MIDDLE SABI Infighting among top Zanu (PF) politician here is threatening to derail the ethanol production project, one of the biggest ever investment projects ever undertaken in the province.According to sources some politicians from President Robert Mugabes party who feel slighted because they were not consulted about construction of the ethanol plant at Chisumbanje are plotting to incite villagers to reject the project.
Apparently Presidential Affairs Minister Didymus Mutasa, Agriculture Minister Joseph Made and former Zanu (PF) provincial chairman Basil Nyabadza were the political drivers of the project that is a private joint venture between the state-owned Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) and business tycoon Billy Rautenbachs Rating and Macdom Investments.
Other Zanu (PF) heavyweights have been excluded from the project, much to their chagrin according to party insiders.
Mutasa, Made and Nyabadza are not the owners of Zanu (PF) in this province. They do not represent all the wishes of the Zanu (PF) people in the province. We do not recognize that project because the governor (Chris Mushohwe) is not aware of that.
The provincial party executive is not aware of that, so we do not know what they (Mutasa, Made and Nyabadza) are up to, said one disgruntled party official, who did not want to be named.
They should have come to the party and sell this idea of the ethanol project so that we all know of what is happening in the party. Now these three are now taking this project as their personal business, added the senior party official.
However Nyabadza, who chairs the ARDA board, denied that he, Mutasa and Made had conspired to sideline other politicians from neither the project nor that there were some Zanu (PF) politicians plotting to disrupt the ethanol venture.
He said: It is not true that we want to personalise this project. I have personally spoken to (Governor) Mushohwe and he was excited about the project. I have invited him on a tour together with Elias Mudzuri (former minister of Power and Energy Development).
I am hopeful that a parliamentary committee will visit the sites to see for themselves because we believe we have passed the talking phase.
The ethanol plant that is already under construction at Chisumbanje is expected to produce between 35 000 and 40 000 litres of ethanol per day.
More than 11 000 hectares of land will be put under sugarcane to produce the cane that will be used in the production of ethanol.
The project that will create hundreds of jobs will also see hundreds of locals being relocated from their present homes to pave way for the ethanol plant and sugarcane fields.
About 500 families under Chiefs Garawa and Mupungu will have to be relocated to pave way for the massive expansion.
Post published in: News