Business Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Economic Empowerment Council president, Themba Mliswa, has called upon the Government to speedily resolve the rift between cotton growers and cotton buyers in the country.
Speaking during the launch of ZEEC in Mutare recently, Mr Mliswa said cotton farmers deserved better prices.
"The Government must now take action in ensuring that cotton growers sell their cotton with fair prices. Most farmers are living in poverty after failing to agree with unscrupulous buyers who only want to make huge profit margins from these desperate farmers," he said.
Mr Mliswa said their empowerment lobby group would not tolerate any moves against the ongoing indigenisation programmes like the unfairly treatment of local farmers.
"Failing to promote local farmers is anti-land reform programme.It is meaningless to give farmers land when their produce doesn't have a market," he said.
Mr Mliswa said the indigenisation programme should also benefit many people and not a few individuals with money.
"We need to make sure that the ongoing indigenisation programme must not simply empower the same people over and over again.
“We need to compliment it with a law that basically requires all foreign owned firms in the country to sell off at least 51 percent of their equity to indigenous Zimbabweans," he said.
Bulawayo-based entrepreneur, Mr Tendai Chiutsi, who is also the secretary general for ZEEC said the organisation would work with all members of the society to ensure that they benefit from the indigenisation programme.
"Our leadership structures are made up of different people such as war vets, women, the disabled, youth, students and other special interest groups.
Some of the problems in the country need everybody to embrace them to achieve our target," he said.