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Kudzaishe Muhamba Herald Reporter

Newly-formed empowerment lobby, Economic Empowerment Group (EEG) has been launched comprising of young businessmen and constituted by an executive drawn from across all provinces and sectors in line with the Second Republic of leaving no place and no one behind.

Some of the founder members of the new empowerment lobby group include businessmen, Mr Scott Sakupwanya, Mike Chimombe, legislator Munyaradzi Kashambe and Mr Bheki Moyo.

Mr Chimombe is the founding president and will have Cde Kashambe as first vice president while Ms Saliwe Njolomole comes in as second Vice President with Mr Clifford Hlupeko as secretary-general while Mr Bheki Moyo will be treasurer general.

Speaking at the launch last week, EEG founding president Mr Chimombe said the organisation is going to be very aggressive in lobbying for policies that will empower indigenous persons across all sectors in the country.

He said one of the issue they will lobby for is the enforcement of occupation by locals in the reserved sectors of the economy.

These include transport (passenger buses, taxis and car hire services), retailing, wholesaling, hair salons, advertising agencies, estate agencies, grain milling, bakeries, tobacco grading and packaging and artisanal mining among others.

Mr Chimombe said they will also push for the empowerment of marginalised communities to ensure the full realisation of the desire to have an upper middle economy by 2030 in line with President Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030 which is anchored on National Development Strategy.

“This organisation is focussing on economic empowerment incorporating all citizens and pushing our President’s Vision 2030.

“We are going to be penetrating in all sectors including agriculture, tourism, ICT, mining and all others as we develop towards an upper middle income economy, we will leave no one or no place behind,” said Mr Chimombe.

He said the members of the executive include businessmen such as Cde Sakupwanya.

In an interview, Sakupwanya said his vision resonated well with his compatriots and were determined to push President Mnangagwa’s agenda.

He dismissed claims that he had assumed the post of AAG after the founding president, Mr Philip Chiyangwa announced his name to replace Mr Chimombe.

“How can an appointment made in my absence. I am one of the founders of EEG and am geared to work with my compatriots like Mr Chimombe and others to push for the empowerment of our fellow countrymen,” said Cde Sakupwanya.

Contacted for comment, Mr Chiyangwa said formation of many empowerment lobby group were noble as they would complement Government efforts.

“Empowerment groups are complementary of the desire of President Mnangagwa’s vision. It is not a split,” said Mr Chiyangwa.

EEG vice president Mr Kashambe said the group’s main agenda is to invest in the empowerment of all the marginalised and vulnerable communities.

“Founding president of the EEG Mike Chimombe, accepted that we have been sacked from AAG and that we have a duty to carry, as far as economic development is concerned,” he said.

Mr Kashambe said the group has a constitution which is guiding them coupled by a concept paper which is equally helping them.

“The constitution of the group will be submitted to the highest office for approval,” he said.

Mr Kashambe said the empowerment lobby group is broad-based without targeting the elite only, but will be empowering people from once marginalised areas of Zimbabwe.

“We will not be asking for subscriptions from our members since we want them to be empowered. So we are against the issue of payments whatsoever as this hinders the registration of the targeted people.

“Our empowerment lobby group is gender sensitive. One of the vice presidents is a female who will be leading the women’s desk focusing on the betterment of women’s lives,” he said.