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This week the President, Cde Mugabe and the Prime Minister Mr Morgan Tsvangirai came out very clear that the $40 million allocated by Government under Dimaf is meant for Bulawayo industries only. Speaking soon after his arrival in Bulawayo for the Trade Fair on Thursday, Cde Mugabe said

Government approved the release of $20 million for Bulawayo firms but he was surprised that up to now the money had not been released.

The other $20 million was provided by Old Mutual Zimbabwe to make a total of $40 million that is supposed to be disbursed to ailing companies in  Bulawayo. Old Mutual has already availed its contribution to this collaborative fund but Government is yet to meet its part of the bargain.

Cde Mugabe said Government’s contribution was there but some people were holding onto the money so that people could blame the Government. The President also said the money generated from the mining sector should be channelled towards reviving ailing Bulawayo firms. On Wednesday the Prime Minister Mr Tsvangirai pledged to ensure that the money under Dimaf was expeditiously disbursed.

Mr Tsvangirai who was addressing delegates to the one-day Zimbabwe International Business Conference at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair, said the Government’s obligation was to avail resources to resuscitate ailing companies. “Closed companies, old equipment, retrenched workers and ghost towns have been the story of Zimbabwe and we need to avail resources to resuscitate these companies” Mr Tsvangirai said.

President Mugabe and Prime Minister Mr Tsvangirai as we have already alluded to are agreed that Dimaf money is for Bulawayo industries and that it should be released as soon as possible. Now that the highest office in the land,  The President, Cde Mugabe, has cleared the confusion regarding who should benefit from Dimaf, the next move should be to release the funds so that companies start accessing the money. The Government should, without delay, release its contribution to Dimaf. We should not allow a situation whereby individuals politicise the issue of Dimaf.

The fund, it has to be made loud and clear, is meant to benefit Bulawayo residents and ultimately the country as a whole as industries in the city contribute to the growth of the national economy.  Government should therefore not allow individuals who cannot see beyond their noses to put spanners in the works.

These individuals because of their  narrow mindedness are of the view that by releasing Dimaf funds they will be propping up their political opponents. We have said it before that it is one thing to come up with a fund and yet another to make this fund accessible to the intended beneficiaries.

Dimaf is meant to benefit ailing companies and as such beneficiaries cannot be expected to meet the usual conditions set for a company to access loans such as collateral and audited books of accounts among other such demands.

These are ailing companies and as such those mandated to disburse the funds should be cognisant of this fact and come up with relaxed conditions that will enable many of these companies to qualify for the fund. What is critical is to assess the viability potential of each given applicant. We want to once again implore the Government, to without further delay, release its contribution to the fund so that Bulawayo industries are revived and jobs created.