Close Zim/SA ties good for region’s advancement

THE CLOSE relationship between South Africa and Zimbabwe has laid a solid foundation for advancing industrialisation and regional integration in the region, the Department of Trade (dti) and Industry said on Friday.

The dti’s director of export marketing and promotions, Seema Sardha, said that even if trade between the two countries had been growing, the reality was that growth has been slow.

“To this end, we welcome the bilateral mechanisms instituted in steering our relationship, including the joint commission for co-operation and the joint technical committee,” she added.

“In addition to these, during the state visit by President (Robert) Mugabe to South Africa in 2015, the two sides agreed to elevating the engagements to that of a binational commission,” she said.

Sardha was speaking at the Trade and Investment Seminar held on the margins of the 58th Zimbabwe International Trade Fair.

She encouraged business to utilise their inherent strengths to ensure that the two countries’ competitive and comparative advantages were realised.

“In addition to this, it is imperative that we take full advantage of, among others, our geographic juxtaposition, skilled and abundant resources, technological know-how and vast natural resources in changing the rhetoric as it relates to our poor trading relationship,” she said.

“In this regard, I believe we have the key role-players here with us today and task you with giving meaning to changing the story line that has unfortunately negatively labelled us since time immemorial.”

The permanent secretary in the Zimbabwe Ministry of Economic Planning and Investment Promotion, Desire Sibanda, said that the policy was specifically designed for the mining sector by ensuring that indigenous Zimbabweans also achieve ownership and benefit from the exploitation and utilisation of the country’s natural resources.

Sibanda said it was not to discourage investment into the country as is currently perceived.

“The general spirit was the recognition that even though political independence had been achieved, economic independence had not been fully attained.

“The rest of the economic sectors such as the textiles sector and information and communication technology, to mention a few, are permitted 100 percent ownership of their investment,” Sibanda said, in reference to the Zimbabwe Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment policy. – ANA