Schooled but useless, Chinos tells minister

via Schooled but useless, Chinos tells minister 16 July 2014

CONTROVERSIAL Zanu PF Buhera South MP, Joseph Chinotimba on Tuesday lambasted the Ministry of Industry and Commerce for failing to curb the closure of companies around the country.

Chinotimba, who was speaking in parliament while contributing to a motion raised by Zanu PF’s Beata Nyamupinga on economic challenges and high levels of unemployment currently facing the country, said the responsible minister had failed despite his high level of education.

He spoke after Nyamupinga had expressed concern on the death and injury of female vendors and their children as a result of raids by municipal police in urban centres.

Said Chinos: “Tine maminsters edu akadzidza kupinda vanaChinotimba asi vanokonewa. Deno ndangandirini minister weIndustry otherwise dzimwe nguri industry ingadai isina kufa nokuti tinouraya industry pachedu. Ikozvino tine makambani akavhara.

(We have our ministers who are educated more than Chinotimba but they are failing. If I was the minister, industries would have been functional … we are the ones who destroy industry on our own. At the moment we have many companies that have closed).”

Crippled by a worsening liquidity crisis and various other problems, companies continue to close down, worsening the country’s unemployment crisis.

A National Social Security Authority (Nssa) report for the period from July 2011 to July 2013 shows that 711 companies in Harare closed down, rendering 8,336 individuals jobless.

In addition, many companies were reportedly downsizing, in the process letting thousands of employees go.

Major companies that have retrenched include platinum miners Zimplats and Unki as well as Bindura Nickel, Spar supermarkets, Dairiboard, Cairns, Olivine Industries and PG Industries.

The government’s much-touted ZimAsset economic blueprint has failed to reverse the slide with the Zanu PF-led administration saying the programme should be given more time.

Analysts however, say the policy will fail as the State wants to be in control, instead of ensuring a favourable environment was in place for businesses to thrive.