Emmerson Mnangagwa
Their demands contradict those made by the Midlands chiefs who pleaded with Mnangagwa for the reopening of Zisco and Zimasco so that jobs can be created for the youth.
Mnangagwa promised to attend to the demands made by the Midlands chiefs but said nothing about the request by Masvingo chiefs.
The demands by the chiefs from Masvingo is despite that 2 000 workers are bound to lose jobs at Tongaat following the designation of 4 000 hectares of the company’s estate which the Government parcelled out to new farmers last year. There are also 400 contract workers who had their contracts prematurely terminated in December last year again due to the same problem.
Speaking on behalf of traditional chiefs from Masvingo, Chief Chitanga told Mnangagwa that as chiefs they were promised part of the Tongaat estate and they wanted to know when this pledge was going to be honoured.
He complained that the process was taking too long.
“As a representative of chiefs from Masvingo Province, I want to thank the President for giving us cars because transport is a problem for many of us. However, I want to tell the President that we were promised Tongaat sugarcane farms but up to now we have not received anything and the process is taking too long. We plead with the Government to speed up the process,” said Chief Chitanga.
During the same event Midlands chiefs represented by Chief Ngungubali, pleaded with Mnangagwa for the reopening of Shabani Mine, Zisco Steel and Zimasco.
“As Midlands province’s chiefs we have a number of concerns in our areas and the main one being the reopening of Shabani and Ziscosteel. We also appeal for Government to ensure that Fidelity Printers do not just buy minerals from our communities but should plough back a fraction of what they get.
“Child marriages are one of the issues of concern and we ask Government to give us powers to preside over such cases in order to reduce this social scourge,” said Chief Ngungubani.
Mnangagwa promised to reopen Shabani Mashaba Mines and Zisco. He said he will sit with the Minister of Justice to discuss the issue of child marriages.- Masvingo Mirror
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