Empowerment of locals should be a priority

At a time when unemployment is rife, residents have encouraged business people to empower locals living in areas around their business premises by giving them preference when hiring workers. Residents said this could go a long way in giving the youth in the city something to do in light of the high unemployment in the country. The residents urged business people to hire locals to handle especially menial jobs that do not require expertise such as clearing land prior to construction. In the past, people in Bulawayo have complained that business owners overlook them when hiring staff, preferring people from outside the city, which has fuelled allegations of nepotism among business owners.