STAFF WRITER
Telecommunications mogul Strive Masiyiwa has endorsed President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration amid speculation the businessman could return, 18 years after leaving Zimbabwe.
In an interview with CNBC Africa, Masiyiwa endorsed the current political administration highlighting that the political change in Zimbabwe is real while also labelling President Mnangagwa as a sincere leader.
Masiyiwa noted that anybody who understands economics knows that it will be tough going and implored the United States of America to lift sanctions.
On his Twitter account, Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary, Ndavaningi Mangwana posted that:
“Someone suggested that as a nation we are guilty of hounding our most successful businessman sometimes all the way into some form of exile. Is there a grain of truth in this accusation? Do we somehow dislike it when someone’s business is all over our lives. Let’s start with this man (meaning Strive Masiyiwa),” said Mangwana.
Tsitsi Masiyiwa (Strive’s wife) further posted on her Twitter account that, “I read about in Genesis, the story of Joseph the young Israelite’s appointment as Prime Minister of Egypt by Pharaoh. Wow! Incredible. Found myself asking “Can you
be called upon by your Egypt to prevent calamity.” #foodforthought #Sundaythoughts,” Tsitsi said.
These utterances on the microblogging site saw people across the business and political divide coming with divided opinions with some concluding that the Econet founder might be on his way back to Zimbabwe.
Sources in government told Business Times that there has been some behind the scenes flirtation between the Mnangagwa government and the billionaire.
Since coming to power in November last year, President Mnangagwa has declared his willingness to work with all local businessmen who had frosty relations with former President Robert Mugabe’s regime.
Masiyiwa — the founder and executive chairman of diversified international telecommunications, media and technology group, Econet Wireless and Kwese TV — left Zimbabwe in 2000 for South Africa amid indications he had fallen out with Government.
By the time Masiyiwa left Zimbabwe, he claimed that he “did not have a happy relationship with the Government (and) decided that he was better off relocating and working from South Africa”. Masiyiwa is understood to have set a new base in London.
According to Forbes Magazine, Masiyiwa is one of the 23 billionaires from Africa as at January 2018. The 23 billionaires are worth a combined $75,4 billion.
Forbes estimates Masiyiwa’s net worth at $1,7 billion.
