In exclusive interviews at the five star Meikles Hotel, where The Zimbabwean newspaper was the only Media organisation allowed into the party, a top African National Council (ANC) official and businessman, said: "President Robert Mugabe was a great man and we loved him in South Africa. We also loved Nelson Mandela, but both are very old and should go. If Mandela was still the President of South Africa I am sure we would not want him there as our leader."
The South African business tycoon is in the country for the Zimbabwe Mining Indaba where more than 300 officials have been invited.
"Zimbabwe is very expensive," he said in an exclusive interview. "We paid 2 000 South African Rands for lunch at the Rainbow Towers Hotel. In South Africa we would have paid about 200 South African Rand. That is why President Barack Obama (US President) asked why Zimbabweans are charging US$1 for a loaf of bread – is the loaf a kilometre long?"
The foreign business community interviewed generally said they did not support Zimbabwe's new indigenisation regulations especially as prescribed by the Minister of Indigenisation, Employment and Youth Creation, Saviour Kasukuwere.
Top mining gurus have come from the SADC region and Europe. Kasukuwere was not invited to the cocktail function hosted by Deloite and Touche (Zimbabwe) (Private) Limited led by chartered accountant, Tawanda Gumbo.
The Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Obert Mpofu, was also not invited to the Cocktail Party, held by the corporate world to usher in the Zimbabwe Mining Indaba which ends on Friday.
Post published in: Africa News