led indigenisation programme was working.
In reality, the disinvestment by Heinz (a major global player) signals to the international community that doing business in Zimbabwe under the current Zanu (PF) leadership is no longer safe nor profitable.
Certainly, doing business in Zimbabwe these days requires nerves of steel and remarkable resilience.
With the ruling thievocracy dedicated to asset-stripping on a massive scale, the only thing that makes sense is to sell and run – as fast as possible.
The rate of inflation this month is officially given as being 7,634 percent – although unofficially it is over 20,000 percent. The government has now resorted to a command economy, where manufacturers are given orders as to what to charge for their products – often way below actual production costs.
The majority of industry in Zimbabwe is agriculture-based. With the wanton destruction of the agricultural industry in pursuit of wealth for Mugabe and his favoured cronies, raw materials are unavailable.
Compounding the situation, government at every turn denounces foreigners and threatens to nationalise their companies to punish the British and American governments for daring to speak out against Mugabe.
Doing business in Zimbabwe is thus a very stressful affair.
We wish to place it on record that there is nothing to celebrate about the disinvestment by Heinz.
It cuts ties with an international company, stops vital transfer of technology and exacerbates unemployment.
What are we celebrating?
Word
The Lord Almighty has sworn, “Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and
as I have purposed, so it will stand. I will crush the Assyrian in my land;
on my mountains I will trample him down. His yoke will be taken from my
people, and his burden removed from their shoulders.” This is the plan
determined for the whole world, this is the hand stretched out over all
nations. For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His
hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back? Isaiah 14:24-27.