By Flata Kavinga
Business Economic Empowerment Federation (BEEF) President, Dr Solomon Matsa, has called on the government to continue prioritising the empowerment of indigenous businesspeople as a way of strengthening Zimbabwe’s economy.
Speaking in an interview with The Public Eye, Dr Matsa said BEEF, which he described as the country’s largest umbrella body for empowerment organisations, was committed to ensuring that Zimbabweans across all sectors benefit from government support.
“Business Economic Empowerment Federation is a national organisation. Our key mandate is to assist businesspeople in the country to get empowered by our government and grow locally owned businesses. We believe Zimbabweans must be given the first right of refusal on any business opportunities linked to our nation and our people,” Dr Matsa said.
He noted that the federation caters for a broad range of enterprises, including mining, agriculture, retail, commercial activities, youth-led businesses, and ventures owned by women and persons with disabilities.
Dr Matsa said while empowerment opportunities were expanding, challenges remained across different sectors.
“The people in business are facing a variety of problems depending on their area of operation. For example, if you go to mining, they have their own problems; if you go to retail, they have their own problems; vendors have theirs as well. It is quite broad, but the challenges are real and must be addressed to unlock growth,” he said.
