Zanu (PF) Manicaland provincial structures had masterminded a ploy to use Vice President Joice Mujuru to unlawfully force the re-opening of the Chisumbanje project in March, before it had complied with the indigenisation laws.
The plan was to seek the country’s highest office to put pressure on the ministry of Energy and Power Development headed by MDC-T’s Elton Mangoma. By doing so, Zanu (PF) politicians would benefit from the project at the expense of the treasury.
However, Mangoma stood his ground arguing that such a scenario would only take place once the project had met the country’s indigenisation law requirements on shareholding.
The Chisumbanje project is owned by Green Fuels through a partnership between government owned ARDA estate and private firm Macdom, Rating Investments.
Green Fuels folded in February 2012 after reaching the maximum 10 million litres of ethanol, its storage facilities can hold since it is yet to be licensed to sell the product. ARDA has claimed that the project would have been opened if it was under a Zanu (PF) official despite the fact that it has not yet complied with the law relating to a disclosure of its shareholders.
However, the MDC-T maintained that Green Fuels should disclose relevant financial information and total cost of ethanol production to ensure fair pricing of the commodity to protect consumers before a license can be issued.
Post published in: News