Online Reporter
Nkosilathi Sibanda loRaymond Jaravaza
OKUHLE kuyabukwa, ikakhulu lokho okuphuma kubalimi abakhuthalele ukuphakamisa umnotho welizwe, lokuthuthukisa impilakahle yemuli zabo.
Lokhu kubonakale ngokubatshazwa kwemisebenzi yabalimi begwayi besigabeni seBulilima laseMangwe, esabelweni seMatabeleland South, asebethole ukwamukelwa ukuba ngabathengisi besilimo lesi yinhlanganiso yeTobacco Industry and Marketing Board (Timb).
Kubikwa abalimi laba sebenze okukhulu kumpumelelo yokulinywa kwegwayi ezweni lonke, nanko inhlanganiso ye-Timb isisungule umkambo wokuthengisa igwayi eMangwe, okuyisiqalo kulumhlubulo welizwe.
Ngesizini yokulima eka2023/24, kwaba labalimi abangu-17 abangena kuloluhlelo lokulima igwayi olwasungulwa eSyringavale Farm, esiqintini seMarula, eMangwe.
Okwakhathesi, abalimi laba sebedlula i-170. Ukulima kwabo igwayi, kuze ngemva kokuthola imfundiso lolwazi ukuthi kulenzunzo ukuqina ngezilimo ezifana legwayi, lezinye ezentanga encinyane, ezigoqela unyawuthi lamabele.
Kubalimi beBulilima, kuthe lapho bethola imfundiso kugatsha lwezokulima kuHulumende, bathi khwatshu, bakhuthalela ukulima igwayi. Lakanye kwabhadala.
Uhlelo lolu ludonse inengi labalimi kusiyafika eMangwe lakoTshitshi ngesikhathi sokulima somnyaka ka-2024/25.
Ukulinywa kwegwayi kuyisiqalo kulindawo nanko kujwayeleke ukuthi lilinywa ezabelweni zeMashonaland, Manicaland laseMidlands.
Inhlanganiso yeTimb yabika ukuthi ukulinywa kwegwayi kwezinye indawo kuzadala utshintsho olukhulu ekuthuthukiseni umnotho welizwe.
“ITobacco Industry and Marketing Board (Timb) iyajabula ukubika ngokusabalaliswa kokulinywa kwegwayi eZimbabwe. Okwamasizini amabili elandelana, sekubelempumela ekulinyweni kwegwayi ezigabeni zeMarula leMangwe, esabelweni seMatabeleland South.
“Ukwengezwa kokulinywa kwegwayi lokhu kuyisitshengiselo sokuzimisela kwe-Timb ekuthuthukiseni abalimi bonke lokubamba isisindo somnotho welizwe,” kutsho umbiko weTimb.
“Abalimi abasacathula, balima i84 hectares yegwayi lohlobo lwe-Natural Cured Virginia (NCV) ngaphansi kwesivumelwano le-Atlas Agri, engenye yamankampani ahamba phezulu kwezokulinywa kwegwayi kuleli.
Sekusungulwe umkambo wokuthengiswa kwegwayi, ehlolwe yavunyelwa yi-Timb.”
Ukuvulwa komkambo wokuthengisa lo kuzanceda abalimi ngoba bebethwele nzima, behamba imango emide, ngokutsho kwe-Timb.
Igwayi elilinywa eMarula kalidingi ukonyiswa ngenkuni kumbe amalahle, njengalokhu okwenziwa kumhlobo weFlue-cured Virginia (FCV). Abalimi basebenzisa imthunzi lengcebethu zokuchaya lokomisa. Lokhu kubikwa kwehlisa indleko njalo akubhidlizi imvelo.
I-Timb ibike ukuba ihlose ukuthi ifake isibholane esidonsa ngamandla elanga ukwenzela ukuthi kwengezwe imibheda yenhlanyelo ngokuthelezela, ngesizini ka-2025/26. Ibike njalo ukuba abalimi bazathola imfundiso losekelo, bancediswe ukuthi baphakame, babeyinsika ekulinyweni kwegwayi kuleli.
Kubalimi beBulilima, inengi labo ngabesifazane. Omunye wabo uNkosikazi Ellen Sibanda, oqabuka ukulima igwayi eGreenfield Farm, waqala ngendima iyingxenye ye-hectare.
“Ngaqala ukulima mhlaka 17 Mpalakazi ngo2024. Ngemva kweviki ngasengifake usaba oluyi-8 300 loba nje ngangihlose i-9 000. Kunzima ukulima igwayi, kodwa ngithe sengibambene lesisebenzi sami, sabekezela saqeda njalo silandele izixwayiso zikaMnumzana Rodrick Musiiwa,” kubika uNkosikazi Sibanda, exoxa lentatheli yeZimpapers.
UMnu Musiiwa uyingcitshi kwezokulinywa kwegwayi njalo ukhokhele ekusungulweni kohlelo eMangwe laseBulilima.
Omunye wabalimi, uNkosikazi Sibonele Mathe, wahlanyela usaba oluyi-14 900 phakathi kwe-hectare.
“Ngiyaqala ukuhlanyela igwayi. Ngakhuthazwa yikubona kwenye insimu eSyringavale Farm eMarula. Ngatshela abanye abalimi ukuthi ngizalima igwayi kodwa bacabanga ukuthi ngiyadlala.”
