admin
After mines, the next phase of the scheme is set to target more natural resources including wildlife.
The mines that are set to take part in the scheme in Gwanda include, Blanket, Vumbachikwe, Jessie, Farvic Consolidated, Jonnie, Bucks, Horse Shoe, New Corburg, Imani, Bena Mill, Mbeta, Valentine Mill, ABE, AER, Mina Nawe, Koodoovale Mill, Lady Arna and cement manufacturers, Pretoria Portland Cement.
The Minister of Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment, Saviour Kasukuwere, yesterday gave the green light for the launch, at a meeting in Gwanda, during which he assessed the district’s preparedness.
He also issued a stern warning to firms that still opposed the scheme, saying it was now part of the country’s laws and would not be reversed.
Addressing stakeholders at the meeting, the Governor and Resident Minister of Matabeleland South, Angeline Masuku, said she was not happy about the money that the companies had initially pledged to set up a development fund for the community, before they gave out the 10 percent shares for the community.
“Some of the companies here claim that they spoke to the minister and he agreed that they should contribute $2 million towards the development fund. We are not happy about that because in Mashonaland West, Zimplats donated $10 million. Unki Mine and Mimosa Mine in Midlands also contributed the same amounts to their communities. What is different here, where mines like Blanket Mine and Vumbachikwe have been operating for more than a century?” asked Governor Masuku.
She urged mining companies in the country to realise that the scheme was a sharing process between investors and communities who own the resources they sought to exploit.
“The time has come for Zimbabweans to start benefiting from their God-given resources. I am reliably informed that after mines, we will start on natural resources like timber, wildlife, water bodies and some tourist facilities that are being exploited for the benefit of foreigners, to the total exclusion of indigenous communities where these resources are found,” said Governor Masuku.
Minister Kasukuwere thanked stakeholders for accepting that the process was irreversible.
He advised Vumbachikwe Mine and other companies, which were said to be still resisting the programme, to change their attitude.
“Vumbachikwe and Blanket Mines have been around since the times of the Ndebele monarch, King Lobengula. It is now time for them to start giving back to the community from which they have extracted so much,” said Minister Kasukuwere.
“Vumbachikwe, I am told that you have been playing games and making things difficult. You must shape up or ship out. The message is the same for all other companies. Those who abide by the law and support the scheme will succeed quicker and those who seek to subvert the scheme will sink.”
He urged chiefs, who would be the custodians of the fund to shun corruption.
Minister Kasukuwere said while the country welcomed investors with open arms, it was to the investors’ advantage to know clearly that the 51 percent indigenous ownership of companies was irreversible.
“Zimbabwe is endowed with over 60 known minerals, but despite these mineral resources, its citizens remain among the poorest in the world. In 2011, mining companies in Zimbabwe, most of which are foreign-owned, exported over $1 billion worth of minerals and only 15 percent of this amount was paid to Government, meaning that the mining of the resources has not been beneficial to the people of Zimbabwe,” said Minister Kasukuwere, in explaining one of the reasons for the setting up of the CSOS/T scheme.
He appealed to young Zimbabweans in the Diaspora to come back home and benefit from the fruits of the country’s hard won independence.
“Come back home, the resources are available, all that is needed is for you to come and reap the rewards,” said Minister Kasukuwere.
He asked the owners of some of the mines that are set to take part in the scheme if they would be supportive and they all agreed to be involved.
“We are committed to this programme. My mine has even started constructing a clinic that has a maternity ward for the community,” said one of the mine owners.
Also speaking at the same occasion, the Minister of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development, Dr Ignatious Chombo, said it was a tragedy that the country had taken so long to come up with the scheme.
“Countries like Australia have the same indigenous economic empowerment programmes. When they are done elsewhere in the world, there is a lot of ululating, clapping and shaking of hands on the good progress that is being made. It is surprising that when it is finally done in Zimbabwe, there is a worldwide outcry about the unfairness of such a programme,” said Dr Chombo.
He said the scheme would be supervised by chiefs, who would chair a board run by professionals who included lawyers, accountants, representatives of vulnerable groups, civil servants and members of rural district councils.
In a vote of thanks, Chief Masuku pledged total support of the chiefs and said they would fight corruption.
“Thanks to the scheme, we shall finally build clinics that will alleviate the plight of rural women, some of whom, spend hours in scotch carts travelling to distant health centres while in the throes of labour. We will work hard to ensure that the community and ultimately the whole country, benefits,” said Chief Masuku.
Matabeleland South will become the third province after Mashonaland West and Midlands, in which the CSOS/T has been launched.
Zimplats was the first to launch the scheme in Mhondoro, Chegutu and Zvimba in October last year. Unki Mines in Shurugwi was the second and last month the scheme was launched at Mimosa Mine in Zvishavane.
Ends ckd ms
Online Reporter