Comments on: How can Old Mutual defend the indefensible?

By: David

David — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:45:07 +0000

The question which still remains unanswered is why is there a lot of fuss about this investment which was made in the 60s. Pre-independence no-one seemed to have an issue, now some 40 plus yrs later it is a problem.
To assume that this paper can be used as an effective propaganda tool is to relegate the majority of the readership of this paper to beings incapable of sifting through fact & fiction.
Consider this the bulk of the readership are urban folk who happen to be black people & inspite of the so called cheap propoganda machine progressively vote more and more for the opposition to the point where all urban consituiences are now represented by the opposition. Suggesting that this is evidence of the fact that the readership are politically educated enough to think straight & know what is good for them anyway.
A cold objective assessment of the paper will reveal that local political issues make up 25% of the paper, the remaining 80% covers international stories from various correspondents quoted verbatum, sport & commercials ads from individuals & corporations. The latter being the main reason people in Zimbabwe read this paper apart from the need to know the psych of ZANU.
I suggest that the few of us raging over this topic pause for a minute to reflect on the ability of the Zim people to make rational decisions on matters that concern them.
OM’s investment activities in this country have touched the lives of millions.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:15:59 +0000

@D Mudiwa,
Calamity has already struck the country. It happened the day Mad Bob started to drive the white farmers from the land so he could give it to his cronies, who wouldn’t know a tractor from Formula One race car.
If the “White Imperialists” wanted to take Zimbabwe, they would have done it a long time ago.
Let’s face it all Zimbabweans are idiots. If you support Mugabe and the ruination of the country, you are an idiot. If you don’t stand up against him and overthrow him for ruining the country and killing his opponents, you are an idiot.
You are obviously an idiot of the first kind.
Zim is kept afloat by the Chinese and blood money from the Congo. Best of luck with the Chinese mate, they are even more ruthless than Mugabe once they get their hands on a country.

By: Rose Morrow

Rose Morrow — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:51:44 +0000

D Mudiwa – there are only around 100 white farmers operating in Zim – land grabs have seen the demise of food security and resultant starvation not because blacks have taken over but because inexperienced, unskilled people have – and not often people who are motivated to feed the nation -too often land is given to politicians who are benefitting from Mugabe’s reward system. From the bottom of my heart I believe in land restitution and a just and equitable distribution of wealth. Redistribution of land is not an issue – to whom it is distributed and what they do with it, that is what is important. Motivations are too often driven by selfish, greedy ambitions but it is naive and dangerous to insist that every person rooting for a change of leadership in Zim is driven by negative sentiments or is racist or even that they would want the MDC to govern in place of ZANU PF. That is just silly and misguided really. At this time the MDC is the only alternative but who knows what the future will bring.

By: Neuren

Neuren — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:29:12 +0000

Mr Mudiwa, do you hate your black skin so much as to think that “4000 white farmers” are so powerful as to pose a threat to “13 million black Zimbabweans”?
p.s. I believe that the Zimbabwean population is estimated to be around 5 million at present and personally I appreciate the artisan skills many of them bring to SA.

By: D Mudiwa

D Mudiwa — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:34:25 +0000

@Jeff
Any black Zimbabwean who lets Tsvangison and his cronies get away with inviting calamity on their country to protect 4,000 white farmers against 13 million black Zimbabweans is an idiot. The only reason why the white world supports Tsvangison is because he promises to restitute to the dispossessed white farmers their land when/if MDC-T comes to power. On the other hand, the only reason why blacks support the MDC-T is simply because they believe, quite correctly unfortunately, that having the MDC-T in power is the only way the white world will let go their strangulation of the Zimbabwean economy.

By: Wise Old Joe

Wise Old Joe — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:51:04 +0000

@Glen Merriweather

All (most I know of) businesses are driven by profits. Corporations do not have morals, they are a bundle of contracts. Once we realise that we can move forward and set up rules and regulations to govern corporations by which coporations do business in a socailly acceptable manner.

As long as we blame the corporation and its executive staff we are not addressing the real problem. The CEO will continue to sail as close to the wind as he can to the most profitable option without getting enough bad publicity as to harm business i.e. affect profits.

By: Rose Morrow

Rose Morrow — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:27:33 +0000

What I find fascinating is that the Herald is clearly a very good investment option or Old Mutual would not even glance in its direction. Makes me get back to an earlier observation which is that almost half the citizens of Zim still support Mugabe and ZANU PF and proved this by voting for him in the first 2008 election. There have to be a few million in Zim reading the newspaper for it to be such a profitable media house. And not just reading it but being comfortable and confident that the views expressed therein are balanced and fair!! Amazing! That is what makes Zim such an untenable situation to assist in resolving from the outside – the Zim people have to come to a place where way more than half the population actually WANT CHANGE and when that happens, change will come one way or another. Until then it is going to limp along in fits and starts I’m afraid. None of this excuses OM’s decision to keep the rag afloat – but that’s business for you – the bottom line is more important than anything including human life.

By: Blip

Blip — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:58:12 +0000

ZooKeeper’s gotcha.

By: Neuren

Neuren — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:08:12 +0000

MFB, The Herald, a model of freedom of speech? You must be kidding.

By: really scared

really scared — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:42:53 +0000

It seems Old Mutual has got themselves in a terrible mess – blood media and blood diamonds. It is fine to say it is only OM ZIM – but they form part of OM international (Nestle tried the same did they not?) Does OM international now approve of all this under their “brand” – what is their moral and tehnical view point ? – profit above human right abuses ? I cannot see how they can have any moral grounds to do do so – including OM SA – except if they foresee the same future for OM SA policy holders as part of some long term strategy. Can I trust this company any further as policy holder? I am becoming scared, really scared !