Prime Minister Tsvangirai Calls Indigenisation Regulations "Null and Void"

Indigenisation regs dismissed

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has dismissed the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Regulations (see report) as being of no force as they were gazetted without consultation within Government.

The Prime Minister, who is responsible for the formulation of all Government policy by Cabinet and the implementation of said policy told this Newsletter that neither he nor Cabinet reviewed the regulations before they were gazetted.

"They were published without due process as detailed in the Global Political Agreement (GPA) and the Constitution and they are therefore null and void," the Prime Minister said.

The Regulations were published by the Ministry of Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment in terms of section 21 of the Indigenisation and Empowerment Act and were due to come into force on 1 March 2010.

The regulations would have scared off foreign investors, already jittery about Zimbabwe as an investment destination as well as disenfranchising citizens due to the vague nature of their definition as to who qualifies as indigenous. In addition, the regulations would also discriminate against many black-owned companies from neighbouring African countries.

Without foreign direct investment in Zimbabwe, it will be difficult to kick-start the national economy, hampering Government's ability to meet its commitments to improving the welfare of civil servants and essential services like health and education as well as hampering job creation.

Statement issued by the Office of the Zimbabwean Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai , February 9 2010

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