Andrew
Leroy Dzenga
Senior Reporter
THE sun was emitting intense heat, with temperatures approaching 33 degrees Celsius. The setting was Chinyamukwakwa village in the sugarcane-rich area of Chisumbanje.
Despite the heat, a sense of optimism and relief pervaded the atmosphere.
The directors of the country’s sole producer of blending ethanol, Green Fuel, and Chisumbanje villagers were firming a truce handshake they had exchanged during some negotiations, marking what could be the beginning of an end to a long-running land dispute.
Green Fuel officials were handing over 253 irrigated 0,5-hectare plots spread over 186 hectares to farmers who were displaced when the ethanol producer entered a joint venture agreement with the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) in 2009.
In the mid-2000s, ARDA — a parastatal under the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development — faced challenges and could not function at full capacity. This saw its 40 000-hectare Chisumbanje Estate going largely underutilised.
Due to the inactivity, villagers who share boundaries with the estate began to incrementally encroach on the ARDA territory, gaining ground with each season.
Others started making installations and improvements to the land, seeking to cushion themselves from the unpredictability of rain-fed agriculture in the area, which falls under Ecological Region 5.
The coming in of Green Fuel meant that those who had gone beyond the bounds of their communal land had to be evicted, marking the birth of a bruising battle, which spilled into the High Court. More than a decade after the beginning of confrontations, the parties are continuing a process to map out a way forward.
Last week’s handover of 253 plots was the third of its kind. In 2019, Green Fuel gave plots to 350 farmers, and in 2021, it gave out 1 313 plots. The pieces of land, though nowhere close to what was lost by some villagers, have helped them regain the livelihoods they lost.
Ms Sarah Manyadzeni (56) from Rugare A in Chinyamukwakwa, under Chief Garahwa, said the loss of land dealt her a crippling blow, and she is now pinning her hopes on the plot she received.
“I am hoping to send my children back to school. When we lost our land in 2010, our children dropped out of school. My son did not go to secondary school. He is 17 now. I have another child, who is 10, whom I have been struggling to keep in school.
“My granddaughter is seven years old, and is yet to enrol in school. I am hoping that, with the returns from the land, I will be able to send her to school,” she said.
Mr Leonard Seremani, who has been listed as one of the beneficiaries, said he is happy to be bouncing back into commercial agriculture.
“I am yet to be handed over the plot, but I know they will make good their word. I had nine hectares under irrigation before Green Fuel came and I lost that land.
“They promised to recoup my installations in the form of land and I accepted. We are in good books with Green Fuel. I am just waiting for them to do the right thing,” said Mr Seremani.
He used to draw water from Save River to grow crops, and was able to provide for his family such that it led a comfortable life. He said he longs for such a life.
As Green Fuel inches closer to completing the handover of land to the originally recorded households, in phases, there is anxiety among the villagers. The Sunday Mail understands that, during negotiations, Green Fuel committed to developing 10 percent of all land cultivated for handing over to small-scale farmers.
This translates to around 4 000 hectares.
The company’s general manager, Mr Conrad Rautenbach, vowed to deliver on all promises they made to the Chisumbanje people.
“A lot of the disputes in the past were caused by miscommunication. We work with our partners, ARDA, who provide the land and we provide the investment. Now, the dispute is being fixed and the community will realise that we deliver on our promises. We want to continue working with the community, as we have a number of different community projects that we do,” Mr Rautenbach told The Sunday Mail.
The Government has endorsed the truce between Green Fuel and Chisumbanje villagers. Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka said the villagers should resist pressure from outside to derail the project, as it bears national importance.
Addressing the crowd that had gathered to witness the handover, Minister Masuka said the villagers should embrace the irrigated plots and elevate their status to players in agribusiness. He said Green Fuel is performing a critical role in import substitution and its project remains a priority for Government.
“The value of Green Fuel to our country is that every year it produces 80 million litres of ethanol that is ferried to Harare, and is blended with imported petrol to make it E20 petrol. Green Fuel is a very important company in the country. That is why we will not tolerate any disturbances,” Minister Masuka said.
He said, in Region 5, in which Chisumbanje lies, it is unhelpful to have vast tracts of land without irrigation, as it receives low rainfall.
He urged those who are yet to receive irrigated plots to plant small grains, as they are more suitable to the region’s weather conditions.
Chief Tobias Garahwa said the days of animosity are behind them, as they have found common ground with Green Fuel. He commended the installation of irrigation units on plots. In the thick of the battle between the villagers and Green Fuel was an organisation called Platform for Youth and Community Development, fronted by Mr Claris Madhuku.
His organisation was at the forefront in the engagement with Green Fuel on matters of lost land. It was also part of those who approached the courts on behalf of the villagers.
Mr Madhuku said his organisation is urging Green Fuel to make such farmers outgrowers, who grow sugarcane, with support and markets coming from the ethanol producer.
Mr Madhuku said the issuing of plots helped solve some silent issues in the community, which were largely unacknowledged.
“We have evidence of some villagers, whose lives have improved, especially women and the disabled. It is because women initially had no access to land, which the plots have provided to boost their voice and independence,” he said.
It has taken 13 years for the people of Chisumbanje and Green Fuel to finally speak with one voice on issues.
Have the people of Chisumbanje finally found their sweet spot with the sugarcane grower? Time will tell.
Online Reporter