Zanu PF Bulawayo provincial chairperson Jabulani Sibanda says the closure of many industries and factories, particularly in Bulawayo, has negatively affected most youths in the region and they are migrating in droves to neighbouring countries in search of employment.
Sibanda said this to ruling party supporters at a by-elections campaign rally in Nkulumane last Friday.
“If employment is created in the country, our children will not be going to South Africa. They will not migrate to any other country. Our children in other countries are being abused. We want factories opened for our children to come back home,” he said.
“I would like to say to people who run businesses here, we have companies here that are run by people from other countries, for instance, a person from India. You will notice that they will bring their own people from India to work here, yet we have children that need jobs.
“Even Zimbabweans also do that. You find that someone from Matabeleland South, Matabeleland North or Harare runs a business here in Bulawayo. They send a lorry to their hometown to bring people to work here, yet Bulawayo has several people looking for employment.”
“The railways has been shut down, factories have been closed, and we have put forward our grievances to Finance minister Mthuli Ncube concerning the closed factories. We look forward to his assistance,” he added.
Zanu PF blames sanctions imposed on the country for the closure of most factories in cities like Bulawayo, the country’s second city and a former industrial hub.
However, economists have cited the liquidity crunch affecting the country, as well as the influx of cheap imports, especially from China that have affected sales of locally manufactured goods as some of the major contributors to economic collapse.