RAPAPORT... The Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) called on global businesses to  join its government in a collective call to remove the sanctions currently placed on the country. The Zimbabwe Herald reported that CZI's president, Joseph Kanyekanye, said the sanctions were innappropriate and could not advance democracy.

Kanyekanye instead called for the government to re-engage with the European Union (EU) and to seek funding outside of Zimbabwe. 

"In all CZI meetings we had with foreign ministers, ambassadors and multilateral institutions, we emphasized the need to separate politics from industry and other national issues," he was quoted as saying by the Herald.

He also praised Rio Tinto and its partners for investing in a 2,400-megawatt power station at the Sengwa coal fields and  commended the government's drive to ensure that Zimbabwe benefited from its diamonds.

LH