The Sunday News
Shepias Dube
ZIMBABWE and South Africa will next month hold a business indaba for small to medium enterprises which is expected to discuss ways of co-operation and challenges facing the sector in the two countries, a Cabinet Minister said.
In an interview on Thursday the Minister of Small to Medium Enterprises and Cooperative Development Cde Sithembiso Nyoni said this followed the recent State visit to South Africa by President Mugabe.
“The President’s State visit to South Africa gave me the opportunity to meet my South African counterpart Hon Lindiwe Zulu and we discussed many issues pertaining to SMEs in the two countries. We then agreed to hold a business indaba where we will discuss ways of improving our business relationship and the plight of cross border traders from the two countries,” Minister Nyoni said.
The meeting, which is set to be held in the border town of Beitbridge, will also be attended by the officials from the ministries of Home Affairs from the two countries and other regulatory authorities such as the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, Environmental Management Agency, local authorities and security agencies.
Minister Nyoni said Government was worried by the illtreatment of cross border traders and wanted to put this to an end.
“Cross border traders are not treated with respect at our border posts as they are subjected to numerous unwarranted search by many people. We, therefore, call upon those manning border posts to co-ordinate their efforts and have a one stop shop which will ensure swift and efficient service delivery,” said Cde Nyoni.
She said cross border traders were sometimes detained at borders for up to three days where there were no proper toilets and bathing facilities and this was exposing them to diseases such as cholera and malaria.
The two ministers also agreed to discuss areas of co-operation between SMEs from the two countries that will see an increase in business opportunities and growth.
“We will also use the business indaba to exchange business ideas and markets, the financing of SMEs and the provision of necessary infrastructure which will help small businesses grow into the mainstream economy,” she said.
Cde Nyoni said the two countries were like Siamese twins and there was a need to strengthen economic co-operation by forging joint ventures that would make it easy to conduct business in either country.
Minister Nyoni expressed gratitude to a number of South African companies that had expressed interest in working with SMEs in Zimbabwe and said many of them had since confirmed their participation at this year Zimbabwe International Trade Fair to be held from the 28 April to 2 May.
She, however, bemoaned the outbreak of xenophobia attacks in South Africa which had resulted in massive destruction and shutdown of foreign owned businesses and said she would discuss this unfortunate development with Minister Zulu during the business indaba.
