Govt departments lashed for not promoting local products

departments would go a long way in revitalising the industry. At its peak in the 1990s the sector employed over 35 000 people with the numbers having gone down to around 8 000 due to a cocktail of challenges.

Capacity utilisation is hovering around 30 percent with many clothing and textile firms having shut down or scaled down operations due to operational constraints. Departments which were under the spotlight at the two-day clothing indaba, which ran from Friday to Saturday, included the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, Zimbabwe National Army and the Zimbabwe Republic Police.

Zimbabwe Clothing Manufacturers Association chairperson Mr Jeremy Youmans said it was critical that Government and other stakeholders tackle local procurement.
“Local procurement is something that we need to deal with more seriously. I do not understand why they are allowed to buy outside the country when they are using our money to do that,” he said. Players said Government departments must set aside a certain percentage of their purchases for the local industry if they felt the manufacturers had no capacity to meet huge orders.

“It beats me why the police and the army import their clothing. If these are procured locally, it would make a huge difference,” said Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries chief executive Mr Clifford Sileya.

Mr Stan Mangoma, a director in the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, said it was critical that the local industry be supported.
“We have to change our mindset of viewing imported goods as superior. Let us try and buy local where it is available,” he said.

The stakeholders maintained that they could make better quality products for the Government departments, compared to some imported clothing which the institutions bought. They said it was critical for the institutions to work with the local industry to address quality and other concerns instead of resorting to imports.

“Retail outlets must insist on quality from local manufacturers,” said Mrs Evelyn Ndlovu the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises and Co-operative Development. — New Ziana.