(TALKZIMBABWE) White farmer to lead Business Council of Zimbabwe

White farmer to lead Business Council of Zimbabwe
By: Our reporter
Posted: Sunday, August 22, 2010 11:00 pm

THE controversial president of the Commercial Farmers Union (CFU), Mr Deon Theron, has assumed the leadership of the Business Council of Zimbabwe taking over from Mr Victor Gapare of the Chamber of Mines.

The CFU took over the council's presidency last month and its term will expire on 31 December; so naturally Mr Theron becomes BCZ president. Mr Theron is one of the key white farmer figures in the country who have been against the land reform programme which started in 2000.

He has constantly clashed with government over his comments about the reform programme.

His deputy is Employers Confederation of Zimbabwe president Mr David Govere, who will take over the BCZ presidency in December when CFU's tenure expires.

Mr Theron said his appointment as the president of the council reflected the views of the members of the council.

“We want to move forward as Zimbabweans and I am grateful that all the members of the BCZ are united,” he said.

Mr Theron said the biggest challenge facing businesses was the unavailability of lines of credit and the intermittent power outages adding that by next week after the handover of the council's files he would be in a safe position to map the council's way forward.

“Obviously as the BCZ what we have to do is to look at the current issues affecting the operations of businesses in this country. We have to come up with resolutions and speak with one voice as business,” he said.

The BCZ is a nine-member business association and its members comprise CFU, Chamber of Mines, Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries, Zimbabwe Council of Tourism, Zimbabwe Farmers Union, Bankers Association of Zimbabwe, EMCOZ, Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce and the Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union.

The council is in the process of establishing an economic research unit that will provide independent research and analysis to guide stakeholders, including Government and business, in policy decisions.

The Chamber of Mines was charged with spearheading the establishment of the research unit and its chief executive, Dr Chris Hokonya, on Tuesday said they had made progress towards establishing the research unit.