Zim bans SA products, dealers in Musina suffer

Date: 11 July 2016 By: Ndivhuwo Musetha

The recent ban on South African products by the Zimbabwean government is affecting South African business, especially Musina, as fewer buyers are crossing the Beit Bridge border between the two countries to do their regular shopping.

From last Friday, the Zimbabwean government has effected its ban on South African products such as furniture, jam, cultured milk, maheu,  flash doors, plastic pipes and fittings, flat-rolled products of iron on non-alloy steel, daily juice blends, shoe polish, beds, yoghurts, baked beans, dining room suites, flavoured milks, salad cream, cheese, tile adhesive, coffee creamers, cereals, pizza bases, second-hand tyres, and another wide variety of products, even including synthetic hair products.

The ban has sparked wild protest from the Zimbabwean side, where a Zimra warehouse was torched and some shops damaged.

Hundreds of community members from Musina gathered at the South African side of the border in solidarity with their Zimbabwean counterparts who were protesting against the ban, which also affected the transport business, both formal and informal. On Friday morning, the majority of shops were closed as business owners were fearing for their safety, as it was stated by organizers from Musina that no shop was supposed to be open in solidarity with the protesters in Zimbabwe.

The majority of South Africans who gathered at the border were businesspeople and taxi operators who were concerned that the ban was affecting their business. Although there was no incident reported on the South African side, dozens of Zimbabweans who were involved in the protest were arrested while others were severely sjamboked.

By Tuesday, the protests had already spread to other towns in Zimbabwe.  The Zimbabwe Clothing Manufacturers Association has also expressed concern over the ban, which is also affecting other countries such as Zambia, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo that use Beit Bridge as their gateway.

The Zimbabwe Cross-Border Traders Association (CBTA) also raised their concern about the ban. At the time of our going to press, the CBTA was encouraging transporters and clearing agents to stop loading passengers and goods.

The Minister of International Relations, Ms Maite Nkoana Mashabane, said the government was busy engaging with Zimbabwe to find a solution that would benefit both countries.

While the ban is in place, businesspeople in Musina say their daily sales are shrinking as the majority of their customers are Zimbabwean nationals who prefer to buy in South Africa because of cheaper prices, compared to shops in their home country.

One of the affected businesspeople, Mashudu Ndou, who is rendering security services, said that he was struggling to collect money from his customers because of the situation. "When I go to many shops to collect money for the monthly services we are rendering to them, they say they do not have money because there is no business."

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Ndivhuwo Musetha

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Beit Bridge has been quiet since the turmoil in Zimbabwe.

Business is slow in Musina because of the ban imposed in Zimbabwe on South African products

Some shops were closed because of the situation.