News / National
Mugabe to resolve Tongaat fields grabbing
28 Jun 2016 at 06:39hrs | Views
President Robert Mugabe has visited the sugar-producing town of Chiredzi on Saturday with one of his chief missions being to resolve a planned takeover of 4 000 hectares of sugarcane fields from Tongaat Hulett which will inevitably leave 2 000 workers jobless.
Masvingo Mirror reported that President Mugabe whose programmes have always been pro-people is said to be seriously concerned about the impeding job losses.
The majority of Masvingo's 26 Zanu PF MPs are also angry at the planned takeover of the fields which is being engineered by the Minister of State for Masvingo, Shuvai Mahofa and Minister of Lands and Rural Resettlement Dr Douglas Mombeshora.
The MPs have appealed to President Mugabe to intervene and stop what one of them described as an "evil and insensitive move" by Mahofa.
The two major unions in Chiredzi Zimbabwe Sugar Milling Industry Workers' Union and Sugar Production and Milling Workers' Union which have a combined membership of 22 000 workers have also condemned the takeover plans and are looking up to President Mugabe to serve their jobs.
President Mugabe's visit comes after his six hour meeting with 15 legislators from the province at State House last Wednesday where sources who attended said they told him how Provincial Affairs Minister Shuvai Mahofa and Psychomotor Minister Josiah Hungwe who are relatives and linked to a faction supporting Vice President Mnangagwa faction are mastering factionalism in the province and disregarding the duties of elected legislators.
The legislators area also said to have expressed grave concern over 2000 Tongaat Hullet workers are going to lose their jobs due to the current program to take 4 000 hectares and give it to new farmers.
The sources said President Mugabe promised to summon Mahofa and Hungwe to the meeting so that the complaints against them will be raised during their presence. He also asked Chiredzi legislators to invite three chiefs from the district who will also attend the meeting so that he will hear their concerns regarding the issue of distribution of land at Tongaat Hulett.
"The president is coming to Chiredzi on Saturday where there will be a closed door meeting where many issues that affect the province will be ironed out. Among the issues is the takeover of land from Tongaat where we have been saying as government do we have any other solution to those who will lose jobs.
"We asked our president during last week's meeting how we can sacrifice over 2000 people for the benefit of only 190 new farmers. These workers have children who are going to school for free in Triangle and Hippo Valley so where will they go. We also explained to him how the godfathers and godmother of factionalism in Masvingo are disregarding elected MPs in favour of factional people who lost elections," said the source.
Masvingo Mirror reported that President Mugabe whose programmes have always been pro-people is said to be seriously concerned about the impeding job losses.
The majority of Masvingo's 26 Zanu PF MPs are also angry at the planned takeover of the fields which is being engineered by the Minister of State for Masvingo, Shuvai Mahofa and Minister of Lands and Rural Resettlement Dr Douglas Mombeshora.
The MPs have appealed to President Mugabe to intervene and stop what one of them described as an "evil and insensitive move" by Mahofa.
The two major unions in Chiredzi Zimbabwe Sugar Milling Industry Workers' Union and Sugar Production and Milling Workers' Union which have a combined membership of 22 000 workers have also condemned the takeover plans and are looking up to President Mugabe to serve their jobs.
The legislators area also said to have expressed grave concern over 2000 Tongaat Hullet workers are going to lose their jobs due to the current program to take 4 000 hectares and give it to new farmers.
The sources said President Mugabe promised to summon Mahofa and Hungwe to the meeting so that the complaints against them will be raised during their presence. He also asked Chiredzi legislators to invite three chiefs from the district who will also attend the meeting so that he will hear their concerns regarding the issue of distribution of land at Tongaat Hulett.
"The president is coming to Chiredzi on Saturday where there will be a closed door meeting where many issues that affect the province will be ironed out. Among the issues is the takeover of land from Tongaat where we have been saying as government do we have any other solution to those who will lose jobs.
"We asked our president during last week's meeting how we can sacrifice over 2000 people for the benefit of only 190 new farmers. These workers have children who are going to school for free in Triangle and Hippo Valley so where will they go. We also explained to him how the godfathers and godmother of factionalism in Masvingo are disregarding elected MPs in favour of factional people who lost elections," said the source.
Source - Masvingo Mirror
