Dr. Mudumo joins ZUNDE, bares his past

via Dr. Mudumo joins ZUNDE, bares his past April 2, 2014 at 7:01am

The Zimbabweans United for Democracy (ZUNDE) camp is growing in might at a time when the mainstream political parties in the country are facing some shakeups and threats of division and even possible total disintegration. The sudden surge in the ZUNDE numbers is testimony that the people of Zimbabwe are in need of an alternative voice.

At ZUNDE, we don’t create heroes. Rather, we identify them, invite them or they simply join us. One such hero is Dr. Burombo Mudumo. His heroism lies in business leadership and strategy, academia and probity, among other traits. When he answered the ZUNDE call, Dr Mudumo became a perfect fit for the all-important position of Treasurer-General which he humbly accepted.

Even before he fully settles in his new role, Burombo says he has a story to tell “and this is probably the most appropriate timing for this”. Quickly, he retraces his steps back to his time at Lobels as CEO and Chairman for the Bakers Association of Zimbabwe. He takes a deep breath and says “I never knew an innocent business practitioner could be persecuted for their integrity, professionalism and diligence. This is exactly what the ZANU PF government did to me when they manufactured a charge against me, arrested me and through pliant courts, gave me a six months (6) prison sentence under the pretext that as Lobels CEO and Bakers Association Chairman, I was fueling regime change through creating artificial bread shortages and illegally inflating bread prices with the hope of causing mass protests”. More than a 1000 international news media reported the court judgement expressing shock at such unprecedented levels of victimization and injustice. “How can a business sell a product at below its cost of production and survive”, asked Mudumo. From then onwards Mudumo’s life was hell, full of political interference and threats in his private, public and business activities as all his activities were viewed with suspicion.

Such flimsy charges caused a shockwaves across the business community. It was quite evident from the very beginning that Burombo and his business associates were nothing but sacrificial lambs at the mercy of a dismally failing government. Shortages and price increases were never a product of corporate malfeasance but hyperinflationary pressures and ill-advised price controls imposed by a clueless but predatory regime masquerading as a democratic government.

Dr Mudumo is a renowned and respected entrepreneur and strategist specializing in business strategy and turnarounds. He has 22 years’ solid experience in business and has vast appreciation of business processes and operations. His successful career has seen him working with large multinationals like Unilever International and many others as Finance Manager, Finance Director, Managing Director, CEO, non-executive Director and Consultant. He is also former President of ASI business forum and many other business organizations.

Mudumo strongly believes that every problem has a solution. It is for this reason that he thinks Zimbabwe will come out of the doldrums one day.  He is widely traveled and has held senior positions in a number of African countries. On his attraction to ZUNDE, he is very clear, “I’ve suffered before; I’m prepared to suffer again in defence of ZUNDE’s agenda which will bring freedom and dignity to our peace-loving and hardworking people”. Asked if he was bitter, Mudumo emphatically says that bitterness does not build nations. For him, the vision, mission, objectives and values of ZUNDE go back to the very foundation of the liberation struggle; the spirit of sacrifice, equality and equity. He is proud to be part of the team.

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