Minority groups want included in empowerment programmes

LEADERS of minority groups have called on Government to include them in its empowerment programmes and recognise them as indigenous Zimbabweans.

They said they also wanted to benefit from programmes such as the land reform and indigenisation.

They made the call during a meeting with Vice President Joice Mujuru in Harare yesterday.
 
The Vice President's Office had organised the meeting as part of efforts to address concerns of Asians, Coloureds and Greeks among others.

Prominent Harare lawyer Mr Abdullah Kassim said they supported Government's indigenisation policies but said the Act had grey areas that could be successfully challenged in courts.

"I support the indigenisation programme and believe that the wealth of the country must benefit the majority, however, reading through the Act this might not be the case.

"It has a number of grey areas that might see some people rushing to the courts.

"Minority communities feel very threatened, we have a number of people coming with letters threatening to take over companies without addressing payment issues. The concept of empowering Zimbabweans is excellent; we just have to find ways of achieving it," he said.
 
Another businessman of Asian descent said they supported the empowerment initiatives because they had never benefited from exploitation of others.

"We are fully behind the total indigenisation. A lot of problems we face in the country emanate from the greed of Rhodesians and those with a Rhodesian mentality.

"We should establish a board that looks at new investments. Indians have never taken part in exploitation of other Zimbabweans.

"We should set exceptions for new players who stood in solidarity with Zimbabwe during the liberation struggle and even now. We also want to benefit from the noble programmes that Government has initiated like the land reform programme and indigenisation," he said.

A representative of the coloured community in Harare, Mr Bertran Tabbett expressed concern over the Citizenship Act, which defines them as alien.

"The identity question to be resolved is on our national identity cards which is a major source of exclusion from participating in various discourses in the country. We also want to be creators of wealth in our country," he said.

A Bulawayo businessman, Mr Ishmael Jassat, said most people from the minority communities appeared not interested in taking part in national affairs because they feel excluded.

"When people feel excluded they tend not to participate or simply participate in issues they only have personal gain. We have some of the greatest minds in the Asian community but they are not being utilised here," he said.
 
The gathering told VP Mujuru that because most of them were categorised as aliens they have difficulties in accessing bank loans or even to contest for public office.

VP Mujuru apologised for the exclusion of some of the groups in national affairs and pledged to ensure that their grievances were resolved.

"I was listening to all your voices and it gave me an impression that we have made a big omission and we are sorry for that.

"We are all Zimbabweans and we are all human beings and we belong to Zimbabwe," she said.

VP Mujuru said the programmes Government had embarked on were meant to achieve the aims of the liberation struggle.

"Whatever we are trying to sort out, we are trying to fulfil what we fought for and what we call the liberation of this country, it is very painful when somebody reminds you about marginalisation," VP Mujuru said.

She said they would consult as Government to come up with ways to address the plight of the minority communities.

"We will retreat and congregate and think of something very fast and we will come back to you. In our country we have a lot of things happening but there are some people who are conspicuously absent," she said.

The Vice President said she would also embark on a nationwide tour to hear the concerns of all minority communities.

Media, Information and Publicity Minister, Webster Shamu, Local Government, Rural and Urban Development Minister Ignatius Chombo, Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment Minister, Saviour Kasukuwere and Zanu-PF Politburo members attended the meeting.