Ethanol plant to sack 4,500 workers
01/05/2012 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
UP to 4,500 workers at the US$600 million ethanol plant in Chisumbanje could
lose their jobs as Energy Minister Elton Mangoma continues to resist
pressure to introduce compulsory blending of petrol.
Green Fuel has already ceased ethanol production after exhausting storage
capacity at the Chisumbanje plant with some 10 million litres of product in
stock. The shut down has resulted in 700 factory workers being sent home on
forced leave.
The company employs some 4,500 at the plant and at its vast sugar
plantations, but officials say they could all lose their jobs unless the
government introduces mandatory blending petrol imports with locally
produced ethanol.
“We basically shut down the plant on February 6 and sent all the 700
employees on leave,” general manager, Graeme Smith said.
“We restarted the plant last week to keep the machine in shape and to keep
our staff motivated, but we will be closing again on May 6.”
Workers committee deputy chair, Kokanayi Mapungwana, added: “If there is
anything that needs to be done by the government, we are urging them to do
that expeditiously.
“We have families to look after and we can only do that if we are employed.”
The company has struggled to push its product on the market as most service
stations only have storage capacity for diesel and petrol.
Again, motorists argue that the price of the company’s E10 (a 10-90 ethanol
and petrol blend) is only marginally lower than unblended petrol.
Green Fuel says higher blending rations would help reduce prices further but
efforts to get government support with that and compulsory blending have so
far hit a brick wall.
Energy Minister Elton Mangoma recently ruled out compulsory blending,
telling Green Fuel to export their product if they could not sell it
locally.
“We cannot have legislation for individuals, because that would set a bad
precedent. They are free to export their product,” he said.
“We have already licensed them (Green Fuels), they are already on the market
selling their fuel. I have not followed to see the volume which they are
selling. Let’s not create a problem which is not there.”
However, Smith said exporting the ethanol would be counterproductive arguing
the product would simply be re-imported into Zimbabwe as blended petrol but
at an extra cost to the country.
He said compulsory blending could help the country save up to US$250 million
annually while higher blending rations would reduce pump prices by a further
10 cents.
Observers say the ethanol project which was expected to help end fuel supply
problems as well as significantly reduce the country’s petrol import bill
has fallen victim to coalition politics.
They claim that MDC elements in the government are reluctant assist the
project because of presumed links between individuals associated with the
company and President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF party.
“There appears to be a perception that by helping Green Fuel one is also
helping Zanu PF because of the supposed links between the party and
individuals said to be associated with the company,” said a source close to
the developments.
“But that is unfortunate because it is only the workers who end up suffering
and we are, in effect, undermining what could be a very important project
for the country.”
The company is also understood to be fighting off predatory elements from
Zanu PF who say they will not help unless they get shares in the project
inline with the country’s economic empowerment laws.
But company officials say the project is already compliant since it is a
joint venture between two private but local companies and the state-owned
agriculture development agency, ARDA.
Said Arda chairman Basil Nyabadza: “We now have signed a Memorandum of
Understanding which is guiding us in these negotiations (on indigenization).
“Remember that when this project started there was no indigenisation and we
are now discussing to make it a joint venture project between Government and
the investors, and not a BOT (Build Operate Transfer project,” he said.