Zimbabwe to ban China, India, Nigeria, others from some businesses

HARAREc (AFP) – Zimbabwe will press ahead
with controversial plans to ban foreigners from
owning bakeries, barber shops, estate agencies
and a host of other businesses, officials said
Wednesday.
“Foreigners operating in reserved sectors of
the economy have been given January 1 as the
deadline to comply with regulations,” a
government official told AFP.
The businesses to be owned by locals include
bakeries, barber shops, beauty salons, estate
agencies, grain mills, milk processing plants,
retail outlets, tobacco processing, transport
and valet services.
The rules have been on the books since 2010,
but have not yet been enforced.
Long ruling President Robert Mugabe won
another term three months ago and has vowed
to continue with economic empowerment
regulations.
So far the drive to put Zimbabweans in charge
has been limited to white-owned farms and
some western owned businesses.
The January deadline is set to affect nationals
from China, the Democratic Republic of Congo,
India, Nigeria and Pakistan, among others.
Simon Udemba, president of the Nigerian
Community in Zimbabwe, urged the
government to reconsider.
“I would like to plead with the Zimbabwean
government and people to be considerate in
effecting this exercise,” Udemba told AFP.
“As an African and resident of Zimbabwe I am
particularly concerned if the approach will be
economically beneficial for the country.”
He said Nigerians in Zimbabwe are
contributing to the development of the country
and that they should not be forced out of
business.
“I believe Nigerians are providing necessary
services. Nigerians have been here with
Zimbabweans through all these years of
isolation by the West, they never deserted
Zimbabwe,” he said.
“They have been in Zimbabwe through thick
and thin, they live here with their families.
Nigerians in Zimbabwe are doing genuine
business and are servicing the economy
positively.”
“In my view there is no black African that
should be called a foreigner in any black
African land, we should look at one another as
brothers.”