Mugabe, JZ beat economic freedom drum

10 April 2015 - 02:46 By Khulekani Magubane

President Jacob Zuma challenged political and business leaders in South Africa and Zimbabwe to implement and capitalise on laws aimed at transforming the economies of the two countries. Zuma was speaking in Pretoria on the second day of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's official state visit.His remarks at the Sheraton Hotel in Pretoria yesterday were in tune with Mugabe's address at the Union Buildings in which the 91-year-old leader urged African s to unite for self-determination and to grow their economies .Zuma said: "If we worked hard to bring political freedom, then it is your turn to work hard to bring economic freedom. Africa is the biggest continent of all put together. It has a young population and resources beyond anything. We are now free and skilled. Why can we not change Africa?"He said SA needed to produce more black industrialists who could produce more finished goods to export. He said since the ANC came to power, its black economic empowerment policies had been criticised as "reverse racism", even though the party considered the laws carefully."One day, I would be happy to see a bank called Mofokeng Bank. To me the struggle to liberate ourselves economically is a crucial one. We should be as angry about this struggle as we were for the political liberation. It's urgent, it's important, it's correct," he said.Mugabe said Africans should make resources of both countries their own so that black Africans can industrialise. That is why his government had implemented indigenisation laws."When we got political power we did not immediately control the economy. We did not have the resources. On the African continent, they control us to this day. We haven't delivered. We took the step because we negotiated it at Lancaster House that land should come into our hands. We took it from Ian Smith," Mugabe said.He said at the base of beneficiation, there had to be ownership by the people of both countries if trade, investment and economic development were to benefit the majority of people in both countries and the continent...

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