Blog by David Coltart
May 1 2015
Yesterday the Mayor of Bulawayo launched Archer Clothing’s “Employment ladder” which notifies the public of the current employment levels of Archer Clothing Company at its prominent site on the Plumtree Road. The Mayor pulled the indicator up to 500, being the number of people now employed there and in the ceremony it was announced that the next target will be to increase that to 850. As the Mayor said in the context of everything else happening in Zimbabwe and Bulawayo in particular this is a remarkable achievement – because most businesses are actually closing down, not growing.
But there are two other stories which are not mentioned in this video clip, one negative, another positive. The negative story is what has happened to Archer Clothing in the last 15 years. This company used to be one of our blue chip companies – a company that produced first world standard clothing which was exported to the most discerning markets in the world such as Germany and the USA. It also used to employ thousands of people, not just 500. Through all the turmoil of hyperinflation its superb management team under David Lasker kept it going until the Reserve Bank effectively stole US$3 million from their reserves – by taking the money and replacing it with worthless Zimbabwe dollars. That hard currency which was taken from them of course was used to prop up the corrupt ZANU PF regime, but that is by the by.
Compounding that position, and this in my view is the most shameful thing of all, has been that a few Zimbabwean banks, one in particular, have done everything in their power to bring the company down in the last few years. Even when Paramount Clothing came in to save the company one particular bank has not supported the initiative to save a Bulawayo icon and therefore jobs for Bulawayo citizens. Their conduct has been utterly shameful in my view. One indeed wonders what their motivation has been – I know of numerous Bulawayo businesses taken over by Harare based businessmen, such as Phillip Chiyangwa (who took over several large Bulawayo companies), asset stripped and driven into the ground, shamefully assisted by Zimbabwean banks. Is this the motivation of these banks in this instance – I do not know but it is not beyond the realms of possibility? Whatever the case, as was said in the video clip, if we as Zimbabweans cannot demonstrate a willingness to save our own businesses and invest in them, how can we ever expect any foreign investment? I hope that those banks, one of whom I understand to this day is still trying to bring this company down, will get the message and support this venture, not obstruct it. I have deliberately not mentioned the banks involved because I dont want to get into a defamation wrangle but they know who they are – and the truth will come out in the end – of that I am sure.
The positive story concerns the determination and sheer grit of the Lasker family who are in my view some of Zimbabwe’s most outstanding patriots. Both David and his wife Shelley Lasker are proud Zimbabweans who have struggled on, against the odds, through the chaos of the last 15 years and done everything possible to keep Archer Clothing going. They have been devastated by the loss of jobs because they have viewed their workforce as family and have enjoyed wonderful employee/employer relationships over the years. Furthermore their commitment to disadvantaged people in our society is exemplary – for years Shelly has been Chairperson of KGVI Centre for Physically Disabled Children and in that role she has played a critical role in keeping that fine institution going. They have also played a vital role in the Jewish Community – sadly the Jewish Community has declined dramatically in the last 35 years and many old Jewish people are left here, who have been cared for and comforted by a few people like the Laskers. But in many other ways they have been engaged in our wider community – always with a selfless vision of creating a new and better Zimbabwe. Because of this knowledge – namely that they are good people – I rejoice tenfold in this launch yesterday. It is one thing when a company expands, it is another when a Phoenix arises from the ashes, through good old fashioned hard work and honesty demonstrated by people I am very proud to call friends.
Here it the link to the video: