(TALKZIMBABWE) Foreigners should not threaten indigenisation: AAG

Saturday, September 04, 2010

(TALKZIMBABWE) Foreigners should not threaten indigenisation: AAG

Foreigners should not threaten indigenisation: AAG
By: Our reporter
Posted: Friday, September 3, 2010 6:33 pm

THE Affirmative Action Group says the presence of foreign businesses in Zimbabwe should not threaten indigenous businesses and the indigenisation and economic empowerment programme.

In a statement emailed to the Zimbabwe Guardian on Friday the black empowerment group's president, Mr Supa Mandiwanzira, said AAG was concerned about the number of foreigners who have applied for trading licenses, or are trying to renew them, to run retail businesses in the country.

The statement read: "The Herald of 12 August 2010 carried notices of either applications or renewal of trading licenses by various individuals to run business across a number of retail activities.

"As a black empowerment lobby group, we are very concerned that there is a large presence of foreign nationals who have submitted their applications for either renewal or new licenses in business areas that, in terms of the current indigenization and economic empowerment law, are reserved for nationals."

Mr Mandiwanzira said the regulations published by Empowerment Minister Saviour Kasukuwere, were very clear on this issue and Harare City Council has an obligation to uphold this law.

He said the council should refuse to issue or renew all applications that fall outside the provisions of the Indigenization and Economic Empowerment Act.

"As it stands, we believe that City of Harare is intending to make decisions on these applications on or before 2 September 2010," said Mr Mandiwanzira.

"However, given that the applications are invalid because of what they seek to do, City Council has no obligation to process them.

"We strongly believe that any further isolation and marginalization of the indigenous people by willfully granting licenses against the letter and spirit of the law, may lead to unnecessary hostility between locals and foreign nationals."

Mr Mandiwanzira said foreigners were welcome to invest in Zimbabwe, but they should stay in those areas of business not reserved for indigenous people.

He said it did not make sense that foreigners were coming all the way to sell cooking oil, cell phone batteries, sugar, salt etc,.

This is "an affront to the whole programme of indigenization and economic empowerment" and "City of Harare needs to give serious thought to making sure that the licensing regime is not used to defeat national goals and objectives.

"We reject unreservedly any attempt to rationalize over this position because our role as an affirmative action group is to promote and champion compliance with the indigenization and economic empowerment laws of the country."

Mr Mandiwanzira express concern that many business opportunities in the country are now being offered in the market place to the highest bidder. "No institution or individual should be allowed to exclude the indigenous people from business by any means other than a fair and equitable system."

Labels: AAG, INDIGENIZATION AND EMPOWERMENT ACT (ZIMBABWE), SUPA MANDIWANZIRA