Mphoko's Feruka claims dismissed

Technicians have scoffed at Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko's phantom claims that Feruka oil refinery was in a derelict state because of a missing part stolen by a white saboteur.

During his tour at the defunct refinery which was shut down in 1965 after only operating for 15 months, the vice president claimed that a former white employee had stolen a "small valve" on the rusting structure.

Manicaland minister of State for Provincial Affairs Mandi Chimene demanded that PetroZim, which manages the plant, look into the VP's claims.

But Catharine Katsande, a PetroZim official, queried the VP's claims insisting instead that a new refinery must be built instead of looking for the valve.
 
Meanwhile,  Mphoko, who is in charge of policy implementation in Government, was assigned by President Robert Mugabe to go on a fact-finding mission to assess major national projects and see they can be harnessed to transform the country's economic fortunes under Zim-Asset's 10 Point Plan.

Although he said he was impressed by the potential the country had, Mphoko said he could not share details of his countrywide tour before briefing the President. His tour took him to all of the country's provinces.