Masiyiwa’s big lie

It seemed like an honest and innocent statement. “#Not interested in politics, not in the past, not now, and not in the future,” declared Zimbabwe’s richest man, Econet boss Strive Masiyiwa.

Masiyiwa had sparked speculation about whether he wanted to contest for president in 2018, when he ended his Facebook post on 22 December with the following statement: “Meanwhile, I’ve delayed my special announcement until January. This one will blow you away… Don't try and speculate on what it might be; you’ll just end up feeding the fake news hucksters. Just wait for it, and be prepared.”

Online media immediately latched onto the statement to say Masiyiwa would declare his interest in contesting for president next year.

He issued a statement the following day clarifying: “Announcement will be on something to do with entrepreneurship support for my followers on this Facebook page. Ignore ‘fake news hucksters’."

To end the speculation he posted on 29 December: “#My Special Announcement: In January we will announce an Internship competition for two entrepreneurs who will get an opportunity to spend time at one of our businesses, as well as one week traveling with me as I go about my business. Details of how to participate will be released before the end of January. It will be open to anyone (from anywhere in the world) who currently participates in my Facebook forum, and is familiar with things I have been teaching on entrepreneurship.”

But how far true was Masiyiwa’s statement that he is “not interested in politics, not in the past, not now, and not in the future”.

It might be true that he is not interested in politics now. We can give him the benefit of doubt on that. We can also say the same thing about the future, but definitely not about the past because history tells us something different.

Way back in January 2006, the United States embassy in Harare reported that there were rumours that Masiyiwa had been offered the presidency of the smaller- Welshman Ncube- faction of the Movement for Democratic Change but had refused to take up the offer because he was loyal to MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

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