Cross-border traders utilise $15m RBZ facility

Tawanda Marwizi recently in Hwange
Cross-border traders have started utilising the $15 million facility availed by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, with a group of 26 set to leave for Germany on Saturday with various wares for people in that market. The cross border traders, who will be carrying locally made goods that include curios, will showcase and sell the wares in Berlin, Germany. They accessed funds from the Reserve Bank facility, which they used to buy the local wares for resell in the European country.

This will be the first time cross-border traders are taking their wares to Germany, and the Cross-Border Traders’ Association intends to exploit other available markets in countries such as Italy, South Africa, South Sudan, Equatorial Guinea and Angola. Speaking in Hwange on Monday, while bidding farewell to the 26 cross-border traders set for Germany, Cross-Border Traders’ Association president Dr Killer Zivhu hailed President Mugabe for coming up with programmes that benefited members of his association.

“The President has done very well in empowering his people and now our members are set to leave for Germany with different goods to sell,” he said. Dr Zivhu also thanked Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Dr John Mangudya for helping avail the $15 million facility through the central bank’s Homelink subsidiary.

“We are saying as cross-border traders that Dr Mangudya to us is the best Reserve Bank governor since 1980 because he has paid attention to our potential to help in the economic recovery efforts,” he said. “Apart from contributing to the economy through bringing in foreign currency, this facility is going to improve the status of many families in both urban and rural areas because of the benefits that will accrue to individual cross border traders.”

Dr Zivhu advised the cross-border traders to understand that they would be representing Zimbabwe when they venture outside the country to trade. He said the Cross-Border Traders Association had since bought three brick moulding trucks for the benefit of its members. “Let me take this opportunity to tell you that we will be leaving for India on Saturday to collect three cars with a capacity to mould about three million bricks within a month,” said Dr Zivhu. He said the association would be seeking a meeting with First Lady Dr Grace Mugabe so that they get land for the bricks business.