By Paul Nyathi|What really is happening at the struggling government owned Dairiboard,was a question which was asked by losing Independent Candidate for Warrenpark Constituency Engineer Jacob Mutisi (pictured.)

Instead of the dairy company responding to Mutisi’s concerns, the company Chief Executive Officer Antony Mandiwanzira took swipe at the engineer.

Below is a leaked exchange of emails between the two senior officials:

—–Original Message—–
From: Anthony Mandiwanza [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, July 20, 2015 11:36
To: [email protected]
Subject: what on earth is happening at Dairibord

Dear Jacob,

I read with keen interest your concern about what is happening at Dairibord. I admire your limited knowledge of what is happening in the economy in Zimbabwe and in particular the absence of informative insights on the dairy
sector.

Amazing that you insinuate that there is nothing amiss about the general economy but rather that Anthony Mandiwanza is the villain !!!

Anthony S Mandiwanza
I could have considered it an honor if you had had the decency to call me for a one on one candid expose of your concerns and allow us an opportunity to be heard. It’s absurd that you rather chose to take the yellow route
littered with cowardice and full of malice driven by capricious wishes of your benefactor whom you badly acted for. brave men and women of integrity don’t act that way.

I wish you good luck in the path you have clumsily chosen and trust that you get solace and relief you are wantonly thirst for.

Good luck young-man!

Anthony Mandiwanza

Sent from my iPadust =

Jacob Kudzayi Mutisi
Tue, 21 Jul 2015, 11:35

to Anthony, mandiwanzaa, jmutisi

Dear Anthony,

Thank you very much for your prompt response to my email. Before I go any further I want to remind you that Dairibord is a company listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange and believe that shareholders and stakeholders
should be equipped with as much information as possible, hence the need to immediately respond to some of your comments, Sir.

Mr Mandiwanza to call me a coward is an insult of the highest level. Why would a coward use his email address and his name, Jacob Kudzayi Mutisi.

Furthermore Sir, you simply did not bother to defend the facts, YES facts Sir. This was a thorough analysis of the performance of management at Dairibord and I am sorry the facts simply pointed to you Sir, the CEO who
has failed to respond to the changes of the operating environment.

The emotional charge and venom in your response is quite understandable, considering that I seem to have touched a very raw nerve but I stand by every word that I wrote. You seem to see me as the guy who is threatening to grab your buns from your mouth – but that is not my point. You simply did not respond to the issues I raised. Nothing I wrote in that article is a lie or malicious. I am asking you to introspect.

You are more than 32 years at Dairibord, 20 of which you have been CEO. Laws of diminishing returns have clearly set in judging by how much the company has severely shrunk and you remain a constant.

We seem to have a perennial change of soiled diapers without a good old scrub and wash of the offending anatomy.

Sir, to suggest that I have limited knowledge of Zimbabwe and the economy obviously means that you have not accurately read my analysis which included a bit about my background, quote “the topic of my MBA dissertation, completed in 1998 was, “Attitude in Financial Reporting: Their Effects on the assessment of Company Performance and Management Credibility” focusing on “Management Performance””.

I have been following all companies and former parastatals, which have collapsed like Cottco, GMB, to name a few and do not want the same to happen to our much loved “DMB”.

Contrary to your argument, everyone is fully aware of what is happening in this Zimbabwean economy and me, given my background, am more fully aware of what is happening than the average Joe, which is precisely my point.

If you bother to read my article and understand it, you will realise that I acknowledge the economy is burdening a lot of companies and entities but these same companies and entities will perish if they think that by blaming their poor performance on the economy they will return black ink on their income statements. I quoted your own comments in your published results.

Revisiting your comment of not understanding the economy, with all due respect, I was an investment banker at a tender age of 28 years old and at that stage I was a holder of an MBA, Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics
Engineering and Management, Diploma in Information Technology amongst other minor qualifications that I should not care to mention.

This makes me an all rounder Sir. I believe this should answer your questions on my ability to analyse Dairibord.

This economy calls for bright young men and women who are capable of thinking outside their silos and who can come up with survival strategies.

In this same economy, some companies have started and prospered and taken market share from you. This economy is littered with CEOs and companies that did nothing, blamed the government and the economy and perished into
oblivion.

If you really care for Dairibord and are not interested in Dairibord being interred at the economic graveyard acre then be wise and take heed of my comments.

I did not call you for a one on one as you would have preferred because your response would have been predictable. I am not full of malice neither am I working for anyone.

Cowards hide behind non de plumes and use fake email addresses but I came out in the open and told you who I am. I also declared my education and qualifications so that you understand where I am coming from.

Mr Mandiwanza, to suggest that after being at the helm of the organization for over 20 years as the CEO you still have new bright ideas is a travesty.

It is impossible Sir. It has become easier to simply blame the MDs and everyone else around you than to look in the mirror and face reality.

However, I am available for a one on one, whenever it suits you and I will repeat the same to you, at an Analysts Briefing or at the AGM.

Regards

Eng. Jacob Mutisi

The article that triggered the heated exchange:

Another MD change yet the group CEO remain in place, who is to blame?

By Eng Jacob Mutisi

It has been to my attention that there is a new MD at Dairibord Zimbabwe, with a Mr Tatenda Nhapata replacing Mr Thompson Mabika. Being the fourth MD after the listing on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange.

As a former investment banker with extensive experience in investment analysis. My MBA dissertation, completed in 1998 was, “Attitude in Financial Reporting:Their Effects on the assessment of Company Performance and Management Credibility” focusing on “Management Performance” and this new management change made me
to question whether this change is another blame game from the a Group CEO, Mr Anthony Mandiwanza, who has been at the helm of the group for close to 20 years, yes 20 years. I have looked at the final results and the reasons for failure April 2015:-

Business environment remains difficult.
Declining disposable incomes culminating in negative inflation, down trading by consumers and growth of the informal sector.
Year on year inflation at end of April 2015 was 2.65% while foods and non-alcoholic beverages inflation was -2.93%
Weak commodity prices and poor agricultural season negatively impacting GDP growth -IMF revised 2015 GDP growth forecast from 3.2% to 2.8%.
National tax collections 6% below target for Q1 2015, which will weaken government expenditure
Continued appreciation of the US$ against major currencies impacting on competitiveness

For the CEO to continue to blame the Macro-Economic Environment is a sign that he is not responding to the changes of the is operating environment.

Or is it a case of blaming others? Hence, the change at MD level at Dairibord Zimbabwe. Is this a case of a CEO blaming others which is a poor strategy.

The time has come for the board to question the strategy of the group CEO and his method of implementation methodology.

For God’s sake where in world do you see a CEO being in that position for over 20 years? A CEO is bound to run out of ideas and reach a stage were Daribord is at where they now blame their Managing Directors without questioning the CEO. Further more, you will also have to question the credibility of the board.

I believe all potential investor are now asking the question, “Where is Dairibord heading to.”