Análisis de variables para la construcción de escenarios

Within the Zimbabwean religious lexicon there is a new word: ‘gospreneurship’ (Guvamombe, 2012a; Ngwenya, 2011). Gospreneurship is ‘a subtle form of blatant self-enrichment’

according to Ngwenya (2011) and it is ‘the new art of making money’ says Guvamombe (2012b). Marongwe and Maposa (2015: 15) define it as ‘the setting of the gospel mission as a

platform for profiteering as in a business venture that is as [sic] a ‘latter day, money-spinning

95 _{Some of the names include; Christ the Rock Ministries International; Church Team Ministries International;}

Full Gospel Church of God in Zimbabwe; Grace Unlimited Ministries International; Harvest House International Church; Impact Christian Centre (see Religion in Zimbabwe, n.d.)

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family enterprise’. From its conception, gospreneurship is a hyper-critical notion capturing the relationship between different practices of Pentecostal churches and some entrepreneurial activities.

However, in a study of Pentecostalism in neo-liberal Zimbabwe, David Maxwell (2005) makes

some important observations, pointing out that Pentecostalism ‘[…] is able to satisfy deep

existential passions and to aid those struggling for survival in the specific social conditions of neo-liberal Zimbabwe’. The religion, he continues, ‘addresses the personal sense of abjection created by shattered hopes of independence, and how it offers security in the face of state retrenchment, capriciousness of global capitalism and the growing levels of violence and

crime’ (ibid: 6). This really marks my departure point from the critiques of Zimbabwean Pentecostal churches such as Marongwe and Maposa (2015), Guvamombe (2012a) and Ngwenya (2011)as I am interested in the micro entrepreneurial practices of these churches as legitimate social institutions without subscribing to or imposing particular theological and moral positions.

Christian entrepreneurial clichés

Christian entrepreneurs in this study regarded themselves as different to those who did not go to church. They expressed a sense of being guided by certain principles or persuasions largely moulded around the orientations of the churches they went to. Apart from black entrepreneurs being regarded derogatively as Museyamwa96_{, maybe due to a new breed of}

post-independence entrepreneurs linked to the state and ruling party97 _{who become rich}

overnight, the word ‘dealer’ became a common reference to anyone trying out an entrepreneurial venture. It is equally a pejorative term because ‘dealers’ are known to cut

corners and are not afraid to swindle their unsuspecting clients (kubhosha). Christian

96 _{As explained in Conversion interactions, it is a Shona totem, now used to refer to a disorganised and}

struggling black entrepreneur.

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entrepreneurs were conscious and sensitive to such ‘dealer’ perceptions associated with black indigenous entrepreneurship98 _{and this is where a sense of difference comes from.}

Social groups in Harare use forms of derisive, casual classification depending on which part of town someone prefers to stay in or go to church in. Upmarket, medium-density, middle-class places and churches are referenced as kumasalad (salads99_{) and those in the townships are}

called kujecha (dusty area). Similarly, there appear to be entrepreneurial hierarchies that differentiate members of the Pentecostal churches. Churches like Celebration Church International (CCI) (kumasalad) has the reputation of having its members involved in the centre of the Zimbabwean economy. Most well-known Zimbabwean entrepreneurs are either current members of the church or have previously been members. Conversely, there are some churches with a reputation for having their members in metal goods fabrication, street trading or similar types of highly informalized activities. I was informed that churches like the CCI have a Christian attribute called ‘business anointing’. In fact, the founder of the church, Tom Deuschle, describes himself on the church website as ‘Pastor, Business Leader and Apostle’ (Celebration Churches International, n.d.). This business anointing is like the healing or prophecy anointing that other church leaders are claimed to have.

In this section, I highlight the clichés, principles, values and particular religious features that influenced the thinking and behaviour of research participants in their entrepreneurial activities:

1. Virtuous Woman, live ‘a life of purpose, diligence, forgiveness and repentance’100 I believe in the woman in Proverbs 31. I believe women were not created to be useless

people, we are there to help so that’s where I come from - Proverbs 31.

98_{It is remarkable that the word ‘dealer’ never appeared in our discussions with these entrepreneurs. It}

appears to reinforce the notion that they are sensitive to be seen in that light.

99_{This is similar to the word ‘cheese boy’ in South Africa, meaning those that want to behave as white people}

maybe through metaphorically eating salads which were not part of the African diet.

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2. God sets up people or things in your life and teaches you to profit (Isaiah 48:17).

I stand on the scripture which says, ‘I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit,

who leads you in the way you should go’. There are certain things you cannot do without consulting him and God has a way of setting up people into your life.

***

There is also a scripture in Corinthians which says, ‘All things are ready for me’. I remember before I left my home coming to Harare I used to say, ‘All things are ready for me’ and for sure I came and I just stepped into certain things to the last detail.

3. God gives you strength to make wealth, laziness is from the devil.

In the Bible, there are verses like ‘It is I the lord who gives you power to create wealth’

then you find verses which talk about lazy people that must go and learn from the ant hill. If you study the ants, you will see that they are so hard-working and organised. We know the Lord blesses but the blessing of the Lord cannot come to someone folding his hands.

4. Do not waste seed/opportunities.

There was a day he [Prophet] was preaching about Genesis 38:9, when he was preaching about Onan who was wasting his seed on the ground. The Prophet was talking about companies. He was saying you find a company sponsoring soccer yet when you go and look at their employees, they are suffering. He was saying when you pay your tithe and the Lord blesses you, he will not just bless you without blessing the company that you are working for because if that company is not blessed it can shut down and you will be out of employment. So, your blessing has to be shared between you and your company. The Lord has to first bless where that money is coming from. 5. Do not cheat, lie, steal or sell illegal products.

There are certain things you don’t do because of your teaching and your fear of God.

For example, at times when you go to South Africa, some shop attendants, when you buy stuff for R2000, they would want to add an extra R500 so that they benefit from

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upbringing. I can’t find myself selling ‘bronco’ (bronclear101_{) because I go to church.}

Even on Sundays I don’t open, because I must go to church. ***

Anytime I do something, I don’t want to cheat or lie to someone because I believe if I

lie it is a sin. In terms of charging, I feel bad to overcharge. When I started, my mind was focused on making money by whatever means. I just wanted to make money. With time, I asked myself how I would feel if someone cheated me - it’s not fair, so I should do something that is transparent.

6. Overcoming fear and rationalising losses.

I was stuck! I got so disoriented. I started thinking about what I was supposed to do

with the clients’ money. I couldn’t take the risk of crossing the border on my own without a passport. Thinking of going to look for any driver now, I was now scared. I

couldn’t, it was a lot of money [US$16,000 paid by a client for an order in advance].

I then said to myself ‘God if you say I am not going to supply this order then it is fine, I will supply what I have’ [US$500].

7. Tax morality: ‘Give Caesar unto Caesar’sand God unto God’s.’

It was because of my Christian beliefs that I decided to go and register to pay taxes at ZIMRA. I am being taught to be a true Christian, I need to pay my taxes as much as I am paying my tithes. As the Bible says, ‘Give Caesar unto Caesar’s and God unto God’s’- take note it is Caesar first then God, I am not saying God comes second but I cannot be faithful to God if I am not faithful to the government.

8. Better personal management and real empowerment.

If you look at my life, I had never handled US$1000 at one go. I started handling it once I started going to church. The way I see things, going to church improved my life. My first car was a Morris Minor when I was a ‘korokoza’ (buying and selling gold). Then I

101 _{It is a prescribed cough mixture that is sold on the streets as a drug because it makes someone get on a high}

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bought a Nissan Sunny, before I started going to church. I imported my own good car from Japan when I had started going to church. As far as I am concerned I can’t say the church disadvantaged me but it empowered me in a way. The empowerment to me happened in church and not politically [indigenization and empowerment policy]. ***

The church actually empowered me in the way that I see and do things. I had to learn how to maintain the relationships that I have now that I am benefiting from them - it is because of the teachings: you have to be a straight forward man; you have to stick

to your word if you agree with someone; if you sell someone’s goods you don’t spend

his money; spent your profit - I was getting all these teachings from church.

Below in Figure 5:2, I have turned the main ideas from the above narratives into a visual representation.

Figure 5:2 Narrative-derived Christian entrepreneurial principles. 102

102 _{This is just illustrative; the list is not exhaustive.}

Christian Entrepreneurial Principles Personal management and real empowerment Have a faithful tax morality Do not cheat, lie, steal or sell illegal products God gives you

strength to make wealth Do not waste opportunities. *Learn to Profit from God Overcome fear and losses *Live a virtuous purposeful, diligent life

178 The principles outlined in Figure 5:2 provide a broader frame of reference for the important ideas that influence decision-making in the choices entrepreneurs face. This does not mean that there are no ambiguities and that entrepreneurs are not conflicted, but it gives expression to underlying values that they manage or fail to observe. For example, a failure to pay taxes by the conversion entrepreneurs is not out of ignorance as tax morality features in their value system. This failure to be ‘faithful to the government’ points to a different logic

for the action than simply resorting to easy explanations of complex realities. Rehashing

ignorance and ‘indiscipline’ is such a resort to easy explanations. I will discuss this contention in Rationalities for noncompliance with state taxation where I will argue that not paying taxes is a way of protesting against a kakistocracy.

Church, entrepreneurship and business incubation

From the Christian value system of participants (agents), I turn my focus to the entrepreneurial inside workings of the churches (social structures). This part is an analysis that includes data I collected from various online resources and from some public business forums I attended during fieldwork. My choice of Pentecostal churches studied was limited to only those churches that were specifically identified and discussed by participants.

Zimbabwe Assemblies of God Africa (ZAOGA), Celebration Church International (CCI), The Good News Church103 _{(TGNC), Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries (PHD) and United}

Family International Church (UFIC) were specifically recognized by participants as leading the charge not necessarily in entrepreneurship development as generally understood but in gospreneurship and prosperity gospel through their Pentecostal churches. Their respective leaders, Ezekiel Guti, Tom Deuschle, Uebert Angel, Walter Magaya and Emmanuel Makandiwa were equally easily identifiable and participants frequently selected their pictures to be our subject of discussion from an assortment of over 250 other pictures. By frequency, Guti, Makandiwa and Angel were the most talked about religious personalities in terms of both controversies and acclaim in equal measure.

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Churches as entrepreneurial incubators - Incubation

I agree with Nwankwo et al. (2012) that a church can be characterised as an entrepreneurial incubator although, in their article they did not specify what they understood an incubator to be. In this section, I separate the incubator, the church as a physical infrastructure where enterprises can be nurtured, and incubation, the process in which church members engage to nurture enterprises. The UK Business Incubation Association cited in Mian (2016: 2) states: Business incubation provides SMEs and start-ups with the nurturing environment needed to develop and grow their businesses, offering everything from virtual support, rent-a-desk through to state of the art laboratories and everything in between. They provide direct access to hands on intensive business support, access to finance and experts and to other entrepreneurs and suppliers (sic) to really make businesses and entrepreneurs to grow. Business incubation provides a nurturing, instructive and supportive environment for entrepreneurs during the critical stages of starting up a new business.

Therefore, entrepreneurial incubation captures a sense of place (church) and networks of people and organizations that provide assistance to small enterprises. Although not technically set up to be incubators, Zimbabwean Pentecostal churches reflect many of the attributes similar to technical incubators. In a country where those technical incubators do not exist, it is the church, without a doubt, that is filling up this gap.

Church as an incubator

Pentecostal churches encapsulate business incubators in two ways. Firstly, from a structuration perspective, it is counter-intuitive for a church to spread a message of prosperity or entrepreneurship and remain unaffected by that intervention. Structuration suggests that the structure of the church through its interaction with entrepreneurs or entrepreneurial agency, will change over time. This explains why Pentecostal churches are

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by the unveiling of ‘Brand Emmanuel Makandiwa’ in Picture 5:10 below. Here, the leader of UFIC appropriated all branding concepts from full page advertisements to a glamourous launch and everything else associated with the idea.

Picture 5:10 Leader of UFIC at a launch to unveil ‘Brand Emmanuel Makandiwa’