Opinion / Blogs
Cart before the horses
11 Nov 2013 at 08:14hrs | Views
Author: Zanda Shumba
This is just a story about my friend Dzimbahwe. All characters appearing in this story are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.
My friend Dzimbahwe had a company bequeathed to him after the death of his ancestors. The company was then making lots and lots of money and was looking fabulous. Knowing that he cannot manage complex issues of the company himself, he hired a panel of guys to manage the affairs of his company. Things moved well for the company for a short while. But something went awry wrong after only a few years and the company started performing dismally. There was litter everywhere on the company premise, the building was indeed tearing down, other employees were being poorly remunerated, and virtually everything was just in state of disrepair. It was like nobody cared. Some of the managers were stealing and looting assets, and profits were no longer being remitted to Dzimbahwe. On noticing this, Dzimbahwe went to confront the managers who in their comfort had nearly forgotten whose company it was or for what their duty they had been hired to.
They told him nothing was wrong with the management, only that some very powerful companies were wrongly disposed against the management and were therefore really not ready to engage Dzimbahwe's company seriously in any business. Woow. Hell broke loose when Dzimbahwe asked to see business records for the company, that's when the management asked the guards to drive him outside his own company premises. They told him it was the management`s duty to run the company on his behalf, so he should not ask questions. "If we get profits we will send you, if we don't remember the hostile companies are against us, and want this management changed. Meanwhile we are stuck in this pride battle with those hostile companies and we will do anything to win this pride battle," the wicked management said.
"But it`s my compa..," Dzimbahwe was not able to finish this phrase, for the management unleashed some very vicious and zealous dogs to scare the hill out of him.
Shocked, humiliated and angry Matombo, his other name was, engaged a dare to solve the issue. That's when everything became clear; the management clearly disregarded the authority of the gathering and said they are carrying out a series of wars against the "hostile" companies. Winning these chimurengas was their utmost goal, so whether Dzimbahwe gets proceeds or not, it was not a matter high on their priority list. Dzimbahwe Matombo said it was not his priority to engage in unnecessary fights, his best wish he said, was the prosperity of his company. He said at that gathering that the management was confusing theirselves and his company. The company was not synonymous with the management, Dzimbahwe bellowed. Further to this Dzimbawe said his company was his and he could if he wished, as was the case then, fire the whole management and replace it with a friendlier, responsible and an accountable one. The management told Matombo that he was misguided and that he indeed was conniving with the "hostile" companies plotting the management's downfall. Given that situation the management said they will not resign not get fired until they have made it dawn to the hostile companies and to Matombo himself, that the company belongs to Matombo. Matombo said he had no doubts that the company belonged to him. So the gathering failed to resolve the situation. Dzimbahwe was all in tears but the management vowed to continue their ill fated fight against "hostile" companies which indeed were performing well above standard.
Hereinafter the management started to divide Dzimbabwe`s assets amongst theirselves, further undermining the efficiency and the efficaciousness of the company.
Matombo reported the matter to the highest of dares and pleaded with best and strongest of friends, hoping in them to put their full weight to help change his plight, but in the process he realized the futility of his efforts and took note of the insincerity of both the dare and his trusted friends. Frustrated, he retired back to his homeland saying to himself, what else can I do, except to wallow in this mess. He just prayed and hoped that his ancestors would turn in their graves and punish these who dine and delight together with this animal called injustice.
Even though the company remained in his name, he was being prejudiced of all its proceeds. He knew he was going to live in poverty and continual need all his life, but still cannot gain access to an inheritance so big and profitable that had been left to him by his parents.
Though the management did not have a real mandate from Dzimbahwe to run the company, they arrogantly assumed they had because the management made sure that all board member elections were made in Dzimbahwe's absence. After that they would make bad policies for the company, all in Dzimbahwe's name. Meanwhile the company continued on the downward trend, and the management continued to find scapegoats, all but feigned and imaginary. But while the managers got fat, Dzimbahwe got thinner and thinner with each passing day. As time went by, he began to forget about his inheritance, and now it was like the management owned the company. In any case what good was the company to Matombo if he did not have any say in how it's being run nor get any of the proceeds thereof. Occasionally the managers would send him reports of dwindling profits and these were always accompanied with new strategies in place of old failed ones. In these reports, on one hand, the management always defends its own actions however reckless, and on the other hand, blamed "hostile" companies for the company's poor performance. Dzimbahwe in his heart never believed these reports, for he knew it was the management who were busy plundering his inheritance. If the management was sincere, they would not have sidelined him in the running of his company. There was no participatory approach in the manner in which the management was running Dzimbahwe`s company, a company in his own name.
On some occasions, when the company cash flow gets so bad, the management would find sinister ways of extorting money from Dzimbahwe. Dzimbahwe, having lost his voice, scared and no longer with trust in the dare anymore, would just untie his handkerchief where he usually keeps whatever little money he has, and give it to the managers coffers. The managers would again go spend this money lavishly and irresponsibly and continue its unauthorized fight against other shrewd companies in the playing field.
The management has completely forgotten that the premises belong to Dzimbahwe, who it kicks around whenever it pleases. It's like a cart pulling horses. Though the management pretends to represent Dzimbahwe, though Dzimbahwe wants to relieve them of their duties, he cannot, because the management creates and control the dare.
My friend Dzimbahwe had a company bequeathed to him after the death of his ancestors. The company was then making lots and lots of money and was looking fabulous. Knowing that he cannot manage complex issues of the company himself, he hired a panel of guys to manage the affairs of his company. Things moved well for the company for a short while. But something went awry wrong after only a few years and the company started performing dismally. There was litter everywhere on the company premise, the building was indeed tearing down, other employees were being poorly remunerated, and virtually everything was just in state of disrepair. It was like nobody cared. Some of the managers were stealing and looting assets, and profits were no longer being remitted to Dzimbahwe. On noticing this, Dzimbahwe went to confront the managers who in their comfort had nearly forgotten whose company it was or for what their duty they had been hired to.
They told him nothing was wrong with the management, only that some very powerful companies were wrongly disposed against the management and were therefore really not ready to engage Dzimbahwe's company seriously in any business. Woow. Hell broke loose when Dzimbahwe asked to see business records for the company, that's when the management asked the guards to drive him outside his own company premises. They told him it was the management`s duty to run the company on his behalf, so he should not ask questions. "If we get profits we will send you, if we don't remember the hostile companies are against us, and want this management changed. Meanwhile we are stuck in this pride battle with those hostile companies and we will do anything to win this pride battle," the wicked management said.
"But it`s my compa..," Dzimbahwe was not able to finish this phrase, for the management unleashed some very vicious and zealous dogs to scare the hill out of him.
Shocked, humiliated and angry Matombo, his other name was, engaged a dare to solve the issue. That's when everything became clear; the management clearly disregarded the authority of the gathering and said they are carrying out a series of wars against the "hostile" companies. Winning these chimurengas was their utmost goal, so whether Dzimbahwe gets proceeds or not, it was not a matter high on their priority list. Dzimbahwe Matombo said it was not his priority to engage in unnecessary fights, his best wish he said, was the prosperity of his company. He said at that gathering that the management was confusing theirselves and his company. The company was not synonymous with the management, Dzimbahwe bellowed. Further to this Dzimbawe said his company was his and he could if he wished, as was the case then, fire the whole management and replace it with a friendlier, responsible and an accountable one. The management told Matombo that he was misguided and that he indeed was conniving with the "hostile" companies plotting the management's downfall. Given that situation the management said they will not resign not get fired until they have made it dawn to the hostile companies and to Matombo himself, that the company belongs to Matombo. Matombo said he had no doubts that the company belonged to him. So the gathering failed to resolve the situation. Dzimbahwe was all in tears but the management vowed to continue their ill fated fight against "hostile" companies which indeed were performing well above standard.
Matombo reported the matter to the highest of dares and pleaded with best and strongest of friends, hoping in them to put their full weight to help change his plight, but in the process he realized the futility of his efforts and took note of the insincerity of both the dare and his trusted friends. Frustrated, he retired back to his homeland saying to himself, what else can I do, except to wallow in this mess. He just prayed and hoped that his ancestors would turn in their graves and punish these who dine and delight together with this animal called injustice.
Even though the company remained in his name, he was being prejudiced of all its proceeds. He knew he was going to live in poverty and continual need all his life, but still cannot gain access to an inheritance so big and profitable that had been left to him by his parents.
Though the management did not have a real mandate from Dzimbahwe to run the company, they arrogantly assumed they had because the management made sure that all board member elections were made in Dzimbahwe's absence. After that they would make bad policies for the company, all in Dzimbahwe's name. Meanwhile the company continued on the downward trend, and the management continued to find scapegoats, all but feigned and imaginary. But while the managers got fat, Dzimbahwe got thinner and thinner with each passing day. As time went by, he began to forget about his inheritance, and now it was like the management owned the company. In any case what good was the company to Matombo if he did not have any say in how it's being run nor get any of the proceeds thereof. Occasionally the managers would send him reports of dwindling profits and these were always accompanied with new strategies in place of old failed ones. In these reports, on one hand, the management always defends its own actions however reckless, and on the other hand, blamed "hostile" companies for the company's poor performance. Dzimbahwe in his heart never believed these reports, for he knew it was the management who were busy plundering his inheritance. If the management was sincere, they would not have sidelined him in the running of his company. There was no participatory approach in the manner in which the management was running Dzimbahwe`s company, a company in his own name.
On some occasions, when the company cash flow gets so bad, the management would find sinister ways of extorting money from Dzimbahwe. Dzimbahwe, having lost his voice, scared and no longer with trust in the dare anymore, would just untie his handkerchief where he usually keeps whatever little money he has, and give it to the managers coffers. The managers would again go spend this money lavishly and irresponsibly and continue its unauthorized fight against other shrewd companies in the playing field.
The management has completely forgotten that the premises belong to Dzimbahwe, who it kicks around whenever it pleases. It's like a cart pulling horses. Though the management pretends to represent Dzimbahwe, though Dzimbahwe wants to relieve them of their duties, he cannot, because the management creates and control the dare.
Source - Zanda Shumba
All articles and letters published on Bulawayo24 have been independently written by members of Bulawayo24's community. The views of users published on Bulawayo24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Bulawayo24. Bulawayo24 editors also reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.
