News / National
Zanu PF lawmaker under fire over Green Fuel
14 Jul 2014 at 06:54hrs | Views
A visit to the contentious Chisumbanje ethanol plant by a parliamentary portfolio committee almost turned ugly when villagers turned on Zanu PF Chipinge South lawmaker, Enock Porusingazi, accusing him of supping with "the Whiteman".
Villagers took turns to lambast Porusingazi while giving evidence before the parliamentary portfolio committee on youth and indigenisation.
They argued the legislator has abandoned his flock and is now in "Billy's pocket" in reference to Green Fuel proprietor, Billy Rautenbach.
The villagers told the committee chaired by Zanu PF MP for Gokwe Nembudziya, Justice Mayor Wadyajena, that Porusingazi is dining with the British-born business mogul at the expense of their welfare as the tycoon was now reluctant to fulfil undertakings he made at inception.
"Our MP is the problem, he is unhelpful to us, we are suffering here because we don't have a representative who can take our case to the investor so that he fulfils agreements we made when he came here to establish his plant," said Chipo Chiripinda, a local farmer, who lost his land to the Ethanol project.
"This MP is our main problem, ndo problem huru ava, vatiregerera zvisingaite". Rautenbach is in partnership with government through Arda to process Ethanol fuel from sugarcane but the project has been marred by controversy as the community is saying it is not benefitting in any way. The committee, with sponsorship from Southern Africa Parliamentary Support Trust, a local civic group involved in policy formulation programmes, toured Chisumbanje to gather evidence from the people on how they have benefited from the project.
Drama started when Green Fuel officials led the committee to some community projects they said were being sponsored by the company. As soon as the MPs disembarked from a bus hired by Green Fuel, the farmers charged towards the committee impatient to tell their story.
Sensing danger and a possible backlash, Porusingazi teamed up with some MPs, Kudzayi Chipanga and Tafanana Zhou, to discredit the group saying they had been mobilised by MDC-T leaders to attack the lawmaker.
They (MPs) pleaded with Wadyajena not to entertain them but the chairperson said the villagers had a right to be heard and a miffed Porusingazi then turned on the Gokwe-Nembudiya legislator.
"So Wadyajena you came all the way from Gokwe to discredit me? You are here using parliamentary privileges to de-campaign me, how will you feel if I came to Gokwe and did this to you?" Porusingazi charged.
It took the intervention of MDC-T MP for Mkoba, Amos Chibaya, and Zanu PF legislator for Marondera East, Jeremiah Chiwetu, to calm Porusingazi. Embarrassed by the attack, Chipanga, Zhou and Porusingazi teamed up to eject Claris Madhuku, a leader of a local rights group Platform for Youth Development Trust, from the Green Fuel bus carrying the entourage to Chisumbanje growth point.
The trio accused Wadyajena of conniving with Madhuku to discredit Porusingazi as the local legislator, a decision which backfired later on as the multitudes of other villagers gathered at the growth point had no kind words for the MP.Traditional leaders led by Chief Garahwa, had no kind words for Rautenbach and his investment as well.
"We love the project but the expectations of the people are not being met. There is nothing happening," Chief Garahwa said.
At the public hearing attended by over 400 villagers there was not let up for Porusingazi.
"Since he was voted into power, we have no seen him here," said Mai Machanyana at the public hearing.
"He has abandoned us but before the July 31 (2013) elections we used to work together and fight for the development of this area together,"
Villagers took turns to lambast Porusingazi while giving evidence before the parliamentary portfolio committee on youth and indigenisation.
They argued the legislator has abandoned his flock and is now in "Billy's pocket" in reference to Green Fuel proprietor, Billy Rautenbach.
The villagers told the committee chaired by Zanu PF MP for Gokwe Nembudziya, Justice Mayor Wadyajena, that Porusingazi is dining with the British-born business mogul at the expense of their welfare as the tycoon was now reluctant to fulfil undertakings he made at inception.
"Our MP is the problem, he is unhelpful to us, we are suffering here because we don't have a representative who can take our case to the investor so that he fulfils agreements we made when he came here to establish his plant," said Chipo Chiripinda, a local farmer, who lost his land to the Ethanol project.
"This MP is our main problem, ndo problem huru ava, vatiregerera zvisingaite". Rautenbach is in partnership with government through Arda to process Ethanol fuel from sugarcane but the project has been marred by controversy as the community is saying it is not benefitting in any way. The committee, with sponsorship from Southern Africa Parliamentary Support Trust, a local civic group involved in policy formulation programmes, toured Chisumbanje to gather evidence from the people on how they have benefited from the project.
Drama started when Green Fuel officials led the committee to some community projects they said were being sponsored by the company. As soon as the MPs disembarked from a bus hired by Green Fuel, the farmers charged towards the committee impatient to tell their story.
Sensing danger and a possible backlash, Porusingazi teamed up with some MPs, Kudzayi Chipanga and Tafanana Zhou, to discredit the group saying they had been mobilised by MDC-T leaders to attack the lawmaker.
They (MPs) pleaded with Wadyajena not to entertain them but the chairperson said the villagers had a right to be heard and a miffed Porusingazi then turned on the Gokwe-Nembudiya legislator.
"So Wadyajena you came all the way from Gokwe to discredit me? You are here using parliamentary privileges to de-campaign me, how will you feel if I came to Gokwe and did this to you?" Porusingazi charged.
It took the intervention of MDC-T MP for Mkoba, Amos Chibaya, and Zanu PF legislator for Marondera East, Jeremiah Chiwetu, to calm Porusingazi. Embarrassed by the attack, Chipanga, Zhou and Porusingazi teamed up to eject Claris Madhuku, a leader of a local rights group Platform for Youth Development Trust, from the Green Fuel bus carrying the entourage to Chisumbanje growth point.
The trio accused Wadyajena of conniving with Madhuku to discredit Porusingazi as the local legislator, a decision which backfired later on as the multitudes of other villagers gathered at the growth point had no kind words for the MP.Traditional leaders led by Chief Garahwa, had no kind words for Rautenbach and his investment as well.
"We love the project but the expectations of the people are not being met. There is nothing happening," Chief Garahwa said.
At the public hearing attended by over 400 villagers there was not let up for Porusingazi.
"Since he was voted into power, we have no seen him here," said Mai Machanyana at the public hearing.
"He has abandoned us but before the July 31 (2013) elections we used to work together and fight for the development of this area together,"
Source - The Zim Mail
