sound career pathing. Third, some African leaders have proposed that a Diasporan destination country be made to pay a fee for each Diasporan that it gets from an African country. This fee will recompense the brain drained country for costs that it incurred in training the Diasporan under consideration.
SJ: The institutions of higher learning, particularly the universities and technical colleges, have borne the biggest brunt of the brain drain. What sort of strategies need to crafted to assure that the competitiveness of our educational systems
CC: The country’s universities must be provided with well-trained lecturing staff who are reasonably remunerated so as to ensure that they resist the pull factors of the Diaspora. This will provide Zimbabwe with a stable expertise base. Their teaching, research and development activities must be appropriately funded so as to enable them to effectively impart knowledge and skills to their trainees Universities need to ‘think outside the box’ and consider private-public partnerships in their quest to unlock funding. Knowledge is an unexcelled weapon for development as it enables mankind to exploit planet earth’s resources in a more sophisticated and sustainable way. This strategy will enable the country to produce a competent workforce. Furthermore, the provision of competitive remuneration packages, properly maintained research facilities and adequate research funding levels will enable the country to attract back the skills it has lost to the Diaspora.
Shereni is principal consultant at Global Workforce Solutions (Pvt) Ltd. He can be contacted via sms 073 3 306 193/0913 002 275 or by e-mail: consultgws@gmail.com
SJ: Good morning Chris. I would have wanted to interview you on the subject matter of nanotechnology as a follow-up to your presentation last Thursday at the British Council Management Express Forum, but that will have to wait for some other time! Now, Chris, you have been directly involved with the Zimbabwe Brain Drain Study Report which examined the issue of brain drain. Could you tell us the key findings of that study?
CC: Good morning Shereni. That study made a number of findings. The study concluded that brain drain in Zimbabwe was based on the global phenomenon associated with man’s quest for better opportunities in life. An examination of the professions of those who were leaving the country showed that a sizable share was made up of teachers and nurses. Indeed, according to the survey, the health care sector was the most affected. Many were leaving because health care and education spending cuts denied them reasonable salary levels in Zimbabwe. Proportionately, some professions then appeared to have small numbers of people who had emigrated, but these emigrants were highly skilled and therefore critical to Zimbabwe’s development agenda. The experience of Zimbabwean companies has been that most of the people they were losing to job offers elsewhere were the highest paid in the company. Their departure was therefore a major loss not only to Zimbabwean companies, but also as tax payers to the Zimbabwe government. Most Zimbabweans in the Diaspora informed the study team that they were not happy to leave Zimbabwe, but were forced to do so by economic factors.
SJ: It is now nearly a decade since the results of that study and the country remains blighted by the challenge of brain drain. What has worked and what has not worked in terms of the study’s recommendations?
CC: Our study was concluded around the time when economic decline was becoming manifest and it actually worsened thereafter. One recent study indicates that at least 25 per cent Zimbabweans are outside the country confirming the role of economic factors as a key push factor in the country’s emigration. There have been other push factors. For instance, 7 per cent of the respondents in our study had left for political reasons while others cited issues pertaining to media laws and property rights. Others, like scientists, left to work in countries where research and development (R&D) is actively done with the latest generation of equipment and support is guaranteed. Overall, we need to focus on improving the economic factors if we are to stem the brain drain or brain drain from other countries.
SJ: Globally, a number of policy initiatives have been proffered in response to the brain drain. In your own view, what needs to be done to deal with the brain drain?
CC: For Zimbabwe to counter the strong impact of the globalisation economic forces, the country needs to undertake a number of important measures. First, there is need to set up knowledge networks whereby our Diasporans can contribute solutions to the expertise needs of the country. Knowledge networks jointly deploy advanced information and distributed computing technologies. Already, the Ministry of Higher & Tertiary Education, in partnership with the International Organization for Migration has since launched a Zimbabwe Human Capital Website which will provide a platform for us to communicate with our Diasporan Zimbabweans. Second, there is need to enrich the work environment for employee development and career growth. At the core of this approach is the need to nurture high levels of employee engagement through regular training and sound career pathing. Third, some African leaders have proposed that a Diasporan destination country be made to pay a fee for each Diasporan that it gets from an African country. This fee will recompense the brain drained country for costs that it incurred in training the Diasporan under consideration.
SJ: The institutions of higher learning, particularly the universities and technical colleges, have borne the biggest brunt of the brain drain. What sort of strategies need to crafted to assure that the competitiveness of our educational systems
CC: The country’s universities must be provided with well-trained lecturing staff who are reasonably remunerated so as to ensure that they resist the pull factors of the Diaspora. This will provide Zimbabwe with a stable expertise base. Their teaching, research and development activities must be appropriately funded so as to enable them to effectively impart knowledge and skills to their trainees Universities need to ‘think outside the box’ and consider private-public partnerships in their quest to unlock funding. Knowledge is an unexcelled weapon for development as it enables mankind to exploit planet earth’s resources in a more sophisticated and sustainable way. This strategy will enable the country to produce a competent workforce. Furthermore, the provision of competitive remuneration packages, properly maintained research facilities and adequate research funding levels will enable the country to attract back the skills it has lost to the Diaspora.
Shereni is principal consultant at Global Workforce Solutions (Pvt) Ltd. He can be contacted via sms 073 3 306 193/0913 002 275 or by e-mail: consultgws@gmail.com
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