adminAddressing the Zvishavane CSOS/T board of trustees at Runde Rural District Council offices on Thursday, Cde Machaya said all companies should forge lasting synergies with the leadership of the communities they operate in to influence growth and development.
“All companies will and should continue paying the $10 million payouts to communities for various projects for as long as they remain operational.
“The $10 million that some of the companies gave to communities is not a one-off payment at all. They should continue paying because they will certainly continue making money from our resources,” he said.
President Mugabe launched the CSOS/T programme last year to empower rural communities that were previously marginalised by the colonial regime.
Midlands has two such schemes, the Tongogara CSOS/T in Shurugwi and the Zvishavane one. The first such programme to be launched was the Zimplat’s Mhondoro-Ngezi scheme.
At yesterday’s meeting, Cde Machaya expressed disappointment with the pace at which projects were being implemented under the Zvishavane CSOS/T.
He said the purpose of the meeting was to push the Zvishavane team to expedite the completion of their projects.
“I am not happy at all with the pace at which Zvishavane CSOS/T projects are being implemented. They are moving at a snail’s pace.
“I expect to see progress when I come back next week ahead of the national taskforce set up by the President to monitor these schemes. I want to see buildings shaping up and all other projects showing progress,” said Cde Machaya.
The Midlands Governor and Resident Minister was, however, full of praise for the Tongogara CSOS/T’s work.
He said the Tongogara CSOS/T has so far completed six projects among them a dam that was almost complete, a mortuary at Zvamavande Hospital, classrooms and teachers’ cottages in Chief Banga’s area.
“They have also constructed four classroom blocks, three teachers’ houses and drilled three boreholes at Pamusasa in Chief Ndanga’s area. Tenders have also been given out to buy a drill (rig) for drilling boreholes, a motorised grader and equipment for road construction.
“They also have plans to buy an eight tonne truck to ferry grain and other agricultural inputs or outputs to and from the Grain Marketing Board depot.
“I am happy with the progress they have made. They are still to use the $10 million that Unki gave them,” said Cde Machaya.
The Midlands Governor, however, urged both trustee boards to move towards the purchasing of road construction equipment and other machinery under the second phase of the project.
The Zvishavane CSOS/T trustee board members told the Governor that the Mimosa Mine management representative, who is one of the signatories, among other things, was stalling them in completing their projects on time.
Chief Mapanzure requested that Cde Machaya intervene and engage the mine over providing two representatives who can act as a signatory in the absence of the other.
“The challenge we face as a board of trustees is that the mine management appears to be taking its time in helping the trustees’ access the funds. At times we fail to get the funds because the mine representative would be away.
“This is stalling projects. The other thing is we no longer have money for projects. We have exhausted our $2 million. We cannot move as fast as we should because of these factors,” he said.
In response Cde Machaya said the board of trustees of both the Zvishavane and Tongogara schemes should consider operating without the mine management representatives if their presence was stalling progress.
“Shurugwi’s Tongogara CSOS/T is also facing the same challenge with the Unki Mine representative. We will look at how best to handle that. There is need to decide whether to remove or retain these mine management representatives.
“I will make these recommendations to the ministers (Ministers Ignatius Chombo and Saviour Kasukuwere) because what we want is progress and development. I personally think there is really no need to continue involving them (mines) if we are facing such challenges. They have already given us money, so we might as well do without them for now,” he said.
The board of trustees also expressed concern over the delays in the launch of the Murowa Diamond Share Ownership Scheme.
They said the $2 million they got from Mimosa Mine was exhausted and they urgently needed more funds to complete their project under the first phase.
Chief Mazvihwa expressed concern that Murowa Diamond Mine was waiting for the planned joint launch of the Masvingo-Zvishavane trust when the mine was not mining anything in Masvingo.
“Our understanding from what the President told us is that communities whose land has been dug and mined are the ones that stand to benefit.
“Murowa is delaying launching their scheme under the pretext of waiting for their Masvingo operations to start but we are supposed to start benefiting now,” he said.
Cde Machaya told the meeting that Minister Kasukuwere was in the process of engaging Mimosa Mine to pay them their outstanding $8 million plus interest.
“They are definitely going to do that. Mimosa also has to give you your 10 percent share. This means you will be getting 10 percent of every profit declared by the platinum mine.
“As for Murowa, their delays to launch the scheme will not affect anything. We need more revenue for projects. Even if they change ownership, whoever comes in should pay that $10 million.
“We will have to engage the mine and see how they propose to go about with this empowerment programme,” he said.
Cde Machaya urged the board of trustees to set aside $500 000 for youths and women projects so that they benefit directly from the scheme.
In Zvishavane, the CSOS/T has managed to undertake more than 15 projects, which are all at different levels of completion.
Some of the projects include the sinking of boreholes at chiefs’ homesteads as well as roofing, painting and in certain cases construction of classroom blocks, clinics and teachers cottages.
Cde Machaya told board members to be transparent and advertise all tenders in the media.
Online Reporter