Chisumbanje villagers used the visit by the parliamentary portfolio committee on Youth, Indigenisation and Empowerment last week Friday to register their displeasure over lack of development by Green Fuel which they accuse of causing so much suffering in their community.
Giving their submissions at a public hearing conducted by the parliamentary committee, the villagers said Green Fuel had since 2008 been making promises without bothering fulfilment. Speaker after speaker emotionally narrated how the giant ethanol producer had worsened their fortunes after grabbing their land without compensation.“We worked so hard with Lilian Muungani, (spokesperson for Green Fuels) going to Harare and forth lobbying for the re-opening of the plant after they had closed due to low market demand.They promised us compensation and income generating projects which they are now reluctant to give us,” remarked one female villager, Sarah Dube.She added that the ethanol manufacturing company promised villagers 0, 5 hectares of irrigable land but is reneging on supplying water resulting in them losing crops every season.
Chisumbanje sugar cane out-growers chairperson Wilson Chibeza attacked Green Fuel saying the company was shortchanging them by buying their sugar cane at ludicrous price of four dollars per tonne against a standard of 70 dollars paid by Triangle and Hippo Valley.“We have been occupying this land for the past forty years and have benefited a lot but since the coming of Green Fuel, things have changed as the company is not even paying us for the sugar cane that we sell to them every year,” said Chibeza. Another villager Chipo Chiripinda added that she has been struggling to make ends meet with her children having dropped out of school due because of Green Fuel.
“I work for US$1,50 per day yet I have three children who need 45 dollars each per term. I also need to buy food, how am I going to survive without land?” fumed Chiripinda.
A war veterans’ leader, James Maphosa said Green Fuel was not willing to fulfill its promises and was the prime source of deteriorating standards of living in Chisumbanje.“We went to war to fight for the same land that Green Fuel has taken from us, we demand urgent resolution of this land issue otherwise we will dance kongonya at the company,” said Maphosa.Meanwhile councilor for the area, Misheck Busangavanye said he is hoping that the government will increase blending levels from 15% upwards so that the community can realize more benefits but was quick to point out that the company needed to be pushed to deliver.
“The leadership should keep pushing the company as they are kind of crooks who sometimes promise things and fail to deliver,” said Busangavanye.
Raphael Zuze, Green Fuel’s Assistant General Manager pointed out that Green Fuel was developing land for irrigation as well as generating electricity among other things.“We are currently developing land for irrigation with more than 400 farmers already benefitting from this initiative, more people will be roped in until every community member benefits,” Zuze said.
Meanwhile a similar project in Mwenezi has been stalled by unending disputes between Zanu PF heavyweights who are divided on whether to allow Green Fuel owner Billy Rautenbach to set up a second plant.
