Profile: Robinson Zulu
Profile: Robinson ZuluBy Amos Malupenga
Sunday March 02, 2008 [03:00]
Robinson with his wife Womba at their residence in Lusaka’s Jesmondine area. Above, with their children Madalitso and Kaleb Jr - Pictures by Thomas Nsama
Bathing together with my wife has proved to be the happiest part of our marriage, says Meanwood Group of Companies executive chairman Robinson Zulu. Zulu, who has been married to Womba for almost a decade now, says now, is the time they are thinking about having a wedding ceremony.
“Wedding ceremonies don’t have a critical bearing on the happiness of a married couple,” Zulu says. “My wife was away when we were formalising the marriage so we didn’t have the wedding. It is now that we are making arrangements to have a wedding ceremony after being married for almost ten years. We are looking forward to that, maybe next year or later this year.”
Although he didn’t have the wedding for his wife, Zulu says he thinks she is perhaps the happiest married woman in Zambia.
“I can easily say that and if you want I can call her to speak for herself,” he says. “By the way, we bath together everyday. This is good for marriage. That’s when we share a lot of things. We have been blessed by the Lord and we praise Him for that.”
So I challenged Robinson to invite Womba for a short interview with me.
Q: Your husband is telling me that you are probably the happiest married woman in Zambia, can you confirm or deny?
A: Yes, I am probably the happiest married woman in Zambia.
Q: Why do you say so?
A: Because I am well loved, well looked after, he is a caring husband, very understanding. He is a good father, so I can’t complain and therefore I am happy.
Q: How loving is he?
A: I get compliments all the time. When he is introducing me to people he says ‘meet my beautiful wife’. He also gives me gifts.
Q: What is the greatest gift he has given you so far?
A: Children.
Q: He also told me that you bath together every morning…
A: It’s a routine for us to bath together everyday.
Q: How did you develop this habit?
A: It just started. Robinson interjects and says: In fact, that is the most happiest part of our marriage.
Q: What do you talk about when you are bathing, or do you sing?
A: We do a lot of gossiping, sometimes we analyse what is in the local and foreign news. We talk about local and international politics, business and we also plan the day when we are bathing.
Q: Before I allow you to leave us, your husband told me that you are just organising to have a wedding ceremony after being married for so many years. I thought women are very sentimental about things like wedding ceremonies, why didn’t you have one?
A: Ceremonies are important but what is more important is happiness in a marriage. Sometimes you see people having lavish weddings but after a year, they are divorcing. What is important is commitment to each other in marriage and we are very happy together. We are committed to each other.
At this stage, Womba was excused to leave us especially that her 14-month-old boy had started to cry and fidget around. But before she left, Womba and Robinson argued about who fell for who first.
Below is Robinson’s profile interview in full.
Question: Firstly, could you give me your full names and a brief background?
Answer: My full names are Robinson Kaleb Zulu. In terms of my background and details, I am 43 years old and I would like to believe that I am still very young. I was born at University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka.
My father is late. His name was Keleb Saili Zulu. My mum is Rhoda Balenji Zulu. She is still alive and living in Lusaka West.
Q: Could you give me your education background?
A: First of all, my parents come from Chipata and both are Ngonis. They come from chief Munukwa. He is one of the chiefs under paramount chief Mpezeni. Basically, my dad was a farmer and businessman. He had farms in Mumbwa and Nampundwe, and other areas.
In terms of my education background, I started school at Matero Hillside Primary School. I couldn’t start school where dad was at that time because I was too small. So he had to take me to aunt’s place in Matero where somehow they squeezed me in, in grade two. I didn’t start from grade one. I don’t know what happened, aunt just squeezed me in.
I later realised that my going to start school in Matero had created a bit of controversy between mum and dad. At that time, dad was fairly prosperous and by Zambian standards one could say he was actually a millionaire. He was quite big in the retail business and mum felt that I needed to go to a better school but dad felt that I needed to start on a very hard surface. Dad also felt I needed to live with his relatives so I could experience what it is to live with other people other than immediate family members.
But looking back, I think dad was actually correct because I learnt a lot. It was a shift for me to go to conditions that were much tougher than at home. I think this helped form part of my character because I learnt to be resilient. Dad’s theory might not work for everybody but it worked for me.
Then about grade four, I continued school at a place called Sala School near Nampundwe where dad had a farm. I was there until grade seven. But in grade seven, I didn’t do well. I think I was still young and playful.
After that I joined my brother in Chingola at a school called Matero Primary School near Nchanga Stadium. From there, I qualified to go to secondary school. I think I must have been the best pupil in that year.
Q: Which year was that?
A: I think 1978/79. I went to Kabundi Secondary School. I was at Kabundi until 1983 when I finished my form five at the time when they were just doing away with national service.
The following year in 1984, I qualified to go to University of Zambia (UNZA) in the School of Humanities. I was very committed to school that time. I think in my first year I did very well. I had almost the same scores as Zambia Daily Mail managing editor Leonard Kantumoya who came in as mature age. I was one of the top students. There was also the late economist Meebelo Mutukwa, Zambia Investments Director Jacob Lushinga, and Kellyford Nkalamu.
We were taught by Professor Oliver Saasa, President Mwanawasa’s economic advisor Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane Dr Caleb Fundanga Bank of Zambia Governor was also my lecturer.
Actually, I can say that I felt I could do something in business from my early days at UNZA. While I was UNZA, I was supplying T/shirts with a UNZA badge in front to students as they were coming in at the beginning of the academic year. I also supplied the same T/shirts to clubs which were run by students. As a result, I lived a comfortable life at UNZA because I made a lot of money from that business.
I was at UNZA until 1988 when I finished.
After that, I went to work for PTC Post and Telecommunications Corporation that time in the marketing and sales department.
Q: What did you study at UNZA?
A: I did economics and mathematics. That was my major course. So I proceeded to work for PTC although I was there very briefly. After that I joined Zambia National Commercial Bank as a management trainee during the time Friday Ndhlovu who is now chief executive officer of Investrust Bank was the managing director. Kaitano Chungu was also in Zanaco.
I stayed in Zanaco up to March 1990 when I joined Development Bank of Zambia (DBZ) in Ndola as a project officer. I stayed in Ndola until 1993 when I was transferred to head office in Lusaka. I was transferred because during that time, I met the managing director of DBZ and I told him what was wrong with the bank and what the bank needed to do. I spent about five minutes with him after which he decided that I should be transferred.
So I was transferred to Lusaka as business analyst. I was one of the people who rose very quickly in DBZ. I came in as business analyst from Ndola. Before long, I was promoted to the position of assistant business development manager, business development manager and then assistant director of operations, director of operations and then business development director. I left DBZ in 1998 to go into private business.
Q: Why did you leave when you were rising so fast?
A: Yes, I was rising so fast in DBZ but later there were certain differences. I believed that I deserved the job of managing director in DBZ. I was the most senior and appropriately qualified for the job but I was not given that opportunity. They brought in a certain Asian person who was far much less qualified than me in the bank. Obviously, we couldn’t work so I had to give way. We agreed on my package, I was paid and I left DBZ.
I think there were also certain attempts by certain people that time who told him the Asian man that ‘Zulu wants to be MD so as long as he is in the bank, you may not settle down’.
There was an article in the Daily Mail which talked about work permits of the MD because he was not Zambian. I strongly believed that that job needed to go to a Zambian particularly that this man didn’t even have any investment banking background.
So there was an article which came out in the Daily Mail talking about his work permit, that he did not have his papers correct. So he associated that article with me and I gave way. That’s how I left DBZ.
Q: Was his associating that article with you correct?
A: No. It was common knowledge that his papers were not ok. There were a lot of people who spoke to me about it. Besides, I also had my own differences with Edith Nawakwi who was then finance minister.
Q: What sort of differences did you have with Nawakwi?
A: They were personal, very interesting.
Q: How personal were those differences?
A: Very personal because it had nothing to do with my job.
Q: But something to do with…?
A: Anyway, I will just briefly explain because Mpezeni got involved in that matter. He said ‘look, I don’t understand why they are not giving you an opportunity’. So Mpezeni sought audience with Frederick Chiluba who was president then. When we went to State House, the president said, ‘I know why he has a problem. He has certain problems with Nawakwi and as president, I am aware what those problems are and I think this is the source’.
We had a very serious meeting. The president was addressing paramount chief Mpezeni to say ‘his problems relate with Nawakwi. I have been given that information. But leave this issue with me I will resolve it’.
But I said ‘Mr President, I thank you for your indulgence but Nawakwi is still Minister of Finance and I can’t go back to work at DBZ because she is still minister and the bank reports to Nawakwi, so it won’t work. It’s better I just get my package and leave’.
The president said, ‘I won’t go into details but as president, I know your problems with Nawakwi’. That’s how I got my package and left the bank.
Q: As Dr Chiluba talked about your personal problems with Nawakwi as given to him, were you alive to those problems as given to Dr Chiluba?
A: Yes, I was.
Q: What were those personal problems?
A: It was a very complex type of thing, very complex. Maybe I can just summarise or be brief. To the best of my knowledge, that was one of the problems with Nawakwi. When I was at DBZ, Nawakwi approached me when she was serving as agriculture minister. She said she wanted me to go and start Co-operative Bank, that she had received money from the Canadians so that they could start and reopen the Co-operative Bank. She wanted me to move there but I said I was not very keen because I wanted to remain in DBZ.
She said ‘I will talk to Penza’ who was then finance minister. But Penza told her that ‘leave the young man at DBZ’.
So she came and said to me, ‘Penza says you shouldn’t leave, he is refusing to release you to go to the Co-operative Bank. But one day I will be Minister of Finance and all of you chaps at DBZ will report to me, then we will see what will happen’. And like she said indeed, within a short period of time, she took over as Minister of Finance and she called me. She said, ‘I told you that I will be Minister of Finance, you remember? You will see!’
But anyway, that is history. I respect Nawakwi and I wish her well. That was part of the issues. Maybe she also had her own reasons which I am not privy to. So I respected the decision of the bank. Up to now, I have no bitterness whatsoever. That is my history at DBZ. I really enjoyed my stay at DBZ. I think I was one of the youngest directors at DBZ.
In terms of academics, again, during my stay at DBZ, DBZ sponsored me to go and do my masters degree, which is master of science in finance, investments and projects analysis at York University in the UK. I went there in 1994. During my masters, I was partly disrupted. I had to come back to do certain work at DBZ to do with the corporate plan. Later, I went back and finished my masters in 1996.
When I left DBZ in 1998, I went back to the UK to do my MBA at Leeds University. So in terms of qualifications, I have a BA in economics and maths, master of science in finance and investments and then the MBA.
And maybe I should take this opportunity to thank DBZ for the training I received while there, particularly the managing director at that time Mr Gershom Mumba. He really believed in me and I believe I never let him down. He also approved my scholarship to the UK, so I am indebted to him. I have also not cut links with DBZ. Even after I left, I continued associating with DBZ. They are also partly funding my projects at the moment.
I think that teaches a lot of people the need to leave institutions properly. I have learnt that when you are moving from one institution to the other, it’s good to leave properly because you never know. Like now, DBZ has funded my projects to the tune of K5 billion. We first borrowed about K2.5 billion which we paid back ahead of time. After that DBZ gave me another facility of K5 billion. Right now I am paying them about K500 million per month on the loan.
We shouldn’t be scared to borrow. The time is now ripe for Zambians to borrow as much as they can afford. There is nothing wrong in borrowing but you must pay back. It’s important to maintain a good name in business because a good name is worth everything. My knowledge is that banks don’t lend to projects, they lend to people involved in those projects. No matter how good the business proposal is, if the people behind that project are not credible, you will not get funding. And if the project is not very good but the people behind it are very credible, the bank will be willing to take a chance.
So I would like to urge Zambians not to be scared to borrow, especially if they are borrowing for good reasons. Every business needs money to get started and most Zambians do not have enough money so the way out is for them to borrow. Had it not been for Barclays Bank, Meanwood would not have started. People shouldn’t think that Barclays only lends to non-Zambians because Barclays gave us the first big push.
Q: So what business did you start after leaving DBZ?
A: In fact, a year before I left DBZ, I started a small company. When I was a student in the UK, I met a friend in the UK who became my business associate. His name is John Higgins. He still runs a company called Atlantic Forwarding. John encouraged me to do computers. So I would import computers for resale here. I set up a company called Darho Investments Limited which was trading as Darho Computers.
That business continued until I left DBZ. When I left, I set up a milling company in Matero called City Milling. That was my first serious investment. We located it Matero because of the high population there. It was doing very well but when I went away for studies, there were serious problems. And that was the first company that I set up that failed to succeed. We got a loan from Investrust Bank through Mr Friday Ndhlovu who I had known from Zanaco. But we were failing to pay back this loan. When I came back from the UK, I sold the milling plant and the assets and paid off Investrust Bank.
After that, I went back to the UK. But I used to come here to do consultancy and go back. Then around the year 2000, I heard that Union Bank was going through problems. So I organised foreign investors, I came with them here to negotiate to buy Union Bank because I was aware of what needed to be done in order to turn round Union Bank. Lloyd Chongo who was then managing director supported my bid but some board members including Elizabeth Kalenga wanted us to improve the bid. We knew the bank was to go under, anyway! So we wanted to buy it at a good price and turn it round. But we couldn’t agree on the price.
Then the bank went under and my partners from outside withdrew and left. I was here for a few weeks before returning to the UK. In the process, I was approached by Galaun to help him re-organise the company, which I gladly did.
Q: Galaun the father or the son?
A: The son, Michael. But the father was still alive that time. So we restructured Galaunia Farms. After this, I went back to UK and I kept coming back up to a certain point when we had to put together certain assets of Galaunia Farms to sell. During the sales of those assets, I saw that the farms were not being sold quickly. So I put in a bid for two farms, one where the Meanwood project is located now next to Avondale but the other one we didn’t proceed to buy. I didn’t have money to buy when I put in that bid to buy the 4,000 acre farm at about US $355,000. My bid was accepted, so I had to look for money to pay.
I had to do a business plan. After that plan, I had to look for partners. The Meanwood concept started at that time as a housing project. So I went into partnership with Mwila Lumbwe and Cosmas Mwananshiku to start Meanwood Property Development Corporation. The name Meanwood comes from a place in the UK in Leeds where I was staying. That place is called Meanwood.
I did the business plan so well that Barclays Bank wanted to buy 25 per cent shares in Meanwood Property. But it was going to take long because Barclays needed to take that matter to London for approval. So we applied to Barclays for a loan of US $350,000. This was now in 2002. Margaret Mwanakatwe was managing director at Barclays at that time. She believed in our project and we were able to borrow that money from Barclays.
We used part of that money to pay for the farm and we started paying off Barclays for the farm. We raised additional money to do the planning and get environmental approvals.
The loan didn’t do very well because the project didn’t move as fast. So I went back to Barclays to ask for more money which was given to us.
Q: What was the project about?
A: About housing. We planned the area, started working on the roads. That is the place where you now have houses near Avondale. We would sale the land and build for the people, that is the concept. The people buying the land are also free to contact other people to build for them.
As a result of this, I set up a company called Meanwood Construction to help with the construction works. Later on, I went to Galaun because he wanted to sale the land where Ndeke project is near the airport in Lusaka. This is where we have about 5,000 plots fully sold and there are hundreds of houses. I convinced Galaun that ‘if we do a partnership, you will make more money rather than selling’. Galaun believed in my idea and we started another project.
In the first project, I was with Mwila Lumbwe and Cosmas Mwananshiku. In the second project, I was with Galaun. While that project was taking off, we started another project in Chamba Valley where Galaun made available another piece of land. We started the biggest project which is Kwamona in Chamba Valley. There are some houses which have started there.
After that, I bought Mwila Lumbwe and Cosmas Mwananshiku out of Meanwood Property.
Q: You became selfish?
A: No. They actually offered because they felt their investment had matured so I bought them out. After that I set up Meanwood Finance which now has branches in Lusaka, Ndola and Kitwe. Before June, we are opening four new branches in Chingola, Chililabombwe, Kabwe and Livingstone.
Q: What are you doing in Meanwood Finance?
A: Meanwood Finance is a financial institution. Meanwood Finance gives personal loans and small business loans. It is mainly targeted at supporting small Zambian businesses.
We have now even applied to the Bank of Zambia for a licence because we have been operating under the Micro Finance Association but now we want to operate under the Bank of Zambia Act.
Because of that I told finance minister Ng’andu Magande three weeks ago that I would be stepping down as chairman for National Savings and Credit Bank because it will not be ethical for me to continue. I have been saving on the Natsave board as chairman for two and half years. When we took over the bank was loss making. But this last year, the bank made K10 billion for the first time in over 15 years. I think I have done my part there.
And I am hoping that in the next three years, Meanwood Finance should be everywhere. We want it to be a national institution. We are also setting up Meanwood Insurance Company, we have just started the process.
But we also have Meanwood Holdings which is a holding company of the Meanwood Group of Companies. We have even signed joint ventures with South Korean companies to go into manufacturing. We will be doing that this year.
Q: What are you going to manufacture?
A: A lot of products.
Q: Like which products?
A: It’s difficult for me to go into that for now. But we have already signed the agreements. I just came back from Korea. Our group of companies has grown now to a level where it is worth towards K100 billion. I think we are doing well and we still have a lot of potential in everything we are doing. Our flag carrier is still Meanwood Properties.
Q: Do you still have land as Meanwood Properties?
A: We still have land although we are now being invited by other people to partner with them outside Lusaka. We are just structuring agreements with other investors.
Q: Those who have bought plots from you, how soon can they start construction works?
A: Immediately they buy, as soon as they finish paying for the plots. We have over 50 designs and people can choose the type of house they want to build from our designs or they can come with their own designs.
Q: My wife bought a plot at your Chamba Valley project but we are unable to start construction because of title deeds’ problems…
A: At Chamba Valley, there has been a delay because we have not finished the process of doing title deeds. The first 1,500 survey diagrams were lodged with the Ministry of Lands so we cannot allow people there to start building until all the processes are through with the Ministry of Lands. What we are saying is that within the next three months, people will be free to start constructing; just after the rains. So you can give your wife that message. Before June, the first 1,500 plots will have title at Chamba Valley. In terms of Ndeke, we are working on water and electricity. After we finish there, that’s when we’ll go to Chamba Valley for that.
Q: You started with one company a few years ago but now you have a group of companies. What is it that motivated you to diversify in the manner that you have done?
A: I have a strong belief in myself. In my view, I have a lot of capacity. I am actually very bored even with what we are doing now. People might think I am doing so much but I am seriously bored. So everyday, I am thinking of what I should be doing.
Like now, something that is exciting me is to set up something like K50 billion investment fund which will allow ordinary Zambians to invest through that fund. And I think we will wing it this year. I look for excitement all the time. I enjoy being my own boss and I am beyond the level where I do things to have financial security. I achieved that a long time ago. But I think there is more to my life and the more I do this, the more I make a serious contribution to the country; beyond what I need.
The Post is a typical example. You started as a small newspaper but today you are in so many things. You can do this or do that. It shows that Zambians can do a lot of things and the economy is moving so well that there are opportunities everywhere you look. There are opportunities everywhere to make money; people just need to have ideas.
Q: But I hear a lot of people complain that the economy is not doing as well as the politicians are proclaiming…
A: You don’t wait for the economy to follow you. You will have to follow the economy and make a contribution. The problem is that there is too much politics in Zambia. We have just drowned in politics, we think that is the only to go. For me I don’t believe it is a fair statement to say the economy is not doing very well. The Zambian economy has performed exceptionally well except that there are distributional issues that government must focus on. I am talking of issues to do with the social sector, poverty and so on.
That is not an indication that the economy is not doing well. Those are issues of distribution of resources. How do you deploy resources which are realised in order that those resources should have the maximum impact so that even the ordinary people appreciate? Even the impact of the mines on the economy is a question of distribution, which brings you to the issue of taxation. For you to have resources to distribute, you must have a functional tax system in place.
The mines have been getting away with so much profit; the tax regime was unfavourable to most Zambians. But this does not mean the economy has not been doing well. The problem is distribution. How do you apply public funds to benefit the majority of the people? That is the question we have in this country, not that there is no money. People might look at this issue differently but to me, the problem is distribution. The economy is doing well because there is a lot of production going on. There is a lot of growth in the agriculture and tourism sectors, even in the service sector.
Q: Ok, let’s now talk about your family…
A: I am married with two children. My wife is Womba and her maiden name is Kamuhuza. She is Lunda by tribe. She is the one running Meanwood Finance as chief executive officer.
Before I proceed, let me talk about something that Zambians should not be scared of. There is no reason why we should not promote family owned businesses. If you believe your husband and wife can contribute positively to the business, you lose nothing by bringing your partner into your business.
During my father’s time, mum played a critical role in dad’s business. Apart from being a farmer and a retail trader, dad was also a transporter and mum was there, running some of the businesses. We have also taken on that approach. My wife is running Meanwood Finance.
She is not running it because she is my wife. As a family, we have sacrificed a lot. We had to send her to school to do three masters in the UK. She has done a masters in law, she did a masters in development studies and she did an MBA. So she is my wife and I believe she is qualified to run that institution. She also believes in the family business and we are working well together. There is nothing wrong. All you need to do is at work, you know it is business. Initially, my wife was uncomfortable when young beautiful girls came to see me. But later, she learnt to have confidence in me because you might not know what information that same little girl might have, you don’t know what impact she can have on the business.
What is critical is understanding and appreciating that you are married. Chasing your husband around doesn’t give you any reward just like it doesn’t give any reward to a man who is chasing his wife. What is important is trust because a man can misbehave even in 10 or 15 minutes, if he really wants to misbehave.
Believe me, there has never been a day when my wife has picked my cell phone to scroll and check the sms. Well, if you are looking for trouble, you will find it. My phone rings and my wife will never answer it, she will pick it and give it to me. I do the same with her phone. I don’t check who is phoning her or sending her text messages, I don’t answer it when it rings. Yes, this may be difficult for a man to do but that’s what I do. She knows that she is married so there are certain standards I expect from her as a married woman, just like she expects me to conduct myself in a certain manner because she knows I am married. There has to be mutual respect.
I would hate a woman, like these Bemba women and their attitudes of shouting; ‘mwachiya kwisa? Efyo nshifwaya ifi’. I can’t take it. But these Lunda women are very good. That is why they are in short supply. I can vouch I have had a very happy marriage.
By the way, we bath together everyday. This is good for marriage. That’s when we share a lot of things. We have been blessed by the lord and we praise him for that.
We married about eight and half years ago. I thank DBZ for her because I met her at DBZ. There is a time the then DBZ managing director Gershom Mumba went away and there was a board meeting for Small Enterprise Promotions which was held at DBZ because DBZ was a shareholder.
My wife at that time was working for the Germans, this institution called FES opposite UNZA. Her boss was away so he asked her to attend that meeting on his behalf. So when I met her in that meeting, I felt that I would marry her. I was not keen on marriage before that. I wanted to marry when I was about 40 years. I didn’t need to rush into marriage because my career was going very well. But when I just saw her, I felt it that I would marry her. I was around 35 years at the time. We courted for two years before we married.
Q: So what happened in this boardroom when you saw Womba?
A: The late Meebelo Mutukwa was also in this boardroom. I sent Meebelo a note asking if he knew the girl across the conference table. Meebelo sent me a note saying ‘lay off, she is my girl, can you concentrate on the meeting!’ But I was not convinced that she was his girl and I knew he was joking because we were friends.
So after the board meeting, I phoned her and we started communicating and seeing each other. That’s how one thing led to another. I was very convinced that was the woman I needed to marry.
Q: What convinced you?
A: By the way, initially I thought she was lame because of the way she was walking going down the stairs. She was like pushing her legs. I told myself that ‘this woman I like is lame but it doesn’t matter, even if she is lame it’s fine’. Our first outing was lunch at Gringles Restaurant in Rhodes Park. So I asked her if she had a problem with her leg. I said ‘are you actually lame?’
She said ‘no, why are you asking that question?’ I said ‘because you are like pulling your leg. It’s not an issue but I just want to know’. She said she was not and she walked around for me to see that she was actually not lame.
Anyway, later on we married. And we have spent a lot of time in the UK together. Both our children were born there.
Our first-born is Madalitso Balenji. She is about eight and half years. Where I come from, Madaliso means blessings. Our second-born is just about 14 months. I gave him dad’s name so he is Kaleb Saili Zulu. I named him after dad just to honour dad. He died at the age of 95.
My dad was a very religious and generous man. He made good money from his businesses. He was one of the very few Zambians to buy a car. He had a car in the 1950s. His businesses were extremely prosperous. He was doing trading, agriculture and also transportation; he had trucks.
And he was very generous. He used to buy coffins even for people he did not know. He was a very nice human being and in honour of him, I am starting a foundation to provide scholarships in Chipata in our chiefdom. We are actually launching it next month. We want to provide scholarships to orphans and disadvantaged children. We will start with about 15 children this year. We will add on to that number because I want us to have at least 100 children in secondary school that I will be sponsoring in honour of dad.
Q: I know that you are also a consul for the Republic of South Korea…
A: Yes.
Q: What is this about?
A: What that means is that I represent the South Korean government in Zambia. I ran the consulate here. That is why I have forgot the flag of Korea in the office here and the flag outside. So this place here his office in Northmead area is the consulate for South Korea.
Q: So you enjoy all the immunities that diplomats enjoy?
A: Yes.
Q: You can even commit a crime whilst in your office and get away with it…
A: If I committed a crime, the Zambian government will inform the Korean government and proceed. But to me, this is probably the greatest honour I have received. You know that Korea now is the 10th biggest economy in the world. It is a huge economy.
Their embassy is in Zimbabwe and South Africa. They had an embassy in Zambia sometime back but they closed it and merged it with the one in Zimbabwe. So in Zambia, I am the person responsible for all matters to do with South Korea and its relationship with the Zambian government. We have a number of Korean nationals here and I am fully responsible for them. Whatever problems they have, I have to get involved, whether it has to do with permits or their investments here.
My primary responsibility is to take care the interest of Korea nationals in Zambia. I also have to promote bilateral relations between Zambia and South Korea. I also facilitate trade and investment between Zambia and South Korea. During official days like independence and other days commemorated in Zambia, I have to go there to represent the government of South Korea. That’s why on official days, I carry the Korean flag on my car.
Q: So if I want to travel to Korea, I have to come to your office for the visa?
A: Yes, you come here because we start the process from here, all the preliminary work is done here. We will tell you whether the papers are ok or not but the final process is done in Harare. I have been doing this for over three years now.
Q: Has this work earned you a diplomatic passport?
A: No. I can’t have that passport. I remain a Zambian but I have a diplomatic pass but I still carry a Zambian passport. Here, the Zambian government can’t give me that passport because I am not their official. I am not a Korean national so I can’t carry a Korean passport. So I have a Zambian passport and a diplomatic identity card which comes to one and the same thing as a diplomatic passport.
Q: How did you land yourself this position?
A: They approached me but I think there must have been somebody who recommended me. We went through a period of discussions for about four months. After that they got back to me and all was well. Thereafter, they proceeded to recommend to their Ministry of Foreign Affairs which was run by the now United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon. He is the one who actually signed my letter of appointment as honorary consul for the government of South Korea.
Q: How well-paying is this appointment?
A: I can’t complain except I can’t discuss that. I get some allowances for the work I am doing and I have to be on the spot to update them on everything that is happening in Zambia. So I am like half Korean half Zambian.
Q: How do you describe the relationship between Zambia and South Korea?
A: It’s fantastic. In fact, it’s never been any better than it is now. Even yesterday, I was just seeing off a delegation of Korean investors. Last week, we had another delegation. And I foresee a huge Korean investment coming here especially later this year. The Koreans are very happy with the Zambian economy now and Dr Mwanawasa’s new deal government. They have even tripled the technical aid assistance to Zambia through a programme called Korea International Co-operation Agency.
We give foreign affairs ministry vehicles and equipment, we are also funding the Ministry of Sports, Ministry of Home Affairs and so on.People like Margaret Mwanakatwe were there when we were starting Meanwood. Honourable Sylvia Masebo has been very supportive as area member of parliament for Chongwe. The former minister of lands Judith Kapijimpanga was also very helpful. Chieftainess Nkomeshya has also been supportive.
I also thank Mwila Lumbwe and Cosmas Mwananshiku. They believed in our project, they invested and I believe they don’t regret having invested there. I also want to thank Michael Galaun so much, who is my partner in the other three projects. He believed in the idea, we worked well together. It wasn’t easy initially because we have different backgrounds and culture. Now, we are more than partners, we are friends and we respect each other.
I also have to thank my members of staff. I have such a good team that now I am able to do other things. Everybody knows what they are supposed to do, so that gives me time to do other things. I am looking forward to a time when we will start offloading shares to the members of staff and I believe that time is not very far from now. My family should also be thanked because it has been very supportive.
Q: Well, let me thank you sincerely for this interview. I hope there are some lessons for our readers.
A: Thank you, Amos, for giving me this opportunity.
Q: I noticed that you presented your credentials between the foreign affairs minister and not the President, why was this so?
A: What happens is that before you are appointed, the government clears you up to the highest level. But I am not running a full embassy, so that is the procedure they follow the world over. If I was running a full embassy, I could have presented my credentials before the President.
Q: Any last word?
A: I didn’t tell you that my religion is Seventh Day Adventist. But the issue I wanted to raise was that the way the economy is going right now is offering so many opportunities. I just want to encourage more and more Zambians out there to try and participate in the economy directly.
In conclusion, I just want to thank people who have been very supportive to me particularly in the formative years of my business life. The person who has done more for me than any other person in terms of business is Mr Friday Ndhlovu. Amos, I can assure you that man has been exceptionally supportive to me. It was tough when we were starting our business but Friday Ndhlovu believed in me. There are so many others but Friday Ndhlovu stands out because he supported me when I was weak and I know he is very proud of what we have done. There are many more people to thank. I am just singling a few.
Labels: PROFILE, ROBINSON ZULU
posted by MrK @ 3:56 AM
1 Comments:
I took some time to read through the article rather interview. It seems to me Robinson and his family are doing at the same time. This shows me how little am applying my energy in influencing development. I bought a plot with Vorna valley and I am sure this is just the starting of the whole process of being competive in this life set up. I wish him Gods blessing. Thanks. Alfred Lungu
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