Zanu PF plots fresh raid on mines

Politics
ZANU PF is early next year expected to launch a blitz on mining companies that have not contributed to the community share ownership schemes launched last year, a legislator said.

ZANU PF is early next year expected to launch a blitz on mining companies that have not contributed to the community share ownership schemes launched last year, a legislator said. Tatenda Chitagu Own Correspondent

This comes amid reports that most companies pledged to fund the community ownership share schemes, but are still to pay even a cent to the schemes.

Last year, President Robert Mugabe launched the Masvingo $3 million community share ownership trust, but one year down the line, firms are yet to remit money for the schemes, Zaka central legislator and Zanu PF interim provincial interim chair Paradzai Chakona said.

Among the companies that pledged are Tongaat Hullet, Bikita Minerals, Steelmakers and Rio Zim’s Renco Mine.Bimha-Mine

“In Masvingo, we do not have a penny in our trust account and the companies are yet to own up,” Chakona told journalists at an end-of-year party for scribes organised by the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists last Friday.

He accused his predecessor in the Zanu PF provincial leadership of “sabotaging” the share ownership schemes.

“The then party leadership here sabotaged and suppressed contributions into the trust,” he said. “They never spoke of the money or followed up on it.”

Chakona, who became the acting provincial chair following a vote of no confidence on Retired Brigadier General Killian Gwanetsa, promised to hold the companies to account.

“Whatever has been pledged should come in,” he said. “We will chase that money and by the end of January, we want to see it.

“That is part of the indigenisation policy and we want to see how much we are benefiting.”

Chakona claimed some provinces had benefited from the share ownership schemes and there was no reason why Masvingo should be lagging behind.

“In other provinces, there has been development from the community share ownership schemes like schools being built, others renovated, yet here, there is nothing,” he added.