via Mugabe slams ‘giant’ SA – again – Nehanda Radio | Nehanda Radio May 20 2015 by Carien du Plessis
President Robert Mugabe has again complained that South Africa acts like a giant in the region, and does not tolerate competition from businesses outside its borders.
“Right now some of us are complaining about the bigness of South Africa, a giant establishing itself,” he told journalists in Gaborone, Botswana, following a “familiarisation visit” to the Southern African Development Community headquarters there today.
Mugabe said this issue was discussed at last month’s SADC meeting on its trade protocol in Harare.
“That is what we discussed at the meeting, that if we are trying to establish our industries, they are blocked.”
He said a Zimbabwean pharmaceutical company was trying to export to South Africa, but there were difficulties.
“We produce some drugs, and they are in demand, and we want to send them to South Africa. Then those officials in trade say: ‘We will only receive them if they come by air.’ We say it is much more costly to send them to South Africa by air. We have planes, yes, but the planes are expensive, we can send them by road, but they say no.
“You see, that is contrary to free-trade principles, there are lots of things we still have to discuss among us,” he said.
He said the rest of the SADC region, for instance Botswana, Malawi and Tanzania, imported South African products such as beer.
“It is a South African drink, it is a one-way thing,” he said.
Mugabe said sometimes it had nothing to do with the government, because often it was companies who feared the competition from Zimbabwe.
Mugabe conceded that SADC had been slow at getting people and trade moving between its countries.
At a SADC meeting in August, which was attended by President Jacob Zuma, Mugabe took a stab at South Africa for not signing the regional trade protocol, and also accused South Africa of one-way trade.
When asked about the legacy he intended to leave behind as SADC’s chairperson, Mugabe said he was an individual who was in this position only for a year, and countries acted together in crises.
COMMENTS
Sometimes he sounds almost normal, don’t be decieved
Finally the reason for why ‘Big Brother’ South Africa has seen it wise to let ZPF have their way. Simply put, hugely beneficial to South African Industry!
IF THEY ARE NOT DOING THINGS RIGHT, YOUR PEOPLE WOULD NOT BE FLOODING THE RSA! YOU WANT THEM TO RUN THE COUNTRY LIKE A BUNCH OF TERRORISTS LIKE YOU DO! GO HANG MADALA
Come on Zuma, just invade and put us all out of our misery
Mugabe has no one to blame but himself for the one way trade.It is an accepted fact that in 1980 Rhodesia was, despite real international sanctions and fighting a bush war, the second largest economy in Southern Africa.
Mugabe, if I recall correctly, was instrumental in setting up SADC but then:
A) failed to take advantage of the Anti apartheid movement and encourage business to open up in Zimbabwe.
B) he and his hangers on created an ever worsening business and political and economic environment in Zimbabwe making it almost impossible to expand and compete.
C) allowed unbridled corruption amongst his followers with the externalisation of billions of dollars
D) destroyed the mainstay of Zimbabwean economy with the land grab.
E) implemented indigenisation rules turning Zimbabwe into an unattractive destination for foreign investment.
F) enabled the RBZ to print money resulting in an unbelievable hyper inflationary environment
G) turned Zimbabwe into his personal fiefdom
I could go on but effectively Mugabe and team Zimbabwe is a litany of failed opportunities with the same team leadership now responsible for the rapid closing and failure of a large number of companies with resultant high unemployment. Zimbabwe will unfortunately remain import dependent for many years.
Mugabes actions have created a situation where South Africa will remain the giant and with his failed Marxist idealogy condemned beautiful Zimbabwe and its fine people, to a life of servitude in what could have been the “Jewel of Africa”.
This racist dog who destroyed the economy of Zimbabwe also wants to destroy the economy of SA. Why is Africa cursed with leaders like him?