Dressed in casual clothes, already enjoying a comfortable evening after a long session of tennis, he gets up with a calm but still eager manner ready to reveal his story.
A tale of his life, an account that has defined him and consequently made him who he is, a story that has now led him to a new chapter awaiting to be unraveled. An avid sportsman , Joe Habineza, strikes is a loving father, with a unique personality, not just as a politician but one of the most influential figures in our society. He is also a man whose passion, drive and live-wire personality has made a difference and whose success made him an easy target of outrageous controversy. In his own view, he is the perfect bull’s eye towards tarnishing the image of the state through a spiteful political motive.
Born in Kayenzi now known as Kamonyi District, his mother always used to tell him as a young boy that he would grow up to be a leader. “I was always calling the shots, from being the school head-boy to being the captain of the sports team,” the former minister of Sports and culture nostalgically recalls. Such was his remarkable display of leadership since he was very young, a characteristic that would continue to mark his long and successful career path.
After graduating with an information Communication Technology degree in Rwanda , he continued to embark on that particular career course, for the next 15 years, working as the ICT manager of the alcoholic beverages manufacturer, Heineken. It was a long journey full of twists and turns that eventually led him to work in other African states. When I ask him if he initially planned to pursue a career in politics, he mentions that he never envisioned that career path but was still influenced by it especially during the liberation of the country through his support and admiration of the Rwanda Patriotic Front ideology and cause.
He is a man whose experience transcends the geographical bounds of our nation. When asked about Rwanda’s development relative to those other countries, he says, “We possess the work ethic and dedication that is superior to that displayed in some of the other nations, for instance, in the DR Congo, where I once worked. Nevertheless, we still have to take it one step further with more entrepreneurship and risk taking as we are still lagging behind in those. ”
His extensive and thriving career in the private sector eventually led him to venture into the world of politics. Appointed to the post of Minister of Sports, Youth and Culture in 2004, he admits to have been first surprised, but embraced his new role with the gusto and vigour that have always been the hallmark of his character. Such are the traits that have undoubtedly wrought the underpinning to his incredible passion and exuberance that he ceaselessly implements in his line of duty.
“I embraced my new found role and undertook it with a lot of passion,” says Joe.
“I always strive to do things at 120 percent ; it is always that passion that will take you that extra mile. ”
About the key to success and ability to reaching out to so many and bringing about a positive influence, he says. “It is all about teamwork, knowing those you are accountable to and respecting them while at the same time, being an example to your subordinates and reaching out to them as opposed to being ruthless. ”
“But most importantly, it is integrating that strong spirit of never giving up, which is essential to attaining success or establishing a successful institution and sustaining it,” Habineza reveals.
Despite his eventful reign as a cabinet minister, he was recently subject to a scandal through malicious publications on the Internet. He maintains that was an event initiated with malevolent purposes that go beyond blemishing the reputation of one man.
“Those publications had very negative and dangerous intentions. They were all about negation, aimed at tarnishing the image of the government with the purpose of inciting the people to be pulled in by all the false information and rubbish that was published,” he observes, adding that it was a plot that was set up, with much bigger and far more dangerous implications.
“I was at the centre of it all and as a responsible person at the service of my country, I had to resign in order not to associate the government with such kind of things,” he laments.
On his vision and future plans, he says that he still plans on servicing his nation at whatever level, be it the private or the public sector.
He certainly depicts the image of a resolute person with a strong and powerful vision for himself and his country as well.