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Eddie Cross

Farirai Machivenyika, Harare Bureau
MDC-T Bulawayo South Member of Parliament Mr Eddie Cross has admitted that the new dispensation has ushered in new investor confidence in the country with Government negotiating investment deals worth more than $3 billion while thousands of prospective investors are visiting Zimbabwe everyday.

Mr Cross said this while debating the Electoral Amendment Bill in the National Assembly yesterday.

He said there was a need to maintain good investor confidence by having peaceful elections this year.

Mr Cross said the new Government led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa had renewed interest in the country. “At least 49 000 business visitors have come to Zimbabwe since the beginning of the year,” he said.

“I personally have been involved in contract negotiations valued at over $3 billion in the past two months.”

Mr Cross said he believes President Mnangagwa is sincere in his calls for free and fair elections.

Government has embarked on a massive drive to attract foreign direct investment into the country and a number of investors from across the world have been coming to explore opportunities.

President Mnangagwa also attended the World Economic Forum summit in Davos, Switzerland, early this year and is expected to visit China next month as part of the drive.

The President is opening Zimbabwe up for investment through a number of initiatives meant to create a conducive environment for capital to flow into the country.

These include arresting corruption and amending the indigenisation law, which had scared away potential investors.

He has also been building bridges in the Sadc region and beyond.

Meanwhile, Buhera South representative Cde Joseph Chinotimba has slammed the MDC-T for preaching peace when they were at the forefront of perpetrating violence.

This follows an attempt to burn the party’s vice president Thokozani Khupe, secretary general Douglas Mwonzora and organising secretary Abednico Bhebhe during the funeral of its late leader Morgan Tsvangirai in Buhera.

“This is a party that has harassed journalists and tried to burn the hut with its vice president and other leaders inside.

“How do they expect free and fair elections when they cannot even hold free and fair elections within their party,” he said.

“Elections cannot be free and fair if people travel from Harare to go and beat up people in Bulawayo.”

The Electoral Amendment Bill is currently at its second reading stage and intends to regularise the establishment of a new voters’ roll through the bio-metric voter registration exercise, among other things.