Exiled former cabinet minister Jonathan Moyo says Zimbabwean billionaire Strive Masiyiwa is arrogant in saying as business people they walk away from governments whose policies are not friendly.
Masiyiwa made the following sentiments yesterday while speaking at the inaugural Global AI Summit on Africa in Kigali, Rwanda on the partnership between his Cassava and Nvidia to build compute capacity for AI in Egypt, Kenya, and South Africa.
“…From here, it’s up to us what we do with this. I cannot overemphasize the need for our leaders to create an ecosystem for investment because people like me stepping forward and going out to raise billions of dollars to buy these chips, we can only go to where it is investor friendly.
“That’s right. Okay? We won’t come back and tell you your investment environment doesn’t work.
“We just walk away.
“So we’ve got to talk to each other. You’ve got to listen to what we feel we need to comfortably raise the capital to do this.”
However, in response to Masiyiwa’s remarks, Moyo said it not necessary for the Econet Wireless Group founder to say so.
“All good. Yes, indeed, it cannot be overemphasized that investment can best thrive in a requisite ecosystem.
“But, in the same vein, it cannot be overemphasized that in any investment engagement or process, it takes two to tango: the investor and the investee.
“As such, in any investment communication, “listening” is a mutual two-way traffic.
“The investor and investee must listen to one another to find each other.
“It was unnecessary and rather recklessly arrogant for Masiyiwa to charge that:
“We won’t come back and tell you your investment environment doesn’t work. We just walk away. ”
“We just walk away…
“Sadly, Masiyiwa’s arrogant attitude explains why his Econet investment in Zimbabwe – the cash cow that has made him the billionaire that he is – has no listening culture whatsoever; instead it has become notorious for its predatory business practices through which it routinely rips off consumers by providing shoddy and overpriced telecoms that leave everything to be desired.
“One day, the ripped off Econet consumers will take a leaf from Masiyiwa and just walk away!”
Zwnews
