Bulawayo Business Snub Zanu (PF) Business Expo

According to the party’s national fund-raising committee chairman Noah Mangondo, the exhibition will be opened from 8am to 6pm for the duration of the conference which is scheduled to end Saturday.

Mangondo said, “The objective of the expo is to offer a platform for the Zanu (PF) leadership to interact with the business community and vice versa. With specific reference to Bulawayo this exhibition will go a long way towards the resuscitation of business and restoring investor confidence in the city.”

However big firms in the city snubbed the exhibition by a party blamed for the country’s decade long economic collapse between 1999 and 2009, when it encouraged its supporters, mainly veterans of the 1960s liberation struggle, to invade commercial farmers.

However, a hive of activity continued at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair grounds where the exhibition will take place. Some companies seen by Radio VOP setting up their stands on Tuesday were workers from Marange Resources, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA), Seedco, Parnar Seeds and Civil Aviation of Zimbabwe Authority.

Mangondo said 40 companies and 150 informal traders had confirmed participation at the exhibition.