Zimbabwe Defence Industries will not close shop

Cheap imported ammunitions are a threat to the viability of Zimbabwe Defence Industries but the state owned enterprise will remain in existence for strategic reasons.

ZDI chief executive officer Tshinga Dube said yesterday that ammunition and military hardware coming from China and other countries were cheap compared to those manufactured locally, but said his organisation would not close shop as it was established to strategically provide to the state.

Dube said the country cannot depend entirely on imports and it is dangerous to do that.

ZDI according to Dube, has been operating below capacity owing to lack of funding and sanctions placed on the company by the West.