The mining company, as part of its corporate responsibility scheme, is recruiting from the surrounding communities, taking mostly casual workers to work underground.
The villagers are questioning the criteria used to select potential employees, with many shortlisted candidates remaining jobless despite Zimplats having scores of vacancies.
Sabelo Chinyuko from Muzorewa Village said community heads were impartial when selecting aspirants but the Zimplats recruiting system lacked transparency, resulting in deserving villagers failing to fully benefit from the scheme.
“We feel the recruiting officers are sacrificing our communities for their relatives,” said Chinyuko in an interview last week. She appealed to Zimplats management to investigate the allegations get rid of corrupt employees.
The community houses the giant platinum mining company, which is among those targeted by the indigenisation crusade that demands foreign owned companies to cede 51% shareholding to locals.
‘‘The people responsible for recruitment are taking their relatives and friends. If you don’t know anyone there, your chances of getting employed are close to zero. I am desperately looking for someone, even a politician, who can second me,’’ said one prospective employee.
Zimplats has to date invested about $153 million in community development initiatives as part of its social responsibility. Recently the company launched a $10 million community share ownership scheme and handed over 32 boreholes to the Mhondoro and Chegutu communities.
While efforts to get a comment from the Zimplats management were unsuccessful, an employee said the company was overwhelmed with applications from jobseekers, some of whom did not possess a single pass at Ordinary Level.
Post published in: News