admin
Energy and Power Development Minister Elton Mangoma from angry villagers who accused him of sabotaging the Chisumbanje Ethanol plant by refusing to enforce mandatory blending of petrol.
Minister Mangoma was part of the second group of Cabinet ministers visiting the plant.
The first group of five ministers visited the plant on Wednesday last week.
Other ministers in the team Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Joseph Made and Home Affairs co-Minister Theresa Makone.
Minister Mangoma almost abandoned the meeting saying he was in danger.
Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara and Minister Mutasa however convinced him to stay.
The ethanol plant is owned by Green Fuel, a joint venture between Arda, Macdom and Rating Investments. The Cabinet committee chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Mutambara was on a fact-finding mission to establish the reasons the plant was closed in February this year.
DPM Mutambara said he would table his findings to Cabinet in two weeks time.
“We came here on a fact finding mission and we are now going back to Harare to map the way forward.
“There are issues that need to be addressed that include the issue of pricing and resettlement among others. We have come to listen to all constituencies and we are now going to sit and come up with answers,” he said.
The villagers however accused Minister Mangoma of refusing to introduce mandatory blending in Zimbabwe. They said Zimbabwe was wasting money on power imports that could be generated at the ethanol plant.
Also read
“Last time we read in the newspapers that you (Minister Mangoma) went to Mozambique to negotiate a power deal of 21 megawatts.
“We are saying why are you not introducing mandatory blending and we will produce those 21 megawatts here?”
Minister Mangoma denied travelling to Mozambique for the negotiations.
“The reason I went to Mozambique was that we owe them money. We have enough electricity in the country. This country has no shortage of petrol and no one has gone to any garage and failed to get petrol.
“We should not force people to buy their (Green Fuel) product. Their product is expensive and I have advised them to reduce it,” he said.
He said there were other issues that needed to be addressed such as the issue of resettlement of affected communal farmers.
Although Minister Mangoma said there was no fuel shortages in Zimbabwe, fuel industry sources yesterday said Zimbabwe currently had reserves for six days only.
The villagers started jeering at Minister Mangoma for being counter productive.
“You invited sanctions to this country and now you are inviting sanctions to Chisumbanje. You come from Nyanga and you are coming to close our plant here. Go and build your own plant in Nyanga and we will not bother.”
The villagers accused Minister Mangoma of bragging that he had the power to close the plant during one of his visits to the district.
DPM Mutambara tried in vain to calm the angry villagers.
“It is you Mangoma who contributed to the closure of this plant. We want this plant to be opened and why is it that people from Harare want to dictate what we should do here?” an irate villager said.
Minister Mutasa interjected saying mandatory blending had to be taken seriously.
He said the project benefited people in Chisumbanje and they should not allow outsiders to contribute to its collapse.
“During the liberation struggle (Ian) Smith was put under (UN) sanctions. He only survived through mandatory blending of fuel.
“In the early days of independence we also used to have mandatory blending.
“Yes, it is an issue that we have to look into as Government,” he said.
Minister Mutasa said Chisumbanje villagers would suffer if the project collapsed.
“Let us not kill our project because of emotions. This project has brought development in this area with people building houses and business is booming,” he said.
One of the major shareholders of Green Fuel Mr Billy Rautenbach said most countries in the world were putting in place mandatory blending.
He said South Africa gazetted mandatory blending last Friday.
“We can produce the best in Africa and what we want is mandatory blending to force oil companies to buy Zimbabwean products.
“On the issue of land we want to develop what we promised to the people but my wallet is now empty,” he said.
Mr Nyabadza said villagers and workers had made a strong case on the issue of mandatory blending that Government should consider seriously.
“The people have spoken and gave a clear signal on this matter. The position from the workers, community and villagers is that mandatory blending should be taken immediately.
“We are happy that His Excellency (President Mugabe) sent a very neutral team led by DPM Mutambara to mitigate political difference among the major parties here,” he said.
Mr Nyabadza said Government could save US$60 million every month if mandatory blending was introduced.
He appealed to Government to treat the matter with urgency it deserves to save the project from collapse.
Online Reporter
dyton mupawaenda