INDUSTRY and Commerce Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu has said
hundreds of people lost their jobs as a result of this week’s violent protests
and Bulawayo companies were the worst affected.
He said the terror attacks, organised by the MDC Alliance
and civil society groups aligned to it, defeat efforts by Government and
industries to revive the economy.
In an interview yesterday, Minister Ndlovu said the
demonstrations send wrong signals to potential investors.
“We’re yet to calculate the losses made but hundreds of
people have lost their jobs due to the destruction of business buildings, which
are not only affecting individuals but the entire nation. I don’t know how
we’ll recover the lost production and infrastructure deficit that has been
created,” he said.
“I’m disappointed that Bulawayo was the worst hit by the
violent demonstrations and property worth millions of dollars was destroyed.
It’s sad and I didn’t expect this from the people of Bulawayo. I made a number
of calls and the updates I got shocked me.”
Minister Ndlovu said there is no need for aggrieved people
to express themselves by engaging in criminal activities.
“This has taken us aback. Businesspeople in the city
suffered huge losses and I wonder where we’re going as a city.
“Investors who have plans to bring business in Bulawayo
might lose interest now because of hooligans who just decide to go into
people’s shops, loot and burn buildings. It’s really sad for industry and the
country as a whole,” said Minister Ndlovu.
He said it was saddening that people were given space to
exercise their rights but ended looting shops and destroying properties.
“In December I had a meeting with the Bulawayo City Council
led by the Mayor, the Minister of State for Bulawayo provincial affairs,
captains of industry and think tanks in the province to try and come up with
strategies to turn around the economy.
“The meeting was also meant to make decisive moves towards
re-industrialising our city and create employment for the people of Bulawayo.
We scheduled a review meeting for the end of this month and I thought we were
on course in terms of making Bulawayo a good investment destination but this is
obviously a huge set back,” said Minister Ndlovu.
He said it was unfortunate that people had decided to
exercise their rights in such a manner, which leads the country nowhere.
“We have a burden of rebranding our country and positioning
it where it was and I think as a country we did well in terms of respecting
human and respecting constitutional rights and giving them a chance to
genuinely engage in discussions with the Government
“Perhaps we over-did it because these violent incidents
have instilled fear in the population as police officers were also threatened
and assaulted, with one of them losing his life. Members of the public need to
know that it’s not their rights only that matter but the next person’s rights
too,” said Minister Ndlovu.
He said it was important for people to unite and rebrand
the country. The Minister appealed to business people to desist from
increasing prices unnecessarily.
“I’m appealing to business people to desist from this idea
of profiteering. When they price their goods beyond the reach of the people for
whatever reasons, this has a direct risk on their businesses. As we speak
today, kombis and buses have hiked their fares in an unreasonable manner.
“They increased by almost 300 percent when fuel costs in
running a business ordinarily don’t go beyond 40 percent of the total cost.
There’s no justification because businesses have got a rebate where they’re not
affected by these increases,” said Minister Ndlovu.
Choppies Supermarkets in New Lobengula and Entumbane were
burnt in the protests while the Pumula and Lobengula West branches were looted.
Chicken Corner in Tshabalala was also targeted.
There were also reports of looting from shops in Nkulumane,
Lobengula, Pumula, Emganwini, Luveve, Magwegwe, Sizinda and other areas. Herald
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