“Murungu haana mari” – The employer mindset quietly destroying workplace loyalty

MUNYARADZI MAMBARA

“Murungu haana mari” – which translates to “the boss doesn’t have the money” – is a  phrase widely common in workplaces where employees have become disillusioned with their employer. It is often heard in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) where owners consistently underpay or sometimes fail to pay their workers at all despite landing profitable contracts. The familiar refrain is, “Vakomana zvakaoma, asi manje manje zvinoita bho!” (Things are tough now, but they’ll soon get better.)

The problem is that employees are rarely as oblivious as some employers assume. They can see when business is doing well. They notice the new vehicle parked outside, the lifestyle upgrades, and the celebratory spending. Yet, when payday comes, they are told there is no money. Startling, is it not? You may convince people once or twice, but eventually actions speak louder than [vacuous] promises. 

When employees begin to feel excluded from the business’s success, they stop seeing its growth as their own. Trust, once broken, is difficult to rebuild. 

The consequences are often expensive. High staff turnover disrupts operations and forces businesses to spend time and resources recruiting and training replacements. Others remain but quietly disengage – a phenomenon now known as ‘quiet quitting’. 

They may begin offering the skills you taught them to other businesses on a part-time basis while giving excuses for poor performance at work. Although the financial loss may not be immediately visible, the opportunity cost in lost productivity, customer satisfaction, and innovation is substantial. 

In more serious cases, low morale breeds sabotage. Employees may morally justify stock theft, poor workmanship, negligence, or substandard customer service because they feel the business has failed to treat them fairly. While such actions are never acceptable, they are often symptoms of a workplace where loyalty has been eroded. 

Business owners should remember that employees are partners in building the enterprise. Sharing success does not always require large bonuses. A performance incentive, a small allowance after a profitable deal, public recognition, opportunities for promotion, or even quarterly hampers or discounted goods can go a long way in making employees feel valued. Recognition is often as powerful as remuneration. 

A motivated workforce is an investment, not an expense. Businesses that celebrate success with their teams cultivate loyalty, reduce turnover, and create employees who willingly go the extra mile. In the long run, the businesses that grow sustainably are not always those that make the biggest profits they are those that build the strongest relationships with the people who create those profits. 

Perhaps the real question is not whether “hapana mari” (there is no money), but whether there is a genuine willingness to invest in the people who make that money possible.