‘Industry revival among top priorities’

Clemence Manyukwe in Harare
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe yesterday said industrial revival will be among the government’s 2015 priorities in a move that is expected to create employment.

Speaking at a meeting at which the new executive of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans’ Association that is led by Cde Chris Mutsvangwa was presented to him after its recent election, the President said it was high time locals started considering forming their own companies.

“Industry, manufacturing, there’s a job to be done. The manufacturing sector is the most depressed sector of our economy. We want to do as much as we can this coming year, you know, to raise that sector, naturally capital,” he said.

The President said companies that had collapsed like Dunlop should be revived. He added that David Whitehead and Ziscosteel, now New Zimsteel were coming up, while the country will soon start producing methane gas.

He said local businesses should warm up to the idea of business partnerships and joint ventures because some sectors require putting skills together.

The President said people should organise themselves to form companies, adding that for those who have already formed associations, like war veterans, it would be easier for the government to assist them.

He bemoaned illegal activities such as smuggling that are taking place in the mining sector as they were denying the country potential revenue.

He said low revenues were being realised from diamonds, but gold was more dependable.

“We aren’t getting much from diamonds and also in that area, the mining area there’re tricks, cunning, smuggling. (Police Commissioner-General, Augustine) Chihuri it isn’t possible for him to apprehend everyone.

“Sometimes in his department, that’s where some of the illegal activities take place,” he said.

Moving to agriculture, the President said people should not take owning a farm as a status symbol, but should provide for the nation.

He said some beneficiaries of the land reform programme were leasing their farms to whites and there are senior party leaders and chiefs in the country’s provinces who had “their whites”.

“In the province I come from, Mash West, you see (Temba) Mliswa who was the chairman, he was saying whites are there in large numbers. They’re there? Where? He wanted to blame us, he would say, ‘they’re there in large numbers in Zvimba’. That’s where whites are in large numbers, only in Zvimba? He wanted to blame (Ignatius) Chombo − ‘you’re keeping the whites’. But they’re there, I happen to know,” added the President.

He said especially at this time of the season, some whites are coming back fully aware that there are some people who are not utilising their farms who would want to lease them.

President Mugabe said war veterans should have 20 percent of land in each particular area and added that other grievances by the liberation war fighters such as school fees for their children would be addressed.

He said when pressure for land arises, some farms could be divided to cater for those in need, but added that he does not foresee that in the near future.