TOWARDS end of 2023, media mogul Trevor Ncube’s In Conversation With Trevor hosted its inaugural Ideas Festival in Nyanga. The festival sought to nature ideas and stimulating them to fruition. One of the guest speakers at the festival was Pentecostal Assemblies of God Bishop Never Muparutsa (NV) Our senior business reporter Melody Chikono (MC) spoke to Muparutsa to understand the role the church plays in innovation and promoting business ideas. Below are excerpts of the interview.
MC: Can you take us through role of the church in promoting innovation?
NM: The church is open for innovation because we even need innovation in the church. If the church does not innovate, it will become irrelevant to people. You cannot live in the old era in terms of ideas, in terms of how things are done. We need people who are open to innovation and can change the way they perceive life.
The church must welcome innovation. However, it must just guard itself from the innovation that proliferates sin. But innovation in itself is neutral, it is constant. If people innovate to improve people’s lives, the church must embrace it.
But obviously there are certain things that we have to be aware of as a church. Some things that are like what's happening now with artificial intelligence, not all artificial intelligence is bad but there are certain elements that even the world generally is also worried about. These are those that can take humanity into a different direction.
MC: You keep referring to innovations that will misdirect the world. Can you give us some examples of such innovations?
NM: There are innovations that by and large in themselves are trying to replace human beings. Innovation must be there to improve life, not to replace people. That kind of innovation for me can end up backfiring on humanity. For me, that is not right. So all authorities must be able to give what I call the legality of innovation. Innovation must be done within the framework of what is legally permissible. Otherwise it will backfire.
MC: You speak about legality, we also had a talk on creating AI in a responsible and ethical manner. What is your comment on the policy gaps that are currently here in Zimbabwe in terms of trying to create innovation?
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NM: I'm not sure where Zimbabwe is, but what I know is probably we are behind, given where the world is. But the advantage of that, in terms of creating legal frameworks, is that you are quick to see the danger that others are already in.
So, my recommendation is for Zimbabwe to quickly observe and create a legal framework that is preventative, having seen what others are doing wrong.
What I'm saying is in our ethical way of doing things and our human way of doing things, we must watch certain artificial intelligence aspects that will then go contrary to our norms, our cultural norms. So there are certain things that are happening in Europe that will not suffice in our cultural or traditional way of doing life. So for me, innovation must be within the framework of what makes an African.
There are certain innovations that are universal. So it depends on where you are. There are certain ethical matters that do not make sense in Africa, yet make sense elsewhere. That is very critical and very important for us to watch where we are within the acceptable framework of what it is being a Zimbabwean, first and foremost, and being an African.
So innovation must be mindful of those kinds of things. And as a church, I think we must encourage such kind of innovation that respects our culture as a norm.
MC: How does spirituality come into play?
NM: Spirituality becomes the most important vehicle as well besides our cultural norms. Spirituality comes in because that is what governs the conscience of the innovator, the conscience of the creator of these innovations. Spirituality comes in now to temper with conscience, to say this is now beyond or out of what is beneficial to humanity. So spiritually becomes very key because we now temper with your conscience.
MC: You mentioned that aspect of “who is leading”. How can you put it into perspective when it comes to this ideas festival and the things that it is trying to come up with?
NM: First and foremost, everybody must know the greatest innovator ever is the creator himself. You are a product of the innovativeness of the divine being, God himself. What other innovation can ever be there besides what God has created, which is the human being, which is the entire universe? So what I'm saying is, for innovators, if they can seek the heart of God, who is the greatest inventor of all time. No one will ever create anything else like what God has created. God is the one who has innovatively created a human being which in itself is continuous; there is a continuous improvement element in them. What we create, we always have to continuously improve. But what God has created in terms of a human being is able to innovate itself having been created by God.
MC: What can you say to these young people who are trying to come up with ideas in relation to who is leading?
NM: So to the young people I say, the best person who can help us to be more innovative is to seek the mind of God. When we seek the mind of God concerning life on earth ,we'll get the best. The best innovators will get that from God, the Creator himself, because innovation is basically creating.
MC: We had a panel of startups and you hear the young CEOs’ laying down a plethora of challenges they are facing. How best can they be assisted?
NM: It was mind-boggling. It was amazing to hear the young people revealing what is inside of them, their creative juices are boiling.
What they are lacking is a platform, a safe platform, where their ideas are going to be practical. So that's what we need to do. Allow them space, put them together with those who can find or resource their ideas so that their ideas can see the light of day.
That is what I will advocate for. What this platform must then do is bring these youngsters with all these ideas and also put them together in the same stable with those who would-be funders or those who would-be coaches and those who would be mentors that can nature these talents.
They definitely need mentors and coaches. A coach goes beyond just helping you to be able to create a skill or is able to mentor your life.
When you've made all this money, so what? When you've become famous, so then what? That's when a coach comes in now to put your hands on the handles of real life, on how to go about it. So I really think we need to mix them, those who can fund, those who can coach, and those who can mentor.
I will give you a very good example. I always lament Soul Jah Love. What a creator. That young man was very creative as an artist but because he lacked mentorship, he lacked coaching, he probably had mentorship in music creation, but he probably lacked a coach, a fathering figure.
And unfortunately, many people don't understand. There are many titles, CEOs, and what the greatest title that people are missing in this equation is the fathering. And fathering is not even a gender matter. It is a title.
It's not a gender, it's a title. Those who are able to nurture that gift and present it for forward processing, for people to then enjoy, to say, I've fathered a person.
I've nurtured a talent and give it to the world to also continue. So that is what is needed. I've given you a very good example of that young man who was so creative, talented in innovation. He innovated music, and could be one of the godfathers of Zim dancehall in terms of creativity. What he lacked is those who could father them and then we could still have him today.
So what would be the point of losing the innovators? We have lost them because they have become prey to their own innovation. And the fame that comes with it.
MC: Most of these guys who are running startups are outside the country for various reasons. What can be done to bring them back?
NM: This one is just on the doorstep of governance. It is the responsibility of those that are in power to just make sure that they create an enabling environment. That one no parent can stop, no one can stop it because it now speaks to the stomach.
Because it speaks to the stomach, they need an environment that allows somebody to realise money out of their idea, to find a safe space to then generate income or generate a name for themselves.
That one is something that we have to help our government to understand. Part of governing is not just doing the business of governing; it is also to create a conducive environment for its citizens to find a joy, to identify with who they are.
What puts people out there in most cases, particularly the young people, they are looking for an environment. They are looking for identity. That's why with young people you create heroes. Once you create heroes, they always want to be around heroes. So it's up to us, who are here, together with our government.
