Zimbabwe Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Amon Murwira yesterday said brick moulding is a sector reserved for Zimbabweans. Any foreigners who are engaged in this business are thieves.
He said this in response to a question from Senator Irene Zindi who wanted to know why foreigners were being allowed to go into businesses like moulding bricks or opening restaurants when these should be reserved for locals.
“Brick moulding is in the reserved sector. Even the collection of river sand also is in the reserved sector,” the minister said.
“The policy of Zimbabwe is very clear but there are people that misbehave. That is why people end up being arrested. Hence, we have the police and the courts. Stealing is a word that is found in the dictionary because at one time they once saw someone stealing. So this unlawful activity is called stealing. So stealing does happen but the person has to be arrested. Is there a remedy when someone steals? Yes, there is, in this regard it is called the reserved sector,” he said.
Q & A:
HON. SEN. ZINDI: Thank you Mr. President of the Senate. My supplementary is, these investors that are coming to invest in Zimbabwe, do we have a difference in the types of businesses that they can come and set up in the country? Let me give an example. We see those who are coming to invest are coming here to make bricks for construction. Some are opening up restaurants where they prepare meals and we can go and drink. Is this what they should be coming for or they should be coming to create employment?
It is an opportunity that we also hear from the Government that this is an opportunity for the local Zimbabwean people. How are you going about this when you give foreigners the policy before they come to invest in Zimbabwe?
HON. PROF. MURWIRA: Thank you Mr. President of the Senate. I thank the Hon. Member for the supplementary question. Let me start by saying that when you are making a stool, you need to refine it or modify it. If you see a Peugeot 404 and you see today’s car, people learn and improve but Zimbabwe has a very good law on the reserved sector. This reserved sector is for Zimbabweans. You will observe that brick moulding is in the reserved sector. Even the collection of river sand also is in the reserved sector.
The first question was, are people coming and we said yes, they are coming. If they are now going to the reserved sector, we will move them away from the sector. So my observation is that this is a very good question. We respond that now we have a law that governs the reserved sector that enables our people to open up these organisations which cannot come here and be involved in borehole drilling. We can drill our water.
The policy of Zimbabwe is very clear but there are people that misbehave. That is why people end up being arrested. Hence, we have the police and the courts. Stealing is a word that is found in the dictionary because at one time they once saw someone stealing. So this unlawful activity is called stealing. So stealing does happen but the person has to be arrested. Is there a remedy when someone steals? Yes, there is, in this regard it is called the reserved sector. I thank you.
The question is, did the minister tell the truth?
Are there no foreign companies engaged in brick moulding?
The picture above shows bricks made by a Chinese company in Hwange.
Tell us if you know any other companies doing business in reserved sectors not just Chinese companies but other foreign companies by writing to: [email protected]
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