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with stakeholders proposing Thursday next week as the official commissioning date.
The stakeholders who include chiefs, representatives of mining companies and Government officials met in Lupane on Tuesday and agreed that the province was ready for the launch of the historic empowerment scheme.
Nine companies that include Makomo Coal Mining, Hwange Coal Gassification, Liberation Mine, Hwange Colliery Company, Lonely Mine, South Mining, New Dawn Mining, Duration Gold and Isabela Mining are taking part in the scheme.
New Dawn, Isabela and Duration Gold are sister mines under Bilboes Holdings and they operate in Bubi District.
In an interview yesterday, Matabeleland North provincial head in the Ministry of Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment Mr Buthumuzi Ngwenya said all stakeholders were ready for the commissioning of the scheme by President Mugabe.
“We met as stakeholders on Tuesday and proposed 18 or 19 October as the date for the launch. The venue for the event will be Hwange Stadium. Our launch will be unique in that we will be launching seven trusts in one go and that is historic,” said Mr Ngwenya.
“Matabeleland North is a very rich province and we are working towards making sure that the day becomes a success. On that day each district will be given its trust and a share certificate.
“We expect the companies to put seed capital into these trusts as a good will gesture so that communities have a healthy start. I cannot disclose the figures now but some companies have already put the money into the scheme.”
Mr Ngwenya, however, said some companies especially big tourism firms in Victoria Falls were not supportive of the empowerment programme.
“Matabeleland North is a very rich province but there are some companies that are reluctant to join us. We are worried that some big tourism companies especially in Victoria Falls are not part of the process. We are saying every business must participate and would like to warn such firms that there are no sacred cows,” said Mr Ngwenya.
Matabeleland North Governor Thokozile Mathuthu also confirmed the development, but said the province would wait for the approval of the proposed dates by the Office of the President and Cabinet.
“Yes the dates have been proposed but they have to be confirmed by the President’s Office who would advise us on whether the President would be available. However, everything is in place for the launch. You can talk to Mr Ngwenya for more details,” said Governor Mathuthu.
The CSOT/S is a countrywide Government initiative aimed at spearheading development and empowering rural communities by giving them a 10 percent stake in all businesses that exploit natural resources in their areas.
Recently traditional leaders in the province, chief executive officers from nine companies, district administrators, councils’ chairpersons and Rural District Councils’ (RDCs) chief executive officers appended their signatures on the trust deeds as part of the legal requirements for the empowerment scheme.
The trust scheme is made up of chiefs, CEOs, district administrators and councils’ chairpersons as founding members.
Matabeleland North will join Matabeleland South, Mashonaland West, Manicaland and Midlands, in which the community share ownership trust has been launched.
After mines, the next phase of the scheme is set to target more natural resources including wildlife.
Online Reporter