Mugabe saves PepsiCo deal

PepsiCo had sought to start operations in the country three years ago, but had been frustrated by bureaucratic bungling and demands for bribes by senior government officials, including ministers.

According to sources an Indian billionaire had seized an opportunity to meet President Robert Mugabe in India last week to highlight the plight of the company.

Ravi Jaiparu, the billionaire, is said to have told Mugabe that after getting approval from ZIA, hurdle had been thrown in the way and delayed implementation of the projects.

Now, a week after the discussions, Varun Beverages will be holding a ground breaking ceremony to start a $30million PepsiCo plant in Harare tomorrow.