More than 100 illegal shop operators deported from Zimbabwe

MORE than 100 foreigners were arrested and deported last year for illegally operating businesses like grocery shops and restaurants in violation of Zimbabwe's immigration and investment laws.

The Department of Immigration yesterday said most of the culprits were Nigerians and Chinese operating retail shops and restaurants without the required documentation.

"We arrested more than 100 foreigners for violating immigration laws. After arresting them we discovered that they were operating shops and restaurants illegally," Assistant Regional Immigration Officer Mr Francis Mabika said.

Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment Minister Saviour Kasukuwere recently said foreigners should not be licensed to run retail businesses.

He said this was in contravention of the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act and ordered Harare City Council to stop issuing foreigners with licences or renewing them.

But, council spokesman Mr Leslie Gwindi and Mayor Muchadeyi Masunda said they will not follow the directive.

"Our position as the designated licensing authority is very clear. Legally, we are obliged to license all legitimate and bona fide retail operators regardless of their ethnic pedigree.

"If, for instance G. Jonathan Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd is a duly registered company in accordance with the laws of Zimbabwe, then it will be duly licensed in spite of the fact that some of its shareholders may be of Nigerian descent or origin," Mayor Masunda said.

He said council only issues trading licences after verifying the immigration status of individuals. Mr Gwindi said banning the issuance of licences to foreigners will precipitate xenophobia.

He said council only took orders from the Ministry of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development which has not issued any such directive.

According to investment regulations, the Government, through Statutory Instrument 108 of 1994, reserved certain sectors of the economy for local investors but the Harare retail sector is now being dominated by foreigners.
Mr Mabika said although efforts were being

Over 100 illegal shop operators deported

made to deal with illegal immigrants, locals were assisting foreigners to circumvent the law.

"We have examples of marriages of convenience where a foreigner marries a local woman and the business is registered in the woman's name while others are just used as fronts in the business. So it is difficult to detect and we only discover these offences after arresting the foreigner for violating other immigration laws," Mr Mabika said.

Mr Gwindi said big investors are referred to the Zimbabwe Investment Authority.

ZIA public relations executive Mr Nick Kanyemba confirmed that some foreigners with retail licences are contravening the country's laws.

"Most foreigners are operating illegally. The few who run restaurants, which prepare mainly Chinese dishes were granted licences but the bulk of foreigners are operating illegally, especially in the city centres," Mr Kanyemba said.

Upfumi Kuvadiki president Mr Scott Sakupwanya said local authorities should not give lame excuses, but implement Government policy.

"The retail sector is the incubator of the locals. Our position is that the youth interested in the sector should be assisted to grow so that in the end we have a wholly Zimbabwean controlled economy," he said.