Mugabe reveals Botswana adopted indiginisation policy

President Robert Mugabe says Botswana President Ian Khama recently told him that they have adopted an indigenisation model where giant mining company De Beers has been made to cede majority shareholding from their diamond mining activities in the country.

Mugabe who revealed in an interview on state television a left knee problem in addition to his eye sight said Botswana had actually taken more percentage than the proposed 51/49 percent shareholding structure in Zimbabwe.

"I was talking to (Botswana) President (Ian) Khama the other day and he was saying after a long period of being exploited by De Beers they have put their foot down and De Beers should have a minority shareholding," Mugabe said on state television.

"De Beers is getting about 17 to 18 percent and Botswana gets the rest and he was saying ours is better than yours."

Speaking for the first time after last year's Zanu PF election victory, Mugabe said his government will pursue with renewed vigour indigenisation of the economy.

"Implementation of the country's indigenisation and economic empowerment laws is to be pursued with renewed vigour," Mugabe said then.

"This is in order to ensure that our people become significant stakeholders and not bystanders in the running of the national economy."

A major talking point on Mugabe's cabinet late last year was the perceived demotion of Saviour Kasukuwere, whose modus operandi was widely considered abrasive, from Indigenisation to Water, Environment and Climate a development believed to signal a softening of the veteran leader's stance on the controversial indigenisation policy which was Zanu PF's election campaign centrepiece.