The Will of Time
By Dr Rinos Mautsa
The Hub of Positivity
ISBN: 979-8-4817-4363-9
TIME waits for no man.
Time cannot be tamed.
Time flies.
You have to make time, save time, and make good use of time if you think it is time for change.
As time goes by, many have wished they could have turned back the hands of time because it can only be utilised fruitfully while one has the chance.
In the nick of time, time and again, many have broken through and succeeded in various endeavours.
And, at a time when many African youths seem to be frustrated by the powers that be for not creating an opportune environment to thrive, rising entrepreneur Dr Rinos Mautsa penned a handbook littered with nuggets of wisdom intimating that success is not a one-way street.
Aptly titled The Will of Time, the book under review this week is a compelling narrative that takes a dig at individuals with long-held misconceptions about the lives of successful entrepreneurs and ‘intrapreneurs’ that they were overnight successes.
In a nutshell, The Will of Time gives aspiring entrepreneurs a compass to navigate the complex business landscape.
The book is centred around the lives of three protagonists, Zivai, James and Linnet, people from different backgrounds whose growth is traced from childhood right up to adulthood.
Zivai is a street-smart hustler hailing from the dusty streets of Highfield who drew inspiration from a successful banker from his neighbourhood, and thanks to his tenacity to approach him and pitch his business idea, the two would later run a sprawling business empire that reverberates on the streets of Harare.
Zivai’s drive was his vision to one day become a billionaire and in pursuit of that dream, he found a mentor in Mr Shamu, a banker with a leading institution who later gets embroiled with the law after their arbitrage is laundered in public.
As the story unfolds, one gets to have a glimpse of the lives of the well-heeled in society, how wealth can be amassed, ring-fenced, and avoid possible pitfalls that lead to the demise of mighty empires, such as what eventually happens to Zivai, whose affection for the fairer sex lands him in hot soup.
His business empire also lacked proper structures, thus the long arm of the law catches up with him and his accounts are garnished, crippling his operations.
Dr Mautsa also introduces James, a principled rural boy raised by a struggling single mother who, ostensibly, is initially exploited by his benefactor, a white farmer fondly known as Mr Nice Guy.
In spite of the seemingly exploitative relationship, Mr Nice Guy provides James with a platform to catapult himself to success, using the trauma experienced by the latter following the death of his brother, and while James’ mother struggles to put food on the table, as the story unfolds, his success could not be tamed.
In the character named Linnet, she had it rough from a tender age. She is impregnated before completing her education, and is chastised by her father and subsequently ostracised from the family.
She is pushed to the brink of taking her own life while stranded in Harare, and is later taken in by a well-wisher, only to later finish her education and scale the corporate ladder to lead one of the most coveted banks in Africa.
The paths of these three characters sometimes cross, and as you delve into the story, one cannot help but marvel at the astuteness of instruction of how to handle matters if one imagine himself/herself in successful people’s shoes.
For instance, The Will of Time gives instruction of how to handle separation professionally.
“There comes a point in life when business partners disagree, an employee decides to quit, friendship is strained or couples file for divorce. The end result is always separation. At any level and for whatever reason, separation is never easy,” writes Dr Mautsa.
He cautions: “God created us all to shine in our calling and purpose irrespective of our race. However, it is unfortunate that we will always have those who die without identifying their purpose in this short life. Tears, blame-shifting, regrets will never aid to your advantage if you don’t learn and work.”
What sets The Will of Time apart from books by conventional motivational speakers is that they are written by people who have never walked through the echelons of the corridors of power.
Under his belt, Dr Mautsa has bagged a host of awards and has business operations spanning the construction industry, ICT, hospitality and energy sectors in countries including Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, South Africa, Malawi and Namibia.
The author demonstrates his knowledge of various business operations by inspiring and motivating the youths not to shun hard work, make use of contacts, grab opportunities, join professional networks like Global Shapers and Toastmasters, among other useful pieces of advice.
Despite being launched a few months ago, the book has already sent tongues wagging as the who-is-who in the business fraternity have thrown their weight behind Dr Mautsa for penning an artwork that agitates change in the mindsets of the current crop of African youths who blame everyone but themselves when they fail in various ventures, failing to harness time in this short life.