Masvingo demonstration sends wrong signals

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THE ugly scenes in Masvingo last Friday, where scores of Zanu PF supporters besieged a property owned by a man of Indian descent demanding a share

THE ugly scenes in Masvingo last Friday, where scores of Zanu PF supporters besieged a property owned by a man of Indian descent demanding a share of his business, should have sent shockwaves among foreign investors that still have faith in a Zimbabwe that is open for business.

Southern Eye Editorial

The rowdy youths were demanding to take over Lamson Lambart’s buildings and held him hostage for four hours.

They also pasted Zanu PF posters, as well as those of President Robert Mugabe, onto his car.

According to a report we carried yesterday, some of the protesters were evicted from one of Lambart’s buildings in Masvingo’s central business district.

Lambart’s crime was that he had “too many buildings in Masvingo at the expense of the locals”.

The protesters stayed put at the entrance of his locked premises, baying for his blood.

Some of the messages carried on the placards are worrying and the sooner Zanu PF disassociates itself from these hooligans the better.

The demonstrators were clear that their protest was inspired by Zanu PF’s indigenisation policy that compels foreigners to cede majority shares in their businesses to locals.

In the past, Mugabe and Zanu PF have pledged that this policy would be implemented with minimal disruptions to the economy as it would be done in an orderly manner.

However, that does not seem to be the case in Masvingo where overzealous people seem to be taking the law into their own hands.

There were similar reports in Bulawayo of people claiming to have Zanu PF links who were going around demanding that companies show proof of compliance with the indigenisation laws.

Zimbabwe’s economy is at a very delicate stage and it would be unfortunate if Zanu PF and law enforcement agents allowed this lawlessness to take root.

Opportunists would obviously take advantage of Zanu PF’s silence to grab other people’s properties under the guise of indigenisation.

Zimbabwe is desperate for a return to law and order and youths have to be disabused of this sense of entitlement, which makes them believe they can live off other people’s sweat.