Gweru mayor's cheer fund snubbed by business community

The Bata Shoe Company headquarters in Gweru

THE Gweru business community snubbed this year’s mayor’s Christmas Cheer Fund with only a handful of executives attending the official launch as the inclement economic weather continues to affect the few operating industries in the city, according to Newzimbabwe.com.

Several companies in the Midlands capital have shut down including Go Beer, a brewer which recently stopped operating with workers going home on forced leave.

Industries still running are struggling to pay salaries and to meet other operational obligations.

Gweru municipal offices

The recent launch of the annual mayor’s Christmas fund managed to raise $2,000 including pledges against a target of $15,000. In 2013, the cheer fund was $4,000 short of its $15,000 target.

City mayor, Hamutendi Kombayi, pleaded with companies and residents to assist the less-privileged.
“The economic situation might not be that rosy but as city fathers we are appealing to organisations as well as residents in general to extend the hand of giving for the cause of the under-privileged,”
Kombayi said.

In recent years Gweru has been struggling with de-industrialisation after the collapse of Ziscosteel in Neighbouring Kwekwe triggering the closure of downstream industries based in the city.- New Zimbabwe