The Indigenisation act criticised
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(+5 rating, 1 votes) Loading ...By TAPIWA MAKORE
Published: March 15, 2010
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Hundreds of people who attended a discussion forum called by the Parliamentary Committee on Budget, Finance and Economic development on Monday dismissed the Indigenization Act as a piece of legislation that is only designed to enrich just a few big politicians.
Sentiments that came from the floor indicated that the Country’s citizens no longer have faith in their political leaders as most of them asked the integrity of the administrator of the act, ZANU-PF’s Saviour Kasukuwere, whom they accused of looting people’s properties though they said were not against their being empowered.
“The political leadership especially those from ZANU-PF should not talk about indigenization at all. If they really want to indigenize they should first return the people whose properties they took. Mutumwa Mawere, James Makamba, Gilbert Muponda among other people are not a foreigners here in Zimbabwe but why then did they take away their companies? We therefore remain suspicious and urge our parliamentarians to hold on to this act until a time when we are ready for it,” asked one businessman who refused to be mentioned by name.
Most of the speakers most of whom came from Manicaland said the government should first return the property they took away from Marange villagers under the ill-conceived Operation “mari wakaiwanepi” after it had dismissed the claims that diamond had been discovered at Chiadzwa.
“Diamond was discovered in Chiadzwa and the government dismissed the claims, the people went on to mine the diamond and sold it then bought their property. The next thing was the government to launch “Operation Mari Wakaiwanepi” and took away the people’s properties. What kind of empowerment do we then need? If these guys genuinely want to empower the majority, who are the majority to them? In my own view this act is not meant for the ordinary Zimbabwean but rather for those with the political muscle because they are the ones who with the capacity to buy the 51% shares,” said Lucious Gwaradzimba of Marange.
Some of the participant at the meeting proposed that the Indigenization clause of the act be shelved and embrace the empowerment clause saying it is not just an issue of indigenizing but the capacity to buy shares and a run company.
“If we are going to have ill-conceived indigenization policies, we are going to create problems for ourselves just like what happened in the farming community. We are definitely going to run these companies down,” said a Beatrice based farmer.
Some however pointed to the fact that rather than redistributing already existing companies the government could work on creating other businesses if it really wants to empower its people.
“I think there is an element of criminality and racism in this act here, if the government really wants to empower the people why not encourage the people to create other companies and let the economy grow? Most guys are getting $10 000 in loans from the banks because they lack the required security, so tell me then what can you do with ten thousand dollars? And the mere fact that one has bought shares will not mean he is empowered, most firms need to be recapitalized now and again and that person won’t be having that cash,” said a treasurer with a local bank Lloyd Banda.
Others complained that the architect of the law could have made sure that the minister is stripped with the powers to appoint the implementing commission of the act saying that an independent commission be appointed to monitor the implementation of the law.
“Surely how can all the powers to an act of parliament be vested in just one person, and in this case the minister responsible lacks the much needed integrity to administer this law, he is of criminal nature so to speak,” said Agnes Maplanka of Kuwadzana.
The Indigenisation and Empowerment Act came into law on 1March 2010 and has been viewed with suspicion with the members of the public saying it is nothing but a carbon copy of the previous chaotic and violent land invasions stimulating debate between ZANU-PF and the two MDC formations.