Online Reporter
Edgar Vhera
Specialist Writer – Agribusiness
SMALLHOLDER farmers under the Central Mashonaland Cooperative union trading as Central Association of Cooperative union (CACU) have called for Government’s intervention to bring sanity to the organisation.
Farmer representatives engaged the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development in October last year and March this year on issues of abuse of office by some members.
In a letter addressed to the ministry, the union said the organisation had become almost dysfunctional due to mismanagement and abuse of office.
“When CACU was formed, its core business was to source inputs for farmers and resale, source loans on behalf of farmers, administer societies, audit society books, provide transport services, and source markets for produce.
“Over the years, the union service has continued to deteriorate, leaving members without guidance and services,” said the farmers.
The farmers said CACU conducted its last annual general meeting in 2014, with the elected board members still in office to date, against the three-year constitutional mandate, and no audits of books had taken place to date.
Concerned farmers claim they no longer get updates on properties being leased out, with most lying idle in a deplorable state due to a lack of renovation over the years.
“We sacrificed our hard-earned money to venture into projects like road runner, garlic, sweet potatoes, Michigan pea and castor beans production after being promised a ready market. At harvest, we were told to find our own markets, resulting in huge losses for many farmers as produce rotted,” said the disgruntled farmers.
The farmers said that between 2022 and 2023, they were contracted to grow garlic, and the Kenyan buyer never showed up at harvesting time, causing the onions to rot.
Affected farmers are requesting the suspension of the current chief executive, Mrs Bertha Maziva, to allow a thorough investigation into the operations of the CACU over the years.
“We, the farmers’ representatives of CACU, write to request your permission to place the CEO on forced leave without pay pending an investigation into serious allegations of misconduct.
“Your ministry through the Registrar of Cooperatives arranged an auditor for CACU in December last year, but the CEO and her board have delayed the process,” said the farmers.
The farmers also want the dismissal of handpicked board members against the CACU constitution and principles of cooperative governance.
Farmers are not aware of the value of their shares in the cooperatives.
“When farmers join in, they automatically qualify for share allocations, however, due to the absence of an AGM, farmers are in the dark on the value of their shares.
“Farmers also need to know how much rentals are being charged and collected,” disclosed the farmers.
Mrs Maziva said she was not authorised to speak on behalf of the board and highlighted that she had seen and heard of many letters from disgruntled farmers and referred the questions to the board chairperson, Mr Joshua Musora.
Mr Musora said they were looking at the authenticity and validity of the members who were bringing these charges against the association before making any comment.
A follow-up was done, and the board chair said he would only comment after a meeting with the Zimbabwe National Cooperative Federation (ZNCF).
“A task force is in place looking into the issues, and investigations are in progress to map the way forward,” said Mr Musora on Monday.
CACU was registered in 1972 as an agricultural and marketing supply cooperative under the Cooperative Act and its core business is to produce, sell, distribute and market agricultural inputs and produce.
In 2024, CACU signed a contract with Montgomery Processors (Monty’s) under the Horticultural Development Council (HDC) ‘hub and spoke’ model to grow the high-value Michigan pea beans for increasing food and nutrition security for households in the country.
