THE director of AfricOil Petroleum, a consortium keen to invest in the fuel sector in Beitbridge but allegedly facing stiff resistance from Home Affairs minister Kembo Mohadi, has said the minister’s “unwarranted actions” will scare away potential investors.
NQOBILE BHEBHE/BENSON DUBE
Never Ndlovu said he was eager to engage Mohadi on a one-on-one to iron out any differences or misconceptions that he may have.
Mohadi yesterday defended himself saying his rivals wanted to liquidate the company without his knowledge.
Ndlovu told Southern Eye that Mohadi’s threats to evict the firm from premises they legally acquired were unfortunate and unwarranted.
This comes after Mohadi allegedly stormed the Beitbridge Police Station last week and threatened to kill an employee of the oil firm tasked with conducting an asset assessment of liquidated fuel company Red Queen Trading (Pvt) Ltd.
The fuel company was sold to the investor for $2,3 million.
“I am willing to meet Mohadi and talk to him just as I am willing to meet with any arm of the government as I have nothing to hide. The reason why I want to meet him is because I operate in an area where he is a senior politician and I respect him and working at cross purposes is not proper,” said Ndlovu.
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Mohadi is the legislator for Beitbridge while his wife Tambudzani is a senator for the province.
“I heeded the government call for Zimbabweans in the Diaspora to come back home and invest. We are keen to invest for the economic benefit of the country, but this undue interference by politicians is unfortunate. This scares away investors,” he said.
“We have complied with all regulations, paid all fees stipulated by the Zimbabwe Investment Authority ($5 000), Environmental Management Agency ($26 000) and Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority ($25 000). We bought into the liquidated firm and we saw its prospects, but we did not anticipate all this (interference).”
He added that the investment sunk into the project was worth more than $2,3 million.
AfricOil Petroleum has already paid a deposit of $169 000, but Mohadi is allegedly eager to stop the investment.
Last Friday, Mohadi reportedly grabbed a security guard, Trust Nhliziyo, by the collar and ordered him to abandon the disputed premises, stand number 1418 and 1419 in Beibridge.
In an affidavit tendered to the High Court in Bulawayo, Nhliziyo said Mohadi had harassed him.
“On the 26th September 2014 in the evening, the first respondent (Mohadi) came together with two bodyguards to stands 1418 and 1419, which I was guarding. I was harassed by first respondent and ultimately he physically manhandled me by grabbing me by the collar and told me to leave the premises,” Nhliziyo’s affidavit read.
Southern Eye was shown deeds of transfers of the property to AfricOil Petroleum and payments of outstanding water and rates to the Beitbridge Town Council.
However, Mohadi said the property belonged to him and said he would not comment further because the publication of the story had already caused damage to him.
“You have published your story about me without my side of the story; is that balancing? How can you sell property without the knowledge of a shareholder? If l did or did not threaten people with death, what will it solve when harm has been done?” asked Mohadi.
“It is now water under the bridge so you cannot get a comment from me. How would you see things happening without being told when you are a shareholder? They thought of liquidating the company without informing me,” he added.
