Cdes, we must distinguish between two matters that are too often mixed up: xenophobia on one hand and legitimate national policy concerns on the other. The position articulated by the ZANUPF Conference, endorsed by Cabinet, and echoed by Cde Dr. Kudakwashe Tagwirei firmly belongs to the latter category and reflects long-standing economic realities that Zimbabwe can no longer ignore.

In developing economies, the reserved-sector principle exists to safeguard micro-enterprise spaces that support millions of citizens. When these sectors remain unregulated, predictable distortions follow. Informal monopolies take root, domestic entrepreneurs are squeezed out, and foreign-currency leakages intensify. Zimbabwe is experiencing all these pressures simultaneously. The situation in areas such as kwaGazaland, kuMbare, the CBD, and other high-density commercial corridors is a clear example. Foreign-owned micro-stores now dominate retail spaces traditionally occupied by Zimbabweans. Their presence is not inherently problematic – foreign capital is important – but when it expands into reserved or low-capital, high-volume sectors, the outcome is sharply negative for citizen livelihoods. This is a structural challenge, not a personal one. More …