It's time to revive the Affirmative Action Group

The Affirmative Action Group AAG was a powerful entity which made a huge difference in the business sector. AAG was a successful pressure group which contributed immensely to the growth of several black-owned businesses. AAG moulded a number of respectable public personalities, young Turks and flamboyant business persons. AAG was and is bigger than Peter Pamire and Philip Chiyangwa. Saviour Kasukuwere, David Chapfika, Supa Mandiwanzira, Chamu Chiwanza are all products and members of the AAG hall of fame.

Is AAG still relevant
Zimbabwe needs the Affirmative Action Group now more than ever. The economy is going through rapid changes that threaten the very existence of black-owned businesses. The Multinational corporations enjoy a direct audience with the Executive arm of government and anything they say goes. They have the muscle and the capacity to influence change and protect themselves in the harsh environment we are in. The entrepreneur has no one to turn to. The nation no longer has a Ministry of SMEs, the National Business Council of Zimbabwe ran out of steam and the nation needs a superhero in the form of AAG. Small businesses need an affirmative voice now more than ever. Mthuli Ncube and his policy-making cronies are not really worried about the small business owner and the impact of policy on these businesses.

Where is Chamu Chiwanza?

Chamu Chiwanza needs to show himself and run with the cause of AAG. Football is not Chamu's calling. Chamu should leave football to bla Phidza and bro Omz, black businesses need the skills and talents of Chamu Chiwanza more than the football fraternity does. Chamu Chiwanza seriously needs to regroup, sit down with Dr Davison Gomo and rebuild the beast that was AAG. Philip Chiyangwa also needs to step up and provide guidance to ensure that the AAG dream lives on. The survival of AAG and relevance of AAG is a Peter Pamire and Philip Chiyangwa legacy.

AAG and politics

The politics in Zimbabwe is failing the economy and subsequently failing business. AAG should be apolitical and stand on the side of the business, the side of the entrepreneur, politicians will come and go but business and enterprise will remain. AAG is a necessary bridge to the gap between the entrepreneur and the politics.

Political parties do not value business and certainly do not value entrepreneurs. This is demonstrated by the structure and organogram of political parties, the departments that should interface with business and entrepreneurs are at the bottom of the pecking order and regarded as low and boring posts. Political parties have made a huge blunder in this regard and it is this neglect of enterprise that has brought the economy to this weak point. Politicians need the hammer of Thor ie AAG to knock some business sense into them.

Zifa please deport Chamu Chiwanza back to AAG.

Conclusion

Zimbabwe genuinely needs an entity like AAG to stand up for the entrepreneur in these trying economic times. ZNCC and CZI are irrelevant to the SME and the entrepreneur. The inactivity of AAG has left a huge gap which has made the entrepreneur vulnerable to the tide of policy.

This is a plea to Philip Chiyangwa, Chamu Chiwanza, Saviour Kasukuwere, David Chapfika, Supa Mandiwanzira and everybody who has been involved in AAG to stand up and resurrect the AAG and the spirit of Affirmative Action. Politics aside, factions aside and protect the entrepreneur in Zimbabwe.

Nicholas Ncube is a researcher and blogger based in Ontario Canada