Zimbabwe’s night is over and we must work together now to
bring in the dawn. We must work hard to turn away from (and learn from) the
pages of our pained past. This includes talking about it, because this is part
of the healing process...
I was on my way to Singapore several years ago where some
investors had promised me a huge investment fund for Africa. I was excited!
This was my big break.
My flight connection from South Africa where I lived, was
through Bangkok and as I ran to the gate, my phone started to ring. It was my
brother-in-law who worked for the intelligence service in Zimbabwe. I could
hear my cousin sister sobbing in the background.
“They are going to arrest all your directors and senior
management tonight.”
“Why?!”
“It is meant to force them all to resign so your company
can collapse.”
I could not turn back because the door of the plane had
closed. I switched off my phone and sat quietly. I did not eat or drink water
the entire flight. It was time to pray and fast.
When we landed in Singapore, I called my brother-in-law. He
confirmed that the arrests had been effected. Directors and executives
(including CEO Douglas Mboweni) of the largest public company on the Zimbabwe
Stock Exchange had all been away to the maximum security prison in leg irons.
Even retired former directors had been arrested.
I tried calling our leading lawyer. He, too, had been
arrested. My brother-in-law suggested I not go to South Africa.
“There is a team there who have been sent to abduct
you," he warned. "They will say you came back to the country by
yourself.”
My cousin sister grabbed the phone from him and begged me:
“Please do as he says!”
I cancelled my meetings with investors. I sat in my hotel
room making calls. I found Beatrice Mtetwa, a fearless human rights lawyer. She
had already began to work on the case. They would not tell her what the issue
was.
There would be no bail. They were held in a section of the
prison which houses death row inmates. Years later, one of my executives was
still traumatized by the wailings and lamentations of those on death row. (Like
the new President of Zimbabwe, I’m a fierce opponent of the death penalty, and
I hope he will push for its repeal in Zimbabwe, and anywhere else in Africa).
No one seemed to care about the fact that this was a
company majority-owned by tens of thousands of ordinary people directly, and
through their pension funds. At the time, I personally owned less than 40% of
the company. Had it collapsed, anyone who held a pension plan or life policy
would have been affected, including public sector workers.
Our lawyer finally managed to get a hearing for them after
more than a week. They came to the court dressed as convicts with leg irons. I
was sent TV footage of it. I continued my prayers. They were sent back to the
prison. There were no charges pressed against any of them for anything.
I reached out to the prayer network that had always stood
with me within the country and around the world. We agreed to “pray and fast
without ceasing until they were released.” During the day, I would be on the
phone with Beatrice, then I would have a light meal and go to join my wife in
prayer until the early hours of the morning. All in all, they were held for 16
days. Then I broke my fast and finally got some real sleep!
After they were released, my team went back to work as
though nothing had happened.
I flew first to England and then back to South Africa after
getting security assurances from their government. (I’m grateful to the South
African government even to this day for coming to my aid and protecting me and
my family). When I finally met the entire team in South Africa, we agreed that
as Christians we had a duty to forgive those who persecuted us, including the
leader of the country.
With my team, we decided to redouble our efforts to help
Zimbabwe through its dark night. This is just a “tip of the iceberg” when it
comes to what we went through.
We forgave.
Wisdom (not fear) compelled me to develop business
interests around the world, going even as far as New Zealand and South America.
Nigeria, Kenya, Lesotho, Botswana, Zambia, Burundi and
Rwanda were some of the interests I developed during that time. All the leaders
in these countries back then knew about my plight through their embassies, and
went out of their way to make me welcome.
I appreciate it to this day. That is why I always stand so
firmly with those countries, supporting them as though I am a citizen.
Although I never had a business in Senegal, then-President
Wade and his foreign minister learnt about my plight, and even asked me to come
and live there. I knew it was the grace of God that in the midst of such
persecution, world leaders began to take notice of me.
President Wade and President Obasanjo were like fathers to
me. Hey, I just hope I won’t have to watch Nigeria vs Senegal in the World Cup
finals on Kwesé TV! (Actually, the perfect final for me is those two countries
playing each other!)
We forgive always.
We love always.
Strive Masiyiwa via Facebook
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