×
NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

Zivhu slams fly-by-night preachers

News
ZIMBABWE Cross-Border Traders' Association president Killer Zivhu on Saturday dug into pentecostal churches accusing them of exploiting congregants by milking them financially.

ZIMBABWE Cross-Border Traders’ Association president Killer Zivhu on Saturday dug into pentecostal churches accusing them of exploiting congregants by milking them financially.

BY OWN CORRESPONDENT

Killer Zivhu
Killer Zivhu

Zivhu also asked cross-border traders to look at bigger projects like beef, goat and donkey meat exports as a way of expanding their businesses which his association would facilitate.

He warned members of his association not to use loan funds to pay tithes in churches instead of growing their businesses.

“They (pastors) are sweet-talkers; they group you and make some of you partners, then expect more (tithes) from you. The pastor rests his hand longer in prayer on the partner than ordinary members as if to bring them closer to God yet it’s all about the money you pay,” Zivhu said.

He was addressing about 150 aspiring members of his association at Beitbridge where he was on a recruitment drive during which he explained the $15 million revolving fund facility availed by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ).

Zivhu asked aspiring members to look at cattle fattening for beef exports, saying his association had opened markets in South Sudan. “Equatorial Guinea needs 500 000 chickens per month and we should exploit that market,” he said.

He left the gathering in stitches when he said the cross-border members could also venture into breeding donkeys whose meat was in demand in China.

“It’s a lucrative business and we should see how we can exploit this,” Zivhu said.

Beitbridge has a large number of donkeys and in 2003 it exported 3 000 breeding stock to the Zambian government.

Zivhu said his association aimed at earning the country foreign currency by facilitating cross-border traders to export local goods.

Members are expected to join the association in different categories of $100, $150, $300 and $500 annually for ordinary, medium, gold and platinum membership respectively. Zivhu said he would soon lead a delegation of members of his association to China, Taiwan and the Middle East to open new markets, adding the association was open to all Zimbabweans regardless of political affiliation.

The Agricultural Bank of Zimbabwe (Agribank) is the technical partner in the RBZ loan scheme.