Security guard fires on villagers, one dead

ONE person died, while two others are battling for their lives at St Peters Hospital in Checheche after GreenFuel security guards allegedly opened fire on villagers suspected to have trespassed into the sugarcane fields on Wednesday.

Although police officials in Chisumbanje refused to give details on the incident, NewsDay is reliably informed the security guard who shot the villagers was now in police custody.

GreenFuel officials demanded questions in writing and had not responded by the time of going to print last night.

Chipinge South MP Enock Porusingazi condemned the shooting, saying the guards acted irresponsibly.

He said the situation was likely going to re-ignite conflict in the area where previously the company ran endless battles with the community as villagers resisted the project.

"This incident is very unfortunate. We want co-existence between GreenFuel and the community. This is a very bad situation and when things turn like this, then there is likelihood that the situation can deteriorate back to the days of conflict," Porusingazi said.

"The holders of firearms should be cautious and avoid overreacting. While we condemn lawlessness, I think the guards overreacted and they should have handled the situation with caution."

According to community members, the victims had gone to gather sugarcane after harvesting in some fields.

The relationship between GreenFuel and the local community has been frosty with community members accusing the ethanol producing company of encroaching onto their land and failing to fulfil promises of corporate social responsibility as agreed.