Morehouse College, an all-male institution and one of
America’s oldest historically black colleges, awarded Zimbabwean telecom tycoon
Strive Masiyiwa an honorary doctorate in recognition for his philanthropic and
humanitarian work across the African continent.
Masiyiwa, 51, was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of
Humane Letters during the college’s 128th commencement ceremony, which was held
on May 20 at the college’s Century Campus in Atlanta, Georgia. Masiyiwa was awarded an honorary degree
alongside popular syndicated radio host Tom Joyner and American billionaire S.
Truett Cathy, founder and chairman of fast food chicken restaurant chain
Chick-fil-A.
Reading Masiyiwa’s citation during the conferment of the
honorary degree, President of Morehouse College Dr. Robert Michael Franklin
said of the Zimbabwean businessman:
“As an entrepreneur you have excelled in
establishing a stellar example of principled leadership. As a visionary you
have gained international prominence for opening the African telecommunications
sector to private capital. You fought against the government to dismantle a
monopoly paving the way for free enterprise, and you have shared your resources
for philanthropic purposes. Not only do you fund one of Africa’s largest
orphanages, but also you’ve played an integral in alleviating poverty that
worsened during economic reform in your native country Zimbabwe.”
Two decades ago, Masiyiwa famously fought the Zimbabwean
government in a five-year legal battle challenging the latter’s monopoly on
wireless communications in the Southern African country. Masiyiwa subsequently
became the first person in the world to be granted a mobile telecoms license by
a court of law rather than the government, and he went on to build Econet
Wireless, a leading Pan-African mobile telecoms company with operations across
Africa, U.K and New Zealand. Through his independent holding company, T.S.
Masiyiwa Holdings, Masiyiwa also owns significant interests in financial services,
tourism, alternative energy and infrastructure across Africa.
His controlling stake in Econet Wireless has made him
Zimbabwe’s richest man, worth at least $280 million. He ranked No. 34 on
Forbes’ list of Africa’s 40 Richest, published in November 2011. Masiyiwa is known to devote a percentage of
his annual income towards philanthropy. He and his wife, Tsitsi Masiyiwa,
founded and currently fund the Capernaum Trust, a Zimbabwe-registered Christian
charity that sponsors scholarships and medical assistance for over 28,000
orphaned Zimbabwean children. Masiyiwa also recently pledged to sponsor 10
South African students to study at Morehouse College.
A day before the Morehouse award, Masiyiwa joined American
President Barack Obama and other G-8 leaders at a meeting at Camp David to
discuss the issue of food security in the African continent. Masiyiwa has been
one of the most vocal advocates championing the interests of small farmers in
Africa, and is currently the acting chairman of the Alliance for a Green
Revolution in Africa (AGRA), a non-governmental organization that works closely
with small farmers towards achieving a food secure Africa.
In his commencement address to the graduating students at
Morehouse College, Masiyiwa gave them a key to success in business and life:
“If you really want to be a success, identify a human need
and reach out to meet it…perhaps you’ll make money along the way, but I know
something: If you reach out to meet the needs, you will wear the crown.”
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