Zanu PF Using Empowerment Law As Vote Catching Gimmick: Admits Kasukuwere

Kasukuwere said this in an interview with the Doha based Al Jazeera english television on Tuesday.

“Any political party must pursue policies that allow it to win an election. It will be fool hardy for my political party or the government to pursue policies that will make us lose elections.

“So if you are going to look at it that way and say we are doing it because we are in politics, fine, i am a politician and i am in politics so whatever you do in politics is about elections,” said Kasukuwere after being asked if his party was implementing the indigenisation  laws that he has been actively championing as an election draw card.

“I will be foolish to pursue policies that make us lose elections. I will be totally stupid but in terms of this policy we have said we are empowering our people and we are making no apology about that, if someone say we are electioneering then yes.

“Our people are empowered and we are electioneering, it is part of life, we have to look after our people.  This country is under sanctions we can’t afford to leave again our economy exposed to the pressure that can be put on our nation by foreigners.”

But speaking to the same station in London where he is attending an African business conference, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said the empowerment law is an election ploy by President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF party.

“It is practically impossible to implement the law, we have told everyone that this is election talk, it is known that you can’t implement it and we have told Mugabe that,” said Tsvangirai whose party has been largely critical of the legislation saying it will chase away the much needed foreign investment.