adminThis is because this law is here to stay come rain or sunshine, Zimbabweans from across the political divide want to own stakes in companies and can no longer continue to watch from the sidelines.
So foreign-owned firms operating in the country can only ignore provisions of this law at their own peril. They will have no one to blame when push comes to shove.
People like Mr Stefan Hayden, the chief executive officer of Caledonia Mining Corporation, and their kith and kin who think indigenisation of the economy is a political gimmick to lure votes for Zanu-PF need to have their heads examined.
In fact, such people have a low opinion of indigenous Zimbabweans in particular and black people in general who, in their minds, must remain poor while they plunder the country’s resources.
Mr Hayden, whose Caledonia Mining Corporation owns Blanket Mine in Gwanda, was quoted as saying his company did not intend to finalise a sale of its shares to locals until the run-up to elections.
His comments are not only worrying, but fly in the face of the momentum created by the community share ownership trust schemes which are aimed at empowering communities living alongside mining companies and other big companies operating in the country. The trust schemes have been successfully launched at Zimplats and Unki mines and chances are that Blanket Mine, which is one of country’s top gold producers, could be next.
We want to believe people in Matabeleland South are looking forward to partnering with companies like Blanket Mine in developing their communities and must have been taken aback by Mr Hayden’s statements.
As we have said before, companies which resist indigenisation and economic empowerment are defying the laws of the land and will only have themselves to blame. Surely, we cannot have people coming all the way from Canada to denounce our laws.
Yes, we need foreign investors to rejuvenate our economy, but these must not come at any cost. Every country has its own laws meant to benefit its own people and the same, we would want to believe, also applies in Canada.
We expect foreign investors to come with good intentions and to partner with our people in a win-win situation.
We have got the resources but we lack the capital to exploit them. But this does not mean that we are so desperate for any investor, including those who insult us, to enslave our people and pillage our resources.
These resources are finite and we need to make the best out of them.
Bunjiwe Mkwananzi