adminto be equal but also to significantly contribute to the well-being of the country.
For a long time the status quo in the means of production, a product of colonisation, placed indigenous people at disadvantage. Addressing it required a resilient people who would be able to withstand the criticism of the day. Just as the global dynamics are today the international community which for some reason is pro-western superiority was watching waiting to condemn any sign of progress that would be made in favour of the local people. Today Zimbabwe boasts of being at the fore on the African continent equal land distribution and that didn’t just happen overnight! It had to be a sacrifice, it took a people with a clear vision and strong ideology of what it is that they wanted to accomplish and the exact price they were willing to pay.
What I see today is not a struggling Zimbabwe but I see a limited nation under siege because of its decision to pursue equality among its people. When western government s defend and protect their own people, foreign interest there is nothing wrong but when African states act in line with the same principle and practice, they are considered undemocratic and can attract unprecedented pressure from west.
Empowerment policies enacted by government have in a significant way transformed the lives of Zimbabweans across our landscape. Through indigenisation thousands of business enterprises for youth have been funded in different sectors of the economy across all provinces. Through the Kurera/Ukondla Youth Fund, young people in Chipinge , Mutare and Nyanga have begun Potato Farming , In Headlands and Rusape local youth have been funded to get into tobacco farming and land formally white owned has also been availed under contract farming.
Similar empowerment processes has been taking place In Mount Darwin, Masvingo and other provinces with young people getting an opportunity to pursue what they have always been dreaming about. In Bulawayo, Victoria falls, Lupane and Gwanda and the rest of the Matebeleland provinces.
At least 50 community share ownership trusts, each worth $10 million, have so far been set up by government in conjunction with foreign-owned mining companies following the launch of the indigenisation programme more than two years ago. Through the Community Share Ownership schemes under the indigenisation and Economic empowerment programme communities have been empowered and developed. The thrust of the schemes have been to ensure that communities benefit from the exploitation of natural resources within their areas. This initiative is expected to robustly transform the socio-economic circumstances of all communities concerned through implementation of
development programmes based on clearly-regulated partnerships in which the conduct of business and sharing of profits is done equitably.
The introductions of the employee share ownership schemes have placed workers at a place of empowerment.
Employees and Management are key stakeholders to any business. Consequently, Government policy has enabled them to acquire shareholding as part of the 51 percent indigenisation requirement. In terms of the law, companies have been allocating a maximum of 28 percent towards employees.
As a result of efforts by Government through the empowerment process we have seen for the first time multinationals and foreign owned companies working and partnering with indigenous people in a manner that is designed to genuinely benefit the local people.
Companies such as Old Mutual, Mimosa, Impala Platinum, Anglo American Platinum-owned by Unki Platinum among many others have all been working on the empowerment front after submitting acceptable empowerment proposals to the Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment Minister Saviour Kasukuwere in September last year.
Through government initiated empowerment process we have had for the first time economic sectors that have since been reserved for the indigenous people.
As per the indigenisation Act, the following sectors can no longer be controlled by foreigners.
- Advertising Agencies, Employment Agencies andEstate Agencies;
- Agriculture, Retail and wholesale trade;
- Bakeries;
- Barber shops, hairdressing and beauty salons;
- Provision of local art and craft, marketing and distribution;
- Tobacco grading, packaging and processing;
- Passenger road transportation, Freight transportation, water transportation, Air transportation, Rail transportation, other;
- Valet services.
Underpinning the turn to economic empowerment by Government policy is a preference for “productivity” over “welfarism” approaches, trade and not aid.
Sustaining this approach is a belief that poverty is linked to lack of market access and the solution is to insert local indigenous producers into markets.
The turn towards economic empowerment should be welcomed as an important adjustment to past policies, which often neglected small-scale business and focused too narrowly on the roles that social protection play in poverty reduction strategies.
Innocent Katsande Is the Communications Officer for the Zimbabwe Youth Council.
Online Reporter