Government has reportedly deported a German investor who had offered to inject $2 billion into a coal-mining project in Hwange, accusing him of flouting the country’s immigration laws.
Home Affairs co-minister Theresa Makone made the disclosure at the provincial launch of the medium-term investment plan document in Bulawayo yesterday.
“I had an investor who was kicked out by my own Department of Immigration who had been given a licence by the ‘One-Stop Shop’ to start mining coal in Binga. It was a $2 billion investment,” said Makone, who doubles up as MDC-T women’s wing national chairperson.
She, however, declined to name the alleged investor or indicate whether she had raised the issue in Cabinet to ensure the investor was lured back.
“For reasons that I cannot still work out as minister, maybe I don’t understand the working of government, we refused to give him a work permit so he could start his business because he had applied for a working permit from inside Zimbabwe instead of doing so in his native country,” she said.
This comes hard on the heels of the launch of a government initiative to revive Bulawayo’s heavily depleted industrial base.
Two weeks ago, Finance minister Tendai Biti launched a $40 million industrial revival fund for Bulawayo and the entire Matabeleland region.
Makone added:”You cannot convince me that there is no corruption involved regardless of what the law says. We have a handful of people in important positions but holding us to ransom and that should be rooted out soon.”
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Makone urged the business community to provide names of people involved in corrupt activities as, she said, “it’s time to name and shame anyone as no one is bigger than Zimbabwe”.
However, she bemoaned that fact that many international investors had come to the country for business conferences but few had come back to invest because “our politics is mixed up”.
“As industries if you are investing your money, you must hold politicians accountable because you want a return on your investments and if we cannot do the job kick us out, it is simple,” said Makone.
