By Jerry Nyazungu
On Thursday, I was talking to a Managing Director of a manufacturing company.
He told me:
“Jerry, we can’t meet supermarket orders, we haven’t paid salaries for three months… but this weekend I’m going to the rural areas for Heroes and Defence Forces Day. The factory will be closed from Saturday to Tuesday.”
I looked at him the way a maths teacher looks at a student who confidently writes 2 + 2 = 7.
I tried to explain, *“Boss, holidays are a chance to catch up on production, not on sleeping! You could even clear part of those salary arrears.”
- But he said, “Jerry, I need to rest.”
It got me thinking…
During the liberation war, were our heroes saying:
“Guys, let’s take Heroes Day off… the bullets can wait until Wednesday”?
Did they tell the struggle:
“We’ll liberate you after the long weekend”?
Are they proud of us when we shut down production while our workers’ children go to bed hungry? Do they celebrate with us when we fail to meet orders because we are unwinding?
The Holiday Habit That Costs Africa
Let’s be honest rest is important but in Africa, sometimes our love for public holidays is like an overfed goat: it does more sitting than moving.
Meanwhile, China was exactly where we are just 40 years ago. They didn’t take “extended weekends.” They worked, they produced, they exported… Now everything is Made in China except public holidays. Those are still Made in Africa.
The Best Way to Honour Our Heroes
This Heroes Day, I believe we owe our heroes more than a wreath and a song. We owe them:
Production Jobs for citizens An economy they’d be proud of
Because here’s the truth: Rest won’t pay salaries. Production will.
So yes, celebrate Heroes Day… but also work like our future depends on it because it does.
#HappyHeroesDay #Zimbabwe #AfricanEntrepreneur #WorkEthic #MadeInAfrica #Leadership #MindsetShift #AfricanBusiness #NoExcuses #EconomicFreedom #BusinessGrowth #SMEs #ZimbabweRising #WorkCulture #BuildAfrica #Manufacturing
