Whites Key To Reviving Zim Agriculture:MP
By Crisswel Chisango Chinhoyi, June 01, 2012 – Former Mashonaland West
governor and Zvimba West Member of Parliament, Nelson Samkange, said on
Friday that there was need to work with white farmers who had financial
capacity to revive the ailing agriculture sector.
He told Radio VOP “What we want is production and if they (whites) come, I
am prepared to work with them.”
He is among top government officials who are battling to utilise the land
that they grabbed from white commercial farmers in 2000.
He is currently being sued by his workers at his Rukoba farm in Banket for
non remittance of their contributions to National Social Security Authority,
NSSA as well as outstanding salaries since 2010.
Other top government officials dragged to court over non remittance of
workers’ contributions to Nssa include, Attorney-General Johannes Tomana,
Local Government and Urban Development minister Ignatius Chombo, former
adviser to reserve bank Governor Gideon Gono, Munyaradzi Kereke.
Samkange said he failed to utilise his farm following a botched up deal with
the Chinese late last year. “I had earmarked 300 hectares for maize and soya
beans but the Chinese did not honour up to their promise.”
He was now selling his cattle to make ends meet after he fired 50 of his 70
workers.
“I am appealing to you to assist if I can get anyone with funding even
whites because I cannot afford to use the whole farm or employ all workers”
he added.