News / Local
MDC-T Minister blames Matabeleland residents for relocations
23 Jul 2011 at 08:57hrs | Views
There are reports that Minister Joel Gabbuza of MDC-T and MP for Binga,is blaming the people of Matabeleland for not supporting musicians, Mfanyana Dube and Lovermore Majaivana. His party is having a meeting at the Holiday Inn in Byo.
He says they where the first to relocate from Bulawayo before the companies did. He now joins, John Nkomo, Cain Matema, Naison Ndlovu, and others.
Matabeleland activist and political parties have condemned the statement by the MDC-T minister.
The upsurge in the number of manufacturing companies relocating from Bulawayo to Harare is a thorny issue and Bulawayo centred political parties have started calling on residents to start boycotting their products.
The city, once the country's industrial hub, has been hit by serious disinvestment at a time the country is anticipating renewed economic activity after years of decline.
A number of companies, mainly in the manufacturing and construction sectors, have been forced to either retrench or relocate to Harare, citing perennial water shortages.
But activists and politicians say the companies are using the water shortages as an excuse to continue the marginalisation of the region.
Edwin Ndlovu, the regional spokesperson for the Welshman Ncube-led MDC, said it was time Bulawayo residents started boycotting products of companies that relocated to Harare.
"It is better for locals here to continue buying goods from neighbouring South Africa, which have filled our shops than to support companies that have de-industrialised Bulawayo," Ndlovu said.
"It does not make sense for the companies to send their goods here when in the first place they said there is no business in Bulawayo."
His sentiments were echoed by Methuseli Moyo, the spokesperson for Zapu, who said reasons being given by the companies for shifting their bases to Harare were invalid.
"Companies are saying Harare is profitable so they should make their profits there and not send their products down here," Moyo said.
"These companies are turning Bulawayo into a supermarket where they just come and dump their goods after relocating."
Moyo claimed there was a conspirancy to de-industrialise Bulawayo, a theory that has been peddled for many years.
He says they where the first to relocate from Bulawayo before the companies did. He now joins, John Nkomo, Cain Matema, Naison Ndlovu, and others.
Matabeleland activist and political parties have condemned the statement by the MDC-T minister.
The upsurge in the number of manufacturing companies relocating from Bulawayo to Harare is a thorny issue and Bulawayo centred political parties have started calling on residents to start boycotting their products.
The city, once the country's industrial hub, has been hit by serious disinvestment at a time the country is anticipating renewed economic activity after years of decline.
A number of companies, mainly in the manufacturing and construction sectors, have been forced to either retrench or relocate to Harare, citing perennial water shortages.
But activists and politicians say the companies are using the water shortages as an excuse to continue the marginalisation of the region.
"It is better for locals here to continue buying goods from neighbouring South Africa, which have filled our shops than to support companies that have de-industrialised Bulawayo," Ndlovu said.
"It does not make sense for the companies to send their goods here when in the first place they said there is no business in Bulawayo."
His sentiments were echoed by Methuseli Moyo, the spokesperson for Zapu, who said reasons being given by the companies for shifting their bases to Harare were invalid.
"Companies are saying Harare is profitable so they should make their profits there and not send their products down here," Moyo said.
"These companies are turning Bulawayo into a supermarket where they just come and dump their goods after relocating."
Moyo claimed there was a conspirancy to de-industrialise Bulawayo, a theory that has been peddled for many years.
Source - Byo24News
