‘No More Land For Green Fuel, Billy Rautenbach Owes Villagers A Lot’- Minister Nandi Chimene

CHISUMBANJE: Government is not going to dish out more land to Green Fuel project until the owner Billy Rautenbach full-fills some pledges he made to the local people, a minister has said.

Provincial Affairs minister for Manicaland, Mandi Chimene, said this on Friday when she toured the ethanol plant alongside some members of the Provincial Joint Operation Command (JOC).

Local villagers are accusing Green Fuel of confiscating their land without compensation as well failing to full-fill some pledges such as funding income generating projects.

Green Fuel, through the Arda board chairman Basil Nyabadza, has requested the provincial lands committee to release extra 250 hectare for sugar cane production in Magogokova.

But Chimene turned down the request, saying Green Fuel still owes local people in terms of compensation and corporate social responsibility.

She told Rautenbach point blank that he should take corporate social responsibility seriously by ploughing back to the local community.

“There is hunger here and you want more land to put sugar cane. People don’t feed on sugar cane. I will give you 100 hectares to put maize.

“We cannot to import maize from Malawi. We cannot be proud of being the best ethanol producer when our people are hungry,” said Chimene.

He accused Rautenbach of not paying a courtesy call at her office when she was appointed the provincial minister.

“When I was appointed I only saw black cats at my office. We need to do away with the belief that it is only white cat that can catch the mice. Black cats also have the energy to work, expertise.

“We don’t have capital. If capital was grown we would not need the white cats.

“All I am saying we should stop racism, in some cases I get reports. White managers are not superior to blacks. We should co-exist together,” said Chimene.

She said Green Fuel trucks were destroying the Chisumbanje road and Rautenbach should bear the cost of rehabilitating the highway which is now littered with potholes and gullies.

“Please repair the roads that are being destroyed by your trucks that are coming from Rating and Mcdom. Please do something about 800 displaced villagers,” said Chimene.

She warned party members against extorting money from Rautenbach, saying she was going to be ruthless on those fingered in such deals.

“We know there are some party cadres who come extorting some money but let me warn you those who will be caught will be dealt with accordingly.

“Please follow procedures and protocol,” said Chimene. source-newzimbabwe

photo-Lets stop racism … Minister Mandi Chimene