Zanu PF holds business symposium in Masvingo

Joseph Madzimure-Senior Reporter

ALL roads will be leading to Masvingo today for the Zanu PF Business Symposium on the Revised Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment policy.

The Business symposium will start at 17:30hrs at the Regency Flamboyant Hotel, Masvingo.

Zanu PF Politburo members and the Masvingo provincial leadership will also attend the meeting.

The party has started a wave of countrywide meetings with businesspeople to educate them on the revised Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment policy, with Bulawayo, Midlands and Manicaland provinces held successful meetings.

The meeting will also be graced by economic empowerment groups such as the Masvingo Business Community, Economic Empowerment Group (EEG), Business Economic Empowerment Forum (BEEF), Young Women for Economic Development, Affirmative Action Group, Men Believe in ED among others.

Minister of Mines and Mining Development Winston Chitando, Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, Climate and Rural Development, Dr Anxious Masuka, representatives from Empower Bank and Women Microfinance Bank will speak on opportunities availed in their respective sectors.

Minister Chitando is expected to present about opportunities available for those who want to venture into small scale mining, while Minister Masuka will present on how youth can access land for agricultural purposes.

The symposium is meant to discuss issues on empowerment in specific sectors, grassroots empowerment, private sector driven empowerment strategies, cross cutting empowerment strategies, reserved sectors, economic empowerment and implementation and evaluation. Speaking at a press conference, Zanu PF’s national Political Commissar Cde Mike Bimha said the symposium will be centred on reserved sectors.

He said emphasis will be on taxes and car hire services, retail and wholesale trade, barbershops, hairdressing, employment and advertising agencies, grain milling, bakeries, tobacco grading and packaging, artisanal miners among others.

“The party is geared to ensure no one is left behind in economic empowerment programmes,” said Cde Bimha.

The need for a revised policy came into effect after it had come to the party’s attention that the amendment to the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act (Chapter 14:33) (IEE Act) contained in the Finance (No 2) Act, 2020 (section 36) may have caused some misconception to the general public, stakeholders and investors in different economic sectors.

Economic Empowerment Group president Mr Mike Chimombe said they will take part at the business symposium to ensure no one is left behind in building the economy

“The EEG has not changed its core business as a protecting, defending and agitating forum but right now we are moving together with Government policies, that is NDS1 and the Vision 2030, where the issue is that most of our youths, women and the general public, they have not yet seen the full benefits of empowerment. It is therefore important for us to conscientise and advocate for people with ideas so that they get what it is to be Zimbabwe in 2030. We all know the problem of unemployment, therefore we want our youths, women across the country to participate fully in the economic emancipation of every sector so that they get what they deserve and desire,” Mr Chimombe.

He said those, who want to venture into small scale mining, farming can access mining and agricultural equipment from EEG.

“We are there to support Government programmes.

“As EEG we will encompass everyone even those at grass roots level. Let’s rally behind the Second Republic’s vision of achieving the middle income economy by 2030.

“Our vision is to ensure that even those in the rural areas benefit from EEG programmes,” said Mr Chimombe.

Young woman for ED chairperson Tatenda Mavetera said they are excited take participate at the Business symposium which will be held in Masvingo.