Chisumbanje villagers furious over lack of consultation for Ethanol project
Lack of consultation infuriates Chisumbanje villagers
A week of drama has been experienced in Chisumbanje as over a thousand
villagers refused to be cowed by Macdom pvt ltd.The much publicised Ethanol
project hangs on a thread if the Macdom and ARDA remains stubborn by
imposing and defining the project as irreversible against basic
communication skills. A consultation meeting by the cabinet representative
on the 15th of August, as well as that by the company on the 18th of August
2011 has failed to break the impasse.
The company through their Human Resources Manager Mr. Zuze agreed that they
are responsible for the destruction of crops belonging to the residents
since 2008,” we are consulting with Agritex to establish the value of the
destroyed crops so that we start compensation” Zuze admitted. This statement
was made at a meeting at Chisumbanje on the 18th of August. More than one
thousand villagers including Chief Garahwa, Headman
Chisumbanje,Chinyamukwakwa and Matikwa attended.
In response to the admission by the company through Zuze,a resolution by the
villagers was made-
That there will be no talks/engagements with neither the company nor ARDA
concerning their land until farmers whose crops were destructed since 2008
have been compensated satisfactorily.
The villagers have since refuted instructions by the company spoken through
J.C Mundoma, the Chief Executive Officer of ARDA Chipinge. He provided dates
for the community to meet the company at their fields to establish their
hectrage.The villagers’ responded angrily for this imposition of dates when
in actual fact there was no background and proper communication as to the
purpose of the meetings. When Mundoma insisted on the project as
irreversible because the community was less important than government
interests a resolution was made for him and his JEPAC team.
That the villagers has lost confidence in the D.A Noel Mundeta and his
team(Mundoma included),therefore appeals for a fresh team, should there be
need for talks/engagements in this matter.
The community also raised concern that the intended consultations were bent
on dividing people as well as cheating them. The community sighted the
imposition of weak members who are not convincingly representative as much
as they are not familiar with community interests. To this effect a third
resolution was made.
That Platform for Youth Development Trust [PYD} will remain the
representative of the Chisumbanje, Chinyamukwakwa and Matikwa communities is
resolving this land dispute with Macdom pvt ltd with her sister companies.
Platform for Youth Development has been working with the villagers on this
matter since 2008.Since then, the company has been invading the truth by
claiming that PYD was not mandated and therefore not fit to be given a table
talk. It appears, they have not yet learnt the mathematics of community
projects.PYD has already engaged Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights and Bere
Brothers who have since filed a court application at the high court of
Zimbabwe to stop Macdom pvt ltd and her sister companies from encroaching
the boundaries they have since agreed with ARDA.
It is important to note that PYD is a pressure group that is community based
and well equipped to mediate in this dispute. Macdom management have failed
dismally to respect the community. In addition to handpicking war veterans
(only to abuse their titles), they use hate language and political rhetoric
to intimidate the community into submission. All their efforts having failed
they have again introduced fliers lambasting the director of PYD Mr Claris
Madhuku and one of the community strongmen Wedzerai Gwenzi. In their
laughable messages, they are claiming that these two men are organising the
community in pursuit of political power. Someone must advise them, that they
are dampening relations at the time they need them most.
”The allegations are baseless and nonsensical, am passionate about my
community and will break my bones in defence of genuine and community
empowering development”Madhuku said.
‘As far as i am concerned, Macdom and ARDA representatives risk
embarrassment of a generation if they continue being stubborn without bowing
down to consider talking. The community will do everything peaceful to
demand their rights against imposition of development. The community has no
problem with the plant operating within the 5 112 hectares where there is no
conflict, the problem comes when they start operating illegal by encroaching
into the community before there is a binding agreement” Madhuku fumed.
The court application is meant to inform the company and ARDA that the
community is determined and spirited to pursue justice. However the courts
are not the ONLY option available. The community is prepared to make history
of a monumental stature to display community power against imposition of the
so called development.
Platform for Youth Development is very much concerned that the company has
failed on the Indigenization and Land policies of the country. So far most
of our young people in the area lie idle despite the company claiming at the
international level that they are employing the community members. Over
eighty (80%) of the company’s work force is coming far away from Chisumbanje
and Chipinge. The community feels cheated and taken for granted by the
management who daily harasses employees.PYD has authoritative reports of
discrimination, harassment and bad labour practices at the company.ZCTU and
NEC must visit this place to protect workers’ rights with immediacy.
“If the Ethanol plant is to function without community interruptions, it was
recommended for the management to take their community relations seriously”Wedzerai
Gwenzi, spokesperson for the community said.
”How are we expected to simply accept a deal that displaces people without
taking concern of our cultural concerns and our fore fathers graves am a
traditional leader who gets power from the people” said Headmen, Forichi
Chisumbanje.
Facts available indicates that when Macdom Pvt Ltd entered into the
agreement, it was believed that ARDA would provide the 45 000 hectares but
it was latter realized that the ARDA only had 5 112 hectares hence the
decision to displace villagers to secure the deficit. It is a pity that ARDA
officials Macdom are taking advantage of the vulnerable villagers to dictate
to them what they want to do on their land without their consent. The
company officials connived with the District Administrator (D.A) who then
gave the directive to Chief Garahwa as if it was coming from the government.
It is important to expose those who are clandestinely involved in this deal.
Macdom is owned by a close Zanu (PF) ally Billy Rautenbach who is rumoured
to be one of the party’s financing partners. While the development of
bio-fuels is a desirable initiative especially in Zimbabwe, it however
leaves a lot to be desired as to how a responsible company could impose
itself to the people without any benefit to the locals. Platform for Youth
Development is working closely with the traditional leadership, councillors
and members of parliament in the three constituencies to be affected by the
project.
Rautenbach is not new to major financial scandals with a bad reputation in
both South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rautenbach was also
recently deported from the DRC after government officials established that
he was looting diamonds from the mineral rich country.