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Business Expropriation in Zimbabwe Your mine is mine
商業 津巴布韋的征沒政策 我的是我的，你的也是我的
A new plan to wreck one of Africa's unluckiest countries
一個將摧毀非洲最不幸國家之一的新計劃
A DECADE ago Robert Mugabe's regime seized most of Zimbabwe's white-owned commercial farms. The president promised to give the land to the landless, but instead gave much of it to his wealthy cronies. The country's largest industry was wrecked, creating deadly food shortages (see picture).
十年前羅伯特?穆加比的政權奪去了大部分津巴布韋白人所擁有的商業農田。總統曾承諾將土地分給沒有土地的人，然而卻把大量的土地送給了他富裕的密友。該國最大的產業就此被摧毀，造就了嚴重的食物短缺（見圖）。
Now for the encore. In 2007 a law was passed obliging all white- and foreign-owned companies to "cede" a 51% stake to black Zimbabweans. Despite Mr Mugabe's record, many firms ignored the threat. That was a mistake.
現在又到了悲劇重演的時刻。2007年通過了一部法律，要求所有白人以及外資公司必須將自己51%的股籌割讓給津巴布韋黑人。盡管有穆加比的紀錄在前，許多公司還是忽視了威脅。而這就是一個錯誤。
Saviour Kasukuwere, Mr Mugabe's indigenisation minister, has now sent an ultimatum to a dozen foreign-owned groups. Those that do not comply may lose their assets and operating licences. Their directors may be jailed. The victims include six miners, notably Rio Tinto's Murowa Diamonds and Impala Platinum's Zimplats; two banks, Standard Chartered and Barclays; and three manufacturers, British American Tobacco, Nestlé and Cargill Zimbabwe. The deadline for submitting compliance plans was the end of August; for implementing them, it is the end of September.
穆加比的本地化部長薩維爾?卡蘇庫維爾現已向十幾個外資集團發出了最后通牒。那些不順從的公司或會失去資產以及執業許可。它們的理事或會入獄。受害人包括了六家礦主，值得一提的有力拓的Murowa鉆石和英帕拉鉑金的Zimplats；兩家銀行，渣打和巴克萊；以及三家制造商，英美煙草、雀巢以及嘉吉津巴布韋。遞交服從計劃的截止日期是八月底；而將它們貫徹執行，則要在九月底之前。
Mr Kasukuwere, a rising political star, clearly wishes to appear tough. The law allows firms to perform good works in lieu of surrendering equity, but Mr Kasukuwere will have none of this. He also rejects an idea, floated by Zimplats, that firms could sell their shares to black Zimbabweans by listing them on the stock exchange. Instead, he wants them to give a 51% stake to a sovereign-wealth fund, with no guarantee of any compensation. All mines worth more than $1 are affected. "The minerals…already belong to us," smiles Mr Kasukuwere, "so why should we pay?"
卡蘇庫維爾，一位冉冉升起的政治明星，明顯試圖表現強硬姿態。法律允許公司通過做善事來替代放棄股票，但是卡蘇庫維爾不會采取其中任何一種方式。他還反對由Zimplats提出的一個主意，該主意提議商家可以在證券交易所上市，將股份出售給津巴布韋黑人。卡蘇庫維爾希望商家將51%的股籌投入主權財富基金，但不承諾給予商家任何補償。任何價值超過一美元的礦場都受到影響。"礦產……早已是我們的，"卡蘇庫維爾露出微笑，"所以我們憑什么還要付錢？"
David Brown, the boss of Impala Platinum, says he is "confident that the 51% will not happen" and that a "more appropriate level of ownership" will ultimately be agreed. Otherwise, foreign investment in Zimbabwe will drop off a cliff and sink beneath the waves.
英帕拉鉑金的老板大衛?布朗說他"有信心那51%的要求不會發生"并且一個"更合適的所有權標準"將最終獲得同意。否則，外國在津巴布韋的投資將落入萬劫不復的深淵。
Some companies are considering suing Mr Kasukuwere for exceeding his legal powers. A parliamentary committee dominated by Mr Mugabe's opponents says that he has. But relying on the rule of law in Zimbabwe is like asking a crocodile not to eat you. As an industry expert furiously puts it: "This is pure plunder—just like the farms."
有些公司在考慮控訴卡蘇庫維爾過分行使了他的法律權力。一個由穆加比的對手主導的議會委員會聲稱他已經這樣做了。然而依靠津巴布韋的法律條文就像央求一條鱷魚不要吃掉你一樣。正如一個產業專家憤懣地指出的那樣："這是赤裸裸的搶劫——就像對那些農田一樣。"
