adminNgoni Dapira Business Correspondent
BUSINESS was temporarily brought to a standstill on Tuesday at the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange listed milling firm, National Foods Limited, Mutare depot after Manicaland youths closed the main gate and accused the firm’s management of flouting recruitment procedures for the milling division vacancies.
Over 100 youths stormed the depot and demanded fair dealing after exposing that over 70 of the 90 recruited mill workers were from Harare.
The matter was however amicably and timely resolved following the intervention of the Dangamvura-Chikanga legislator Mr Esau Mupfumi and the Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs, Mandi Chimene.
Mr Mupfumi had to call the National Foods milling division managing executive, Mr Chipo Nheta, after the Mutare milling division manager, Mr Wilfred Muringai had fled the scene.
Mr Nheta asked for time to rectify the matter citing that he was not aware of the recruitment procedures, a job which was sub-contracted to a private consultancy, Lorimax Strategic Staffing (Pvt).
The matter was however quickly resolved after the youths threatened not to leave the premises without clarification over the matter.
The mill division recruitment was in the end postponed to today (Friday), with an agreement that Natfoods would use a 75 percent local staffing quota system.
Mr Mupfumi said companies should prioritise creating employment for the direct communities they will be serving.
He cited how the province lost out in the past after Chiadzwa diamond companies recruited the majority of employees from outside the province at the expense of locals.
“We are not saying companies based in Mutare should not employ from Harare or anywhere outside the province, but we are just demanding for fairness and have at least a 75 percent local employment quota system, especially where no specialist labour is required. Mutare residents are the direct consumers of National Foods Mutare depot products, so the 75 percent quota is the fairest.
“We lost out in Chiadzwa but this is right time to stand up and claim what is rightfully ours.
“A lot of our key industries have collapsed over the years and our communities want jobs,” said Mr Mupfumi, as he addressed the gathered youths after the matter was resolved.
Lorimax Strategic staffing services manager, Mr Garret Chagonda confirmed that the company would use the 75 percent quota system.
He however, explained that most of the Harare recruits present were experienced millers they had transferred from the Harare depot mill.
“When we closed the rice plant in Mutare last year, we transferred some of the employees to the Harare plant.
“We wanted to do the same with Harare millers and transfer about 50 from the Harare depot mill,” said Mr Chagonda.
The National Foods Mutare mill, which is expected to be operational before end of this month, had been closed down in 2013 due to stiff competition at the time.
Among some of the local protesters was Mr Silas Chirara, who was retrenched some years back but promised employment once the mill resumed operations.
“I am a qualified fork lift driver and it is painful that they were going to recruit people from Harare when qualified people are available locally.
“I am happy we protested against such unfair practices which have been happening a lot over the years leaving thousands of our youths jobless in Manicaland,” said Mr Chirara.
Natfoods is one of Zimbabwe’s largest manufacturers and marketers of food products, with a footprint spanning pre-packing and sale of dry groceries, to the manufacturing of stock feeds and food products.
The company operates in segments that include milling, manufacturing, distribution and the property.
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