Zimbabwe`s president , Cde Robert Mugabe yesterday around 2pm touched down in the second biggest city of Zimbabwe, Bulawayo to officially open the on-going Zimbabwe International Trade fair.
President Mugabe officially opened the 55th edition of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF 2014), on the fourth day of the event amid fun pomp and fare.
By Toneo Tonderai Rutsito
Before the official opening, the president toured around some of the 400 exhibitors stands who had pitched up their products/services for the international showcase.
He commended the companies for demonstration of various skills which the country is enriched with and urged players to use education to win the technological warfare.
“I would like to express my profound gratitude to exhibitors who came out to demonstrate what the nation is made of to the world.
We already rank high in literacy and we hope with the skills we have already attained ,we now need to win the technological warfare provided by our tertiary institution not only to offer employment but to also create employment”
Speaking during the opening, the head of government blamed authorities for failing the nation on road improvement and urged players to identify technological solutions that will impact and change our lives.
He bemoaned the state of national roads and said they have never been better since 1924 while the authorities have only worked on resurfacing the roads instead of solving completely the problem causing unnecessary deaths of traffic accidents which could be avoided by innovating new technological solutions and getting a proactive authorities on the matter.
“Utilities are enablers, we need more enabling technological solutions for hydro energy, what technologies have we developed to solve our problems, local government has to jack up of local councils, we should be having dualisation not just resurfacing of our roads.”
He also said government welcomes international investors to come in and develop the country while the indigenisation policy has been construed by many as scaring investors.
“There is no nationalisation of companies owned by non-indigenise people in Zimbabwe. We have never done that since independence, we have never retaliated even after the imposition of sanctions on us. What we are doing is merely ensuring that local people are empowered,” he said.
The president also said that we do not choose or impose partners for international investors, this is rather a soft stance he could now applying to make sure that the economy recovers and attracts investors.
The trade fair opened on Tuesday will be closing today (Saturday). It is currently running under the theme, ‘New Ideas To New Heights.’
The guests were then treated to an entertainment galore after the proceedings.
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