Employees at the factory told The Zimbabwean this week that the company had been facing challenges in transporting coal from Hwange and raw sugar from the Lowveld.
However, Tendai Masawi, the group chief operating officer of Star Africa Corporation, owners of the company, denied they were facing any operational challenges.
The plant is just undergoing routine maintenance work, he said.
Masawi said it was normal to carry out maintenance every eight weeks.
As I speak right now almost ten trucks are being loaded with raw sugar in the Lowveld, destined for Bulawayo, said Masawi.
But workers said there had not been any coal or raw sugar deliveries in the last three weeks, forcing management to send them on leave.
Most of our raw materials are transported by rail and that mode of transport has not been reliable in recent weeks resulting in the company running out of raw materials, said an employee.
He said employees had been informed that they would only return to work when reasonable stocks of raw materials had been secured.
Post published in: Economy