Businesses worry over SA xenophobic attacks

FRESH incidents of suspected xenophobic attacks in South Africa will negatively affect local businesses that rely on supplies and trade routes from the neighbouring country, the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) has said.

The concern follows last week’s shocking revelations that some parts of South Africa, mainly Durban, were experiencing xenophobic attacks, thereby threatening the smooth flow of trade and human traffic movement.

This comes at a time when the country is already suffering the effects of trade disruption at the Beira route in the wake of the devastating effects of the deadly Cyclone Idai, which hit the eastern provinces and Mozambique hardest.

CZI president Mr Sifelani Jabangwe said the xenophobic attacks were disrupting business operations in Zimbabwe.

“The attacks in South Africa are affecting the ease of doing business in the country. From a business perspective we are at risk as Durban is our main trade route and is currently hard to access worse off after Cyclone Idai damaged the Beira route. So, trucks ferrying goods are finding it hard to get into the country,” he said.

South Africa is Zimbabwe’s biggest trading partner and has the highest proportion of Zimbabwean immigrants. Mr Jabangwe said the attacks in the neighbouring country could negatively affect supplies and pricing of basic commodities in the country as most basic commodities were imported from South Africa. He said the attacks tend to make importation risky leading retailers to increase prices. Already prices of basics have shot up again, leaving consumers in shock.