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The traditional leaders, chief executive officers from nine companies, district administrators, councils chairpersons and Rural District Councils’ (RDCs) chief executive officers met in the provincial capital, Lupane on Tuesday where they appended their signatures on the trust deeds.
Emerging from the meeting, Matabeleland North provincial head in the Ministry of Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment Mr Buthumuzi Ngwenya said the signing of trust deeds was part of the legal requirements for the empowerment scheme.
“We have just witnessed the signing ceremony between chiefs, company executives and local authorities. The meeting comes on the backdrop of the Indigenisation Act which requires that before the launch of the scheme we set up trusts,” said Mr Ngwenya.
“Chiefs from all the seven districts in the province appended their signatures on the trust deeds so that the empowerment schemes become legal. The trust scheme is made up of chiefs, CEOs, District Administrators and councils’ chairpersons as founding members.”
Mr Ngwenya said the province had received commendable support from mining companies who have shown the zeal to comply with the Government’s empowerment drive.
“We have not encountered any problems with companies in Matabeleland North. We are quite pleased with their response. In Hwange for instance companies have already formed their own empowerment group. There are also companies from Bubi. There is no resistance at all,” he said.
“We will have one more stakeholders” meeting with Minister Kasukuwere and after that the date for the launch would be set. The launch will either be in Hwange or Bubi or both.”
The companies include Makomo Coal Mining, Hwange Coal Gassification, Liberation Mine, Hwange Colliery Company, Lonely Mine, South Mining, New Dawn Mining, Duration Gold and Isabela Mining.
New Dawn, Isabela and Duration Gold are sister mines under Bilboes Holdings and they operate in Bubi district.
Mr Ngwenya said the Government was considering incorporating timber logging companies in Lupane to also take part in the empowerment scheme.
Chief Mtshane Khumalo of Bubi who also attended the meeting said the launch of the CSOT/S in his province was long overdue.
“We are grateful to be at this stage. We have waited for so long and our province has been lagging behind others. We expect funds from the scheme to enhance development in areas such as roads, schools and clinics,” said Chief Mtshane who is also the Deputy President of the Chiefs Council.
Tsholotsho District Administrator Ms Nosizi Dube said she expected the CSOT/S to bring development to her district.
“We have set up the trusts for the scheme to start functioning. There is a need to have development projects in every district that would be financed by these funds. In Tsholotsho we want a dam in order to solve perennial water shortages,” she said.
Also present in the meeting were Chiefs Mabhikwa of Lupane, Shana and Nekatambe of Hwange, Siansali and Pashu of Binga, Magama of Tsholotsho and Dakamela of Nkayi.
On Tuesday a ministerial team led by Minister of Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment, Saviour Kasukuwere, Local Government, Rural and his Urban Development counterpart, Dr Ignatius Chombo toured the trustees’ projects in the Midlands.
Online Reporter